4-night Baja Cruise from San Diego

[laurelew]

I recently booked my family's second cruise: a 4-night Baja Cruise from San Diego on the Wonder. Specifically the Apr 13-17 sailing with the following itinerary:

Day 1: Embarcation
Day 2: Catalina Island
Day 3: Ensenada
Day 4: Day at Sea

As I start counting down the days, I'd love to hear from anyone who has done this cruise or a similar one in the past. What did you enjoy most about this itinerary?

I'm also open to speculation about when pirate night or the theater shows might be. (Pirate night on Day 3 perhaps?)

Speaking of pirate night, do any of the MDRs on the Wonder do anything special for pirate night? On my Fantasy cruise we were in Animator's Palate for pirate night and I enjoyed seeing the pirate art on the screens. It will be myself, my husband, and my 5 year old son on this sailing so I'm not considering Palo dinner as a pirate night alternative.

 

[LAS2AMS]

We love Catalina Island, but view Ensenada as a throwaway port - perhaps the worst port to visit. It’s the only foreign port that can be reached on cruises of 4 days or less from LA/SD. As frequent LA-based cruisers we’ve been there oodles of times but I can’t recall the last time we left the ship. But you’re there for the Disney experience anyway!!

 

[PrincessShmoo]

I recently booked my family's second cruise: a 4-night Baja Cruise from San Diego on the Wonder. Specifically the Apr 13-17 sailing with the following itinerary:

Day 1: Embarcation
Day 2: Catalina Island
Day 3: Ensenada
Day 4: Day at Sea

As I start counting down the days, I'd love to hear from anyone who has done this cruise or a similar one in the past. What did you enjoy most about this itinerary?

I'm also open to speculation about when pirate night or the theater shows might be. (Pirate night on Day 3 perhaps?)

Speaking of pirate night, do any of the MDRs on the Wonder do anything special for pirate night? On my Fantasy cruise we were in Animator's Palate for pirate night and I enjoyed seeing the pirate art on the screens. It will be myself, my husband, and my 5 year old son on this sailing so I'm not considering Palo dinner as a pirate night alternative.

I agree = Ensenada not particularly interesting to me. Now, if there is an excursion offered that interests you, I'd suggest you take it. My #1 rule is that I have to get off the ship the first time were in any given port, so I can form my own opinion as to whether it's "worth it" or not.

Catalina is interesting. But I view it as basically a tourist place.

My favorite thing about this itinerary is being on the ship.

 

[holula]

I really enjoyed my excursion in Ensenada where we made Mexican food and drank margaritas and then went to a tequila shop and mini museum. It sounds similar to Taste of Mexico and Margarita Madness but not the same.

 

[laurelew]

I appreciate the feedback! Your experiences track with other things I have read about the ports. I am currently leaning toward staying on the ship in Ensenada, especially since it's such a a short cruise. My preference would have been to do a longer cruise but alas my husband did not catch the DCL bug so this trip is a compromise with a land (San Diego) and sea adventure for the family.

 

[Mathmagicland]

I recently booked my family's second cruise: a 4-night Baja Cruise from San Diego on the Wonder. Specifically the Apr 13-17 sailing with the following itinerary:

Day 1: Embarcation
Day 2: Catalina Island
Day 3: Ensenada
Day 4: Day at Sea

As I start counting down the days, I'd love to hear from anyone who has done this cruise or a similar one in the past. What did you enjoy most about this itinerary?

I'm also open to speculation about when pirate night or the theater shows might be. (Pirate night on Day 3 perhaps?)

Speaking of pirate night, do any of the MDRs on the Wonder do anything special for pirate night? On my Fantasy cruise we were in Animator's Palate for pirate night and I enjoyed seeing the pirate art on the screens. It will be myself, my husband, and my 5 year old son on this sailing so I'm not considering Palo dinner as a pirate night alternative.

Here are navigators from a similar itinerary last year; pirate night was on the Ensenada day.

https://disneycruiselineblog.com/20...ght-baja-cruise-from-san-diego-april-14-2024/

The Wonder, being older, I don’t think it has the screens in Animator’s.

Both Catalina and Ensenada have added a lot of port adventures since my last visits over a year ago, especially Catalina which only had 4 or 5 during the first season. There are a few which look pretty good. Ensenada also has several new choices. It looks like Disney is working to offer more options in both ports.

 

[LAS2AMS]

Looks like beginning next year, they’re down to just one 7-day cruise at SD. Even the 5 day option is gone. The 3d cover the weekend and reprices are often as high as the 4d, so Disney is maximizing its revenues.

 

[Mathmagicland]

I appreciate the feedback! Your experiences track with other things I have read about the ports. I am currently leaning toward staying on the ship in Ensenada, especially since it's such a a short cruise. My preference would have been to do a longer cruise but alas my husband did not catch the DCL bug so this trip is a compromise with a land (San Diego) and sea adventure for the family.

You might want to consider getting off in Ensenada for a short while if for no other reason than some nice photo opportunities with the ship that you can’t get in San Diego, or Catalina which is a tender port. Also, there is a fun Ensenada sign with giant individual letters where the ship docks.

