Ensenada Quick Cruises

Cruises are like a sample platter in the traveling world; at least that’s how I always described them to my clients who had never cruised before. I love them because you only have to unpack/pack once, you get to explore a floating city (on the ship), and several quick day trips on the stops.

I’d like to think it’s better to sample a destination before planning an entire vacation there, not knowing if you’re going to absolutely hate it or not. Especially for first-time travelers. If you dislike a destination, you’re typically only there for about eight hours and you can go back to the ship early. On the other hand, if you love the destination, you can plan a longer stay in the future.

Some cruises are really quick. We called the short cruises out of Long Beach, California going to Ensenada and back over a weekend party cruises. This is especially true of the Super Bowl cruise. I’ve taken two such trips.

The first Super Bowl cruise I went on was in 2016. I shared a cabin with a good friend at the time. We went to all the bars, the nightclub, and hung out with a variety of people that we both knew prior to the cruise, as well as meeting new people.

She was beyond drunk one night, so we went to the pizza spot to grab some food before turning in for the night. One of the girls in front of us had a huge sombrero on and my friend asked her if we could put nacho cheese in it like they did in the Minion movie. Her friends thought that was hilarious, though she looked highly offended.

We spent the day on land in Ensenada at Papas & Beers, which is a nice taco joint downstairs and an entire club upstairs. Even though it was the afternoon, inside the club it looked like it was midnight. It was definitely one hell of a party. Music, dancing, and for $20 you could get one of the hosts to pour tequila down your friend’s throat while they hold her upside down, then shake her.

Let’s just say I don’t think anyone left there sober. At all.

We also met up with some of her friends and explored the city a bit on quads. That was definitely an experience. I went with some guy who thought taking me meant he’d get some. Uhm, no sir.

He was so drunk he almost crashed several times. I kept telling him I knew how to ride it and could get us back safely. He didn’t want me to control it, thinking that as a man he could do better. (insert eyeroll here) In addition, he kept passing out. I ended up somewhat forcefully taking control and getting us back to the center so that I could meet back up with my friend. And live. 

Overall, the experience was great. We talked a lot of crap to other people at the bar during the game. My friend got into it with a fan of another team and he figured she didn’t know what she was talking about since she’s a woman. Big mistake. After she clowned him he bought us all a round because he felt like an idiot. It was all in good fun.

I decided to do the Super Bowl cruise the following year as well. I had a cabin to myself that year, since my friends were all booked together or with a significant other. That year I spent a lot of time in my cabin by myself. Just enjoying the view of the water, studying, and thinking. I rested.

To mix it up, I decided to explore Ensenada a bit before going to Papas & Beers. I did a horseback excursion where a guide took a group of us around a path. Then we had margaritas and lunch. It was beautiful. We were up on a cliff overlooking the ocean, among other views of the city.

Overall, these cruises are great little getaways. I enjoyed both of the ones I went on.