Ensenada, Mexico

Hello from Ensenada, Mexico!

We’re in port with the Carnival Panorama today.

I wasn’t sure I wanted to go out because (surprise!) I had more middle of the night, early morning, and midmorning texts and calls because a certain dog had another emergency visit. Poor fella. Once he was back home again with a new treatment plan I felt it safe to venture outside the cabin. It was a little after 11 AM which meant I missed breakfast again. I went to the buffet to grab a bite for lunch, but I guess breakfast is until 11:30 because those gross liquid egg dishes were everywhere. Desperate for any food resembling a lunch in my tummy I probably picked about the worst thing I could. Chorizo, rice, pound cake. 

Bad eating self report #1 
Didn’t eat it all so that’s a plus

Feeling highly unsatisfied with my attempt at a meal I decided to be adventurous. When I saw the white tents up at the base of the flagpole I knew I needed to go visit.

No flag up but yes on the white tents

Many times when we’ve been here the promenade area hasn’t been busy. Today with two ships in port, it being a Friday, and Easter coming up not only was it busy with ship passengers but with locals. It makes for the best time to visit. Scooter and I rolled our way to the tents but once there I decided to go farther to the fish market. I didn’t go on the wet, fish-smelling floors but did get some pictures on my way to the next place. 

Down by the fish market there’s a place Ed and I have eaten several times before, Tacos Lucero. It’s a locals place, tucked away from the cruise ship crowds. In all our visits we’ve never seen another passenger there.

Not easy for cruise passengers to find

I was there for one thing only, the fish tacos. Hands down, the best in the world with no other even coming close. The cost for one fish taco? $2. And I splurged for two!

Think of the best, crispiest fried fish you’ve ever had.
Add it to a tortilla and top it with a little bit of salsa.

Crunchy yet melts in your mouth

They also have a collection of sauces and vegetables you can add. 

Since they’re right next door to the fish market their fish is fresh. They even have a whole fish on the menu if you’re interested.

Now that’s a big fish!

On my way back after lunch I wandered the white tent area, but really stuff is stuff is stuff so I didn’t buy anything. Once back to the ship I grabbed some iced tea and some sweets.

Bad eating self report #2

I then went up to deck 16 to watch the Rolling Stones concert at Movies Under the Stars.

A glorious day for an outdoor concert

Had pre-dinner drinks. 

Bad eating drinking self report #3
Two lemon drop martinis and one Diet Coke.
Which is worse, alcohol or caffeine at 6:00 at night?

Drinks were supposed to roll into a dinner with a friend at Crown Grill but she got sick and had to cancel last minute. I already told my servers in the dining room to give my table away tonight so the buffet it was. 

Bad eating self report #4 
Lukewarm brisket with BBQ sauce, mashed potatoes with butter,
and focaccia bread

Up tomorrow will be our last sea day as we’re now heading north towards San Francisco. See you tomorrow when I hope I won’t have any bad eating to self report!

Sea Day #9

Hello from a location in the Pacific Ocean west of Ensenada, Mexico.

Post-sunrise sun from the starboard side of deck 16

By sea day #9 you’ve settled into a comfortable routine so today was a wash, rinse, repeat kind of sea day. Which means not much to report. An omelette for breakfast. Skipped lunch. Pre-dinner drinks, this time swapping out a martini with a Diet Coke for a caffeine boost. 

Calm evening seas

Tonight was formal night and I chose the land and sea main course which is never as good as you think it’s going to be.

I skipped the casino today and turned in early. Up tomorrow we have our last port of call, Ensenada, Mexico. See you then!

Almost sunset at sea

Sea Day #8

Welcome to a dreary sea day in the Pacific Ocean. The day that started cold, cloudy, and wet, ended the same way.

My breakfast view

Breakfast itself

I was feeling a little off this morning. Perhaps because I never received an early, early, morning text about the dog? He’s doing much better so I don’t think it was that. Carboloading pancakes didn’t make things better. Lots of water didn’t help. I wanted to check out the lunch offerings at International Café, but I wound up there in between breakfast time and lunchtime during the trade out. There wasn’t much left in the case but I think these unique toasts were a breakfast item, but I can’t be sure.

I went back to the cabin to watch a movie but for the umpteenth time the TV was out. I tried to do some work on the Internet, but it was very slow. 

The combination of cold weather, carbs for breakfast, no TV, not-worth-the-trouble internet, feeling a bit off, an inside cabin with no windows, and the gentle rocking of the ship made for perfect sleeping conditions. Even though I slept well last night I somehow took a two hour long nap. I must have napped hard because I didn’t even hear my messages coming in and slept right through lunch.

