California Coastal Cruise 2021

 The journey into San Diego harbour was so smooth we didn't feel or hear anything. A beautiful clear morning and dis-embarkation goes very smoothly. On this cruise you could pick your own time, simply going to the front desk area and picking up baggage tags with your desired times. (between 7:00am and 9:30am) The ship was cleared early, but we had time for a relaxing breakfast then waited in our cabin till our color was called. No lineup to get off the ship and only a short line-up for customs and immigration. Baggage was waiting and Karen & Aaron picked us up and we headed over to their house for the rest of the day as our flight wasn't until early evening. I finished doing our ArriveCan app as I'd had a few issues with it the night before. A lovely outdoor lunch and some time to relax, then out to the airport. Again everything went very smoothly as we had all of our paperwork in order. Landed on time and in a torrential downpour!

  Another beautiful sunny day, it will be about 25C by midday. It's been many years since I've been to Ensenada and it's certainly has grown. We had a shore excursion booked for this morning, the Califita Valley wine tour. Cost was about $55.00 and it's one that I would highly recommend! It's about a 45 minute drive to get there, and our excellent guide Elsay gave us information on Ensenada, Baja California and Mexico in general as we drove. Very dry countryside with rolling hills covered in boulders. As we get to the Guadalupe Valley there are lots of vineyards. Some have small hotels or inns situated in the vineyards. One had cabins in the shape of wine barrels!  Our first stop is at Casa de Dona Lupe  It's a small family run organic winery that also sells jams, hot sauce and olive oil etc. This is an informal stop. There are tables set out in the shade with a musisan playing. We are given a tasting flight with 4 wines, along with pizza and crackers with a var...

  We have 2 sea days on this cruise. The first is quite foggy and a little drizzley. Our usual coffee in the cabin then down to the dining room for eggs bennie. They offer a single which is a perfect size for us. A few whales spouting off in the distance. We had bought a weeks pass to the Thermal Suite. ($299.00 for 2) and we've really been enjoying it. Quite a bit larger than the other ships we've been on with the large whirlpool, various showers and saunas along with the heated relaxation loungers. The internet has been pretty good, a week on the "surf" plan is $99.00 or $169.00 for up to 4 devices which is just what we need. The new "navigator" app on our phones has proved very usefull. The only drawback I find is that if you have your phone with you all the time it's hard to disconnect. But I guess most people don't want to anymore! Our second sea day is glorious sunshine. We are travelling with the wind and sea so it's smooth and warm. As us...

  A busy day for me and a relaxing one for Ian. Because of his wonky knee he decided that the steep walkways of Alcatraz would be too much. There was fog earlier, but by about 7:30 it had lifted. A glorious sunny day with a very light breeze. I had pre-booked a ticket on the first ferry (10am). Cost is about $50.00 for the ferry and tour. A 10 minute ride over to the island where a park ranger gives an orientation talk, then you can wander the island for as long as you like. Some of the walkways are fairly steep, similar to walking in North Vancouver! Beautiful views over to San Francisco. The audio tour of Cell-house was excellent, giving you a good insight into prison life. There are other exhibits covering the Native occuptation of Alcatraz, U.S. prison system etc. Very interesting. I would suggest about a 2 to 2 1/2 hour visit to see the highlights and walk around the island. At this time of year there is only 1 ferry an hour. Back to the ship for a quick lunch, then off for a ...

  I've been to San Francisco several times, but this is Ian's first visit. Luckily we had a beautiful day to sail under the Golden Gate and tie up at Pier 27. It was after 10am by the time the all-clear to disembark came. We had bought Hop on Hop off tickets and decided to go through the whole route which takes over 2 hours. ($55.00 each)Very good commentary and easy to hear which isn't always the case. It had been a long time since I had taken a tour in San Francisco, and had forgotten all the diverse neighbourhoods and amazing architecture. The tour even includes a drive across the Golden Gate bridge, so an interesting contrast to this morning! After a late lunch we walked back up to Fishermans Wharf and wandered around a bit. Back to the ship for a whirlpool and sauna. Dinner tonight with a fantastic view of the lights of the San Francisco skyline!

 A bit foggy first thing in the morning, but the sun soon starts peeking through.We have been to Catalina before, so let the first rush pass before getting a tender in to the small town of Avalon. We decided to rent a golf cart - $55.00 for the first hour then pro-rated for the 2nd. (note, a $55.00 cash deposit is required.)There is a limited scenic route that the golf carts are allowed on, so 2 hours is more than enough. It was great fun, roads are narrow and steep, and there places with steep dropoffs and no shoulders. So not for the faint hearted! You can get great views of the harbor, the quirky houses and the dry hills. Several small deer grazing at the golf course, and lots of hawks and other birds riding the air currents. Back to the ship for a relaxing afternoon poolside and at the thermal suite. We didn't have a dinner reservation, line was quick to get into the dinning room, but service was very slow!. Food very good though. And then off to alturnating shows at Billboard ...