Platinum Pacific Style February 19-23, 2024 Long Beach, CA
We loved you Carnival Radiance!
It's hard to believe this was my TWENTY-THIRD cruise but here I am... Killing it on the HIGH SEAS! While 23 cruises may seem a little extreme, this is our favorite way to travel and the easiest for our family. This was also our 1st cruise, besides Alaska, that departed from a home port other than Galveston and we LOVED IT!
We have cruised 12 previous times withCarnival, 7 times withRoyal Caribbean, 2 times withNorwegian and 1 time withPrincess.
This blog will contain entries of our day-to-day life aboard the Carnival Radianceas well as a highlights from our travel days getting to Long Beach as well as specific details of our 2 new destination ports.
Throughout the blog posts, we will also share the lots of tips, tricks and insiders knowledge about cruising out of Long Beach, CA, information about Platinum perks from Carnival as well as lots of pictures and videos of our family trip!
Once again, thank you for following along and support our business! I hope this will help someone planning a cruise on the Carnival Radiance(or sailing from Long Beach/ Southern California)or planning to get back to cruising after the pandemic... Or even a first time cruiser! Feel free to reach out with any questions!
Up Next... our return to Coco Cay... This time for PERFECT DAY!
Morning It's always the worst day of any cruise and it's usually the only day with an actual alarm but the day had arrived and our cruise was officially over. We were up around 7:30AM as we had to be out of the stateroom by 8:30AM. We did our traditional Main Dining Room for our Disembarkation breakfast. TIP- We much prefer the MDR to the Lido buffet as SO many people will be towing their own luggage and in our experience, it is just a little too chaotic for our last day of vacation. The Main Dining Room is so much quieter and peaceful.
Luke wanted to go all out with his LAST "good breakfast" as he said!
After breakfast, we went back to our room to get our bags before getting ready to get off the ship; however, around 8:15AM they made an announcement that debarkation was a little slower than usual so we walked around the upper decks one last time before getting in line to get off the ship. TIP- Due to my Platinum status, we were able to debark with the Top Tier group and was off the ship around 8:40AM. We were also able to use the Platinum line at customs which also helped to speed up the process.
A view of downtown Long Beach
We loved the Carnival Radiance?
Another view of beautiful Long Beach!
Our flight back to Houston did not leave until 1:25PM so we did not have any real plans. And that right there, was our mistake. We walked out of the terminal right into Uber and Taxi's asking where we were headed and we had no answer. Instead of prepping and figuring that part out, we got into a large van and had a guy take us to a holding spot at what would be a Dunkin Donuts. TIP- You cannot turn in luggage for a flight more than 4 hours before and you cannot get into the terminal without dropping off luggage first so we had to find something to do. The driver got us to Dunkin and then we opted to get an Uber to the airport around 10AM to drop off luggage and get checked in. It was kind of a mess and in hindsight, I will now always plan the afternoon for our flight home.
We got to the airport around 10AM and got checked in during a rush of people. We spent the next 3 hours in the small airport of Long Beach enjoying an open restaurant and lunch before boarding our plane back to GOD'S COUNTRY!
The loaded Italian sandwich from the airport was good... worth the $22 I paid for it, NO! Seriously, I need a second job just to pay for the food in the airport!
Afternoon The flight was delayed by 45 minutes but that did not bother us too much. The fire alarm also went off as we started to board the plane, which was a little dramatic but made for some memories! The flight itself was painless and rather quick. We ended up not having anyone in either of our middle seats which meant we could all spread out and enjoy the flight home. We got home to Houston around 8PM central time and were back at our home in The Woodlands by 9:30PM.
Take me home.. To the place, I belong!
We're riding in comfort today!
This cruise was one for the MEMORY books and we all enjoyed this cruise so much. We loved being able to try not just new ports but also a new EMBARKATION port. We loved sailing from Long Beach and would sail from there again, in a heartbeat.
Our next cruise will be this summer, without the kids. Chris and I will be returning to MY favorite cruise line- ROYAL CARIBBEAN and will be heading back to their private island- Coco Cay in the Bahamas. We have been to CoCo Cay in 2015 before it was "Perfect Day at CoCo Cay" and all built up! We loved the gorgeous waters and the private mentality of the island but we are excited to see how much is has been built up during these nearly 10 years. We will be departing from Miami and Chris has never been so that will be fun as well! Just 45 more days...
BUT... Our next vacation is in just 5 short weeks as we travel to Los Angeles to check off TWO MORE MLB Stadiums on our Bucket List. This will be # 28 and #29 for me and #20 and #21 for the kiddos! It is going to be AMAZING so be sure to check back for updates!
Once again, we GREATLY appreciate your continued support of our blog. Even just clicking on the blog post links and sharing our posts with friends and family members who may be cruising helps our business! If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to ask!
Up