Thankfully I made it to pre-dinner drinks at 5:00.

Each day I’m a bigger fan of the Lemon Drop Martini

And wasn’t late for my dinner at 7:00. I had the starter of a pasta, minus the anchovies. 

A portion more like a main!
I definitely didn’t even come close to finishing it. 

And the real main of short ribs with mashed potatoes.  

Look at all the barbecue sauce. Yum.

Passing through the casino to get back to my cabin, I stopped and played for a while. Here’s a tip - never go to the casino when you’re feeling a little off. I was an BIG LOSER. After the ugly showing at the slots, I turned in early. 

Let’s get this day over and start a new one. Up tomorrow, another sea day 

Sea Day #7

Hello from sea day number seven on the Ruby Princess as we head back from Hawaii to our next port, Ensenada, Mexico. Today, yet again, was another text and phone call day about the recovering-from-surgery doggy. Timestamp on the first one? 3:31 AM. I would not be exaggerating to say there were at least 100+ more messages incoming during the day. Despite that I still got myself out of the cabin and to breakfast for another omelette.

I got myself settled in to my little spot out of the wind to be ready for the morning Movies Under the Stars showing. The first place I ever watched Mamma Mia was on a Princess cruise ship. The second place? A Princess ship. The 3rd through 15th time? A Princess ship. Only place I ever watched the live musical of Mamma Mia? On a Royal Caribbean cruise ship. For me, Mamma Mia is reserved for ship time.

Ready to go!

Unfortunately, not but about five minutes after this picture was taken clouds quickly moved in and the rain started. As I scootered myself across the deck to get to the cabin, I got the full brunt force of the winds and the rain at the same time. I came back to the cabin wet and cold, with my glasses covered with so much rain I almost couldn’t see. I kicked off my shoes, put my sweatshirt hood up, and covered up to try and get warm. And fell asleep for two hours.

I then skipped lunch, had more phone calls from home, stayed tucked under the blanket, and watched a movie in the cabin.

Once I headed back out I came across a spot on Deck 16 where the wind was blowing so hard the surface was pulling up. 

Found a little book-reading duck.

Made it to pre-dinner drinks with a view like this.

Took just the shrimp part of the pasta dish and the rice from the chicken dish and added the spring roll from the appetizer list for my dinner. 

Yummy yummy for my tummy 

And stopped by the casino on the way back to the cabin. Then this happened again. 

Boy, I’m dreading the taxes on all these.

I’ll see you tomorrow for another sea day.

Sea Day #6

Hello from the second most boring sea day. Again, not because of the lack of activities or because I personally was bored

You can see the day’s activities
on the app, too. 

but because of hospital patient Baloo the dog. The first text to me from back home arrived at a very early 3:46AM letting me know the hospital still couldn’t get him to eat. There were 25 more incoming messages and 4 phone calls made to me in the next five hours. With all my attention being focused on conversations from home - which should be done in private, not public - I again pushed the privacy button on the door panel, stayed in the cabin, and skipped breakfast. It was only when Baloo arrived home and got settled in did I feel comfortable leaving the cabin.

It was about 11:00 when I headed straight outside to a lounge chair on Deck 16. The weather was still on the warm side so I was surprised the pool deck wasn’t packed.

Loungers empty on a sea day at 11? Shocking. 

I eventually made my way to the dining room for lunch. Unfortunately it was Pub Lunch day. I used to love pub lunch (I wrote about how much I loved it on a cruise in 2017) but nowadays, they’re turning the fish out so fast it’s always just mediocre.

Based on the size of the fish pieces
it should be called chips and fish instead

Having to get the taste of greasy fish out of my mouth, I of course had to opt for half a piece of chocolate cake with just a tad bit of ice cream.

From there, a stop at the casino, and another hand pay.

Love winning. Hate the implications at tax time.

Back to the cabin because of more incoming texts and phone calls. And photos. Poor Baloo.

I think he’s saying, “Rescue me Grandma.”

Pre-dinner drinks of…

Lemon Drop Martini

White rum, spiced rum, and Diet Coke

Yummy, yummy samosas from the Elite Lounge

Dinner was Italian night, not my favorite. But I had a bit of that spicy pasta I had the other night and a dish called Mama’s Lasagna. 

Topped off with lemon meringue cheesecake. 

We move clocks ahead again tonight so I’m creeping closer to home time zone. Hope that means receiving 3:46 AM texts won’t feel like 3:46 AM anymore. 

Up tomorrow, another sea day.