 

[rhit2004]

Here are navigators from a similar itinerary last year; pirate night was on the Ensenada day.

https://disneycruiselineblog.com/20...ght-baja-cruise-from-san-diego-april-14-2024/

The Wonder, being older, I don’t think it has the screens in Animator’s.

Both Catalina and Ensenada have added a lot of port adventures since my last visits over a year ago, especially Catalina which only had 4 or 5 during the first season. There are a few which look pretty good. Ensenada also has several new choices. It looks like Disney is working to offer more options in both ports.

Animator's has screens on the Wonder (as does the Magic).

 

[Mathmagicland]

Animator's has screens on the Wonder (as does the Magic).

Thanks - I couldn’t remember,

 

[cruisehopeful]

I did that itinerary on a Princess cruise before. Most of my cruises have been on the Wonder, though.

Catalina has changed a lot over the years. I don't like it as much as I did before (decades ago) when it was easy to get a tour of the Casino building and motor tours of the back country where the Bison roam. I'm not sure what Disney is offering for port adventures, but the glass bottom boat might be fun for kids. The last time we visited the island, we just rented one of the golf carts and drove around to see what was still in business from our last visit and there wasn't much, honestly. My husband wanted to eat at a restaurant there and it was very bad food, horrible service and way overpriced. I would have been a million times happier eating on the ship.

For Ensenada, we took a tour that went to some historical building and we also went to the blow hole. It was a long bus ride to the blow hole, but it was beautiful and for me, someone who grew up on the beach in Southern California, one of my favorite experiences. There's a little outdoor market there. The prices are higher because it's basically only people on a tour that go through there.

All the said, I could take or leave either port. I can find something to do in either place, but there's nothing in particular that I would want to do. Port days are great for going to the spa if you want to stay on the ship.

 

[jwalk03]

The Wonder has Animators Palate as well and if you are there on pirate night will have the pirate photos on the walls. (AP is my favorite MDR to be in on Pirate Night.)

The shows on the Wonder are The Golden Mickeys, Frozen, and Disney Dreams

 

[UnderDog_808]

We did B2B cruises on the Wonder out of SD this past May.

• 3-Night (4-Day) Baja Cruise (Catalina Island and Ensenada)
• 3-Night (4-Day) Baja Cruise (Ensenada)

We disembarked at Catalina, but chose to stay onboard in Ensenada for both cruises.

Catalina Island requires a tender boat to go ashore. So if you plan to visit, I recommend heading out early. Fun Fact: The Cast and Crew raved about Island Donuts. We tried it and it totally lived up to the hype. Get there early because they run out.

In Ensenada, the main part of town is about a 30 minute walk from the port. There’s also shuttle transportation available for a small fee, but I’m not sure of the exact cost since we did not leave the ship.

FYI - We tend to enjoy the Western Caribbean ports a bit more, especially Cozumel and Grand Cayman. We stayed onboard in Falmouth, Jamaica because it’s a smaller port and many business like Starbucks and Margaritaville have closed down. Castaway Cay is always fun.

Pirate Night is always a fun time, but we prefer the version on the Fantasy. It’s longer and seems more interactive, which seems to have a different energy. Also the Fantasy separates the Pirate show and the fireworks into two different times.

On the Wonder, both the show and the fireworks happen during the same performance. The Wonder’s version leans more into rock music, which might be a plus or minus depending on your taste.

One last thing. On the 4-night cruise aboard the Wonder, you won’t get to do the animation drawing experience in Animator’s Palate, and there's no Crush interactive show either. Instead, you’ll see a special animation show featuring classic Disney characters.

 

[European]

We did B2B cruises on the Wonder out of SD this past May.

• 3-Night (4-Day) Baja Cruise (Catalina Island and Ensenada)
• 3-Night (4-Day) Baja Cruise (Ensenada)

We disembarked at Catalina, but chose to stay onboard in Ensenada for both cruises.

Catalina Island requires a tender boat to go ashore. So if you plan to visit, I recommend heading out early. Fun Fact: The Cast and Crew raved about Island Donuts. We tried it and it totally lived up to the hype. Get there early because they run out.

In Ensenada, the main part of town is about a 30 minute walk from the port. There’s also shuttle transportation available for a small fee, but I’m not sure of the exact cost since we did not leave the ship.

FYI - We tend to enjoy the Western Caribbean ports a bit more, especially Cozumel and Grand Cayman. We stayed onboard in Falmouth, Jamaica because it’s a smaller port and many business like Starbucks and Margaritaville have closed down. Castaway Cay is always fun.

Pirate Night is always a fun time, but we prefer the version on the Fantasy. It’s longer and seems more interactive, which seems to have a different energy. Also the Fantasy separates the Pirate show and the fireworks into two different times.

On the Wonder, both the show and the fireworks happen during the same performance. The Wonder’s version leans more into rock music, which might be a plus or minus depending on your taste.

