Just want to alert anyone planning a trip to Hawaii via Ensenada. The bus trip is about 2 hours long, some of the bathrooms on the busses do NOT work, if you even have one. The port is very disorganized. We had to wait a long time before being allowed to leave the bus. It was a mess! Passengers were screaming, pushing, and treated poorly.

What a way to start a vacation! I was very disappointed in the trip.It is not for the younger persons, under 60, that is for sure. It catered to the older population. My heart was broken as this was a celebration of our 25th anniversary.

I too agree with your statements about the "older" crowd. First let me start off by stating that many older passengers enjoy this laid back cruising style. I worked for Carnival and spent all winter on 15 day cruises from LA to the Hawaiian Islands and Ensenada. What I noticed is that these are usually longer cruises and more expensive. A lot of younger more activity seeking passengers take week long cruise and ones that fit an average budget, because they aren't able to get long vacations at work.Every cruise that I worked catered to older passengers, or so we noticed. I wish I could have told you that before you booked your cruise. Please I hope this doesn't offend anyone, its just something I noticed while on these cruises.

I have had a cruised booked for about six months on Carnival Spirit departing from Honolulu to Vancouver... I have not read any reviews on this particular cruise from anyone??? We are going with another couple who are in there mid 50's, we are in early 40's.... I hope we are not disappointed in this cruise. I have been on 7 other cruises all on Carnival except one (1).... I have enjoyed myself on all of those...

cruisen0955  we are not in are not in are early 40's.... He is but iam in my late 30's .

Our first cruise began in Honolulu and ended in Ensenada and boy, we'll never do THAT again!

Our upcoming return to Hawaii cruise begins in Vancouver and ends in Honolulu and we CAN"T WAIT!!!

 

My wife and I are going to Hawaii in April of 2009. We are going with a group of people many of which we will not know. We are both in our 40's and are perhaps the youngest ones going. We are flying from Detroit to California then busing to Ensenada. Reading the reviews i am not looking forward to the bus ride after being on a plane for about 5 hours. But this is good to know.

Be SURE to ask if the toilet works before you get on a bus or try to get on a different one.  We did the reverse, disembarking in Ensenada and then busing to San Diego, but we had to get off the bus at the border with our carry on stuff and physically walk across the border with the customs agents glaring at us and then get back on the bus on the other side.  It was pretty organized, but still annoying. 

MY WIFE AND I DID THE HONOLULU TO ENCENADA LOOP AND THE CRUISE WAS GREAT. WE ALSO PLAN ON GOING BACK TO HAWAII SOON BUT NOT WITH THE ENCENADA STOP. FIRST GETTING UP AT 3 AM TO HAVE BREAKFAST, THEN WAIT TO BOARD THE BUS FOR A LONG RIDE TO SAN DIAGO WITH THAT HORRRIBLE BOARDER STOP WILL NEVER HAPPEN AGAIN. US OLDER PEOPLE SHOULD NOT BE SUBJECT TO THIS TYPE OF INCONVIENCE.

THE BEAUTY OF THE ISLANDS SORT OF SOFTENS THE  ENCENADA EXPERIENCE.

Boy, we couldn't agree with you more!  Which is exactly why we are boarding in Vancouver and disembarking in Honolulu this time; no more Ensenada for us, either!

 Why can't these cruises depart from the U.S.

CARNIVAL SHIPS ARE OF FOREIGN REGISRY. THEY ARE REQUIRED BY LAW TO MAKE ONE STOP IN A FOREIGN COUNTRY,