This was our 7th cruise with Carnival and our most negatively eventful. It started with the embarkation process. All some 2300 passengers had to be bussed from San Diego and Los Angeles to Ensenda Mexico to embark on the Spirit. We booked the transfer from the San Diego Airport to the cruise port with Carnival. At the airport we were greeted by a Carnival employee who rounded us up and had us ...
We decided to take two back to back cruises on Carnivals' Spirit due to its unique Hawaii itinerary which included many nights in Maui and Honolulu. Hence, living on the Pacific coast, boarding in San Diego would be great. Much to our dismay only check in was in San Diego while 2,300 guests were shipped by bus through the dreaded 2 1/2 hour drive to Ensenada to fulfill the obsolete Jones Act. ...
One picture says more than thousand words: Here in this thread you can also see pictures:http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1408567We made many of our very best experiences:cabin - space space space - we could have baggage for a world voyage with us and still would have space in our closetsrates - I think with the rate we payed we could only expect "pure transportation" and we got ...
As first time cruisers we were hoping for a relaxing holiday with 5 days at sea and then lovely visits to the Hawaiian Islands. We certainly got the latter but a relaxing holiday it was not.
First, avoid any embarkation that involves San Diego with a transfer to Ensenada - disastrous.
Second, the Spirit is looking tired and needs a refit.
Third, the food is average at best - avoid the casual ...
My husband and I cruised to Hawaii from Ensenada aboard the Carnival Spirit. We flew to San Diego the night before to insure getting to the pier on time. Little did we know we didn't need to hurry! We were fully aware that we would be bussed from the SD pier to Ensenada but we didn't anticipate that they would not start bussing all 2000+ of us until 5 p.m, that we would have to wait hours to get ...
Background Information: Engaged the Carnival Spirit Hawaii trip through a local SLC agency to full fill my wife's dream of visiting Hawaii. This state visit completes our visits to all 50!
Hotel Info: We stayed post cruise at the Mariott on Waikiki. What a wonderful relief from the ship.
Ship Info: The ship was not only dated but worn. Half of the drawer and cabinet handles were broken. The ...
This cruise turned out to be two cruises in one. The first part of the cruise was 5 relaxing days at sea. The second part of the cruise was 7 hectic days in the Hawaiian ports. Unfortunately, the embarkation process (busses transferred everyone from San Diego down to Ensenada) started all of us off in a sour mood. The ship left San Diego late, which caused the busses to leave late. Instead of ...
We received a flyer in the mail, advertising continuing education credits available on a 12-day cruise to Hawaii. Thinking this would be a good way for my husband and I to get a vacation in while renewing our clinical laboratory technologist license education requirements - we signed up. It was also an opportunity to have the entire family along so we included our 20 and 22 year old daughters. The ...
We flew to San Diego on Saturday April 19 staying overnight at the Holiday Inn directly across from the cruise terminal. We received rather vague information from Carnival about check-in and certainly did not want to spend an afternoon standing in A long line so the Holiday Inn worked perfectly. We planned to sit in the lobby until Spirit check-in. We took our baggage to a sidewalk sitting are a ...
This is my second time on the Spirit but my first time to Hawaii. I had read what others said about embarkation from Ensenada and after speaking to three different Carnival reps via phone (and getting 3 different pieces of information), I was sure my mother and I would have no problems with embarkation. WRONG!!!!! To begin with, Carnival sent out the tickets and then sent out a second set. I ...