One last thing. On the 4-night cruise aboard the Wonder, you won’t get to do the animation drawing experience in Animator’s Palate, and there's no Crush interactive show either. Instead, you’ll see a special animation show featuring classic Disney characters.

The Fantasy doesn’t always separate the show and the fireworks. On my last 2 cruises the fireworks was immediately after the show. Personally I prefer the Magic/Wonder Pirate show because of the rock music. And Mickey flying over the crowds.

 

[UnderDog_808]

The Fantasy doesn’t always separate the show and the fireworks. On my last 2 cruises the fireworks was immediately after the show.

Good to know. During our trip in August of last year it was separate.

 

[holula]

One last thing. On the 4-night cruise aboard the Wonder, you won’t get to do the animation drawing experience in Animator’s Palate, and there's no Crush interactive show either. Instead, you’ll see a special animation show featuring classic Disney characters.

In 2022 I did a 4 night Wonder cruise from SD and we did have the drawings. It seems to vary based on reports as this comes up here a bunch and it’s mixed to if you get it or not.

 

[PsylockeSmythe]

I appreciate the feedback! Your experiences track with other things I have read about the ports. I am currently leaning toward staying on the ship in Ensenada, especially since it's such a a short cruise. My preference would have been to do a longer cruise but alas my husband did not catch the DCL bug so this trip is a compromise with a land (San Diego) and sea adventure for the family.

I prefer only doing 7-day cruises and my wife wanted to see Catalina, since even though she grew up on Southern California, she has never been there. So as a compromise we have a B2B scheduled next year and with the first leg the 4-day that starts on 4/20 and the 2nd half of the B2B is the 7-day cruise right after. This way she gets to see Catalina and I get to spend 11 days on the ship

We did B2B cruises on the Wonder out of SD this past May.

• 3-Night (4-Day) Baja Cruise (Catalina Island and Ensenada)
• 3-Night (4-Day) Baja Cruise (Ensenada)

That is us next year, except it will be a 4-day and 7-day B2B. I'm so looking forward to spending all that time on the ship and dreading at the same time coming back into work and finding the mess the owner will make of everything that I do This will end up being the longest stretch of time, I've been away from work since our 10-day Med cruise back in 2018.

Psy

 

[UnderDog_808]

That is us next year, except it will be a 4-day and 7-day B2B. I'm so looking forward to spending all that time on the ship and dreading at the same time coming back into work and finding the mess the owner will make of everything that I do This will end up being the longest stretch of time, I've been away from work since our 10-day Med cruise back in 2018.

Psy

Awesome. We might see you on the Wonder!!

Not sure if you've ever taken a b2b Disney cruise before, but it's great, especially if you have the same room. Be careful though, once you’ve tasted the life of an 11 day cruise, it might be really hard to go back to those shorter sailings. ha ha ha!! And don't think about work, it will always be there. I think of it as job security vs returning to all the mess to clean up.

"Sea ya real soon"!!

 

[PsylockeSmythe]

Awesome. We might see you on the Wonder!!

Not sure if you've ever taken a b2b Disney cruise before, but it's great, especially if you have the same room. Be careful though, once you’ve tasted the life of an 11 day cruise, it might be really hard to go back to those shorter sailings. ha ha ha!! And don't think about work, it will always be there. I think of it as job security vs returning to all the mess to clean up.

"Sea ya real soon"!!

This will be our first B2B and yes, we do have the same room for the B2B. It is also the same room we had on the Wonder for our 2022 and 2024 sailings. I'm a creature of habit and both of us like the room and location, so when booking our cruises, I check to see if that room is available and if it is I book it.

We have always done 7-day cruises in the past and normally all I look for. I don't get a ton of vacation time, so the shorter cruises just are not for me, but this was a compromise, she gets to see Catalina and I get a ton of time on ship.

Psy

 

[UnderDog_808]

This will be our first B2B and yes, we do have the same room for the B2B. It is also the same room we had on the Wonder for our 2022 and 2024 sailings. I'm a creature of habit and both of us like the room and location, so when booking our cruises, I check to see if that room is available and if it is I book it.

We have always done 7-day cruises in the past and normally all I look for. I don't get a ton of vacation time, so the shorter cruises just are not for me, but this was a compromise, she gets to see Catalina and I get a ton of time on ship.

Psy

We're exactly the same when it comes to choosing our stateroom and the length of our cruises. We kept sailing on the Fantasy because we love the ship, and we really liked that it offered an 8-day itinerary. On about 90% of our cruises, we stayed in the same stateroom, and the other 10% of the time we were just next door to our favorite. In fact the photographers would know our room # without us having to tell them or hand them our key to the world card. ha ha ha ha!!

This year was actually the first time we sailed on a different Disney ship (Wonder) and it was also our first shorter cruise. Definitely a change of pace and an adjustment. Good thing we did b2b, otherwise it would've felt too short.

B2B cruises can be so addicting. There's something incredibly relaxing knowing that when the first cruise ends, you’re not heading home, but you’re just getting started on the next one.