Ensenada, Baja California, Mexico

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We had an early start today. Terrace started serving breakfast at 7am. We got there around 8am. We left Regatta around 8:45am. We were to meet Cali-Baja/Shore Excursions at 9:15am ashore past 2 security booths. We were not sure how long it would take so we got there at 9am. They were already there waiting with their bus so we got to wait out of the sun and sitting down. We were their only 2 Oceania passengers. Celebrity Imagination was docked here today too and they had about 40. Bad news/good news was that there was room for us because the date on our tickets from Shore Excursions was August 22! I know what happened. We had booked a Catalina Island excursion with them that I had to call and cancel when O changed the port to Ensenada. Then I couldn't book the Calafia Valley Wine Tour to replace it because Shore Excursions didn't have Ensenada in their system yet so I had to call back again. The rep I spoke with twice canceled one and booked the other but I think the date I called was August 22 and I didn't notice when a week or so later the e-ticket arrived in email that the tour date was wrong. As I say, bad news, but the good news was that they could take us anyway. Still not impressed enough with Shore Excursions Group to recommend them. I can recommend Cali-Baja tours for working with us and for their tour but I don't think they have a website so I am not sure you can book directly with them.

We drove about an hour north of Ensenada to Calafia Valley. We visited 2 wineries. The first was beautiful and had a lot of character and great food. It was La Casa de Dona Lupe. You could choose any of their wines to have 4 samples. We didn't like any of the wine. We bought Mexican Altura coffee and vanilla there! The 2nd winery was the largest in Mexico, L. A. Cetto. They provided a formal guided tour of their winery. It was interesting as they were receiving truckloads of grapes and unloading and crushing them while we were there. It was very sterile and industrial. They provided 2 white and 2 red samples, but they picked them not us. They also had olive oil, olives and bread and cheese. Ordinarily they stop on the way back for tacos if everyone agrees. We agreed but had to be all aboard about 2 hours before the Carnival crowd. We agreed to the stop as long as we would be back by 3:30pm our all aboard time. We ran into a wreck with a long traffic backup just outside town so no tacos for anyone. They dropped most of the bus off in town before returning us and a few remaining Carnival people to the port. Port security came on the bus and checked every cruisecard and photo ID before letting the bus in. It was still quicker than walking. There was a big building right beside the ship with all the souvenir shopping you'd have needed. Ensenada port is all new since we were last here and it looked like they'd built a nice waterfront walkway from the port to the giant Mexican flag where at mid-day they had dancing fountains running and lots of horse carriages waiting for sightseers. It looked nicer than we remembered. Downtown this afternoon looked like Spring Break though. We were happy with our trip to Calafia Valley. It was a scenic drive.

We ate outdoors at Waves Grill for the first time this cruise when we got back aboard. The pool deck was more full than we can ever remember seeing one on any ship we've ever sailed! It looked like most of the passengers had stayed aboard today. O only ran 5 tours here today.

No special plans for dinner tonight. If it isn't too rough we'll go to Terrace. If it is I guess it will be Grand Dining Room. Fingers crossed for calm seas. Tomorrow is a sea day and promises to be lazy.

Talked to Mom today and she got her power back on shortly after we spoke from San Francisco on the 20th. She was very pleased by that and moved right back home. She was happy to have been back home for the last 2 nights.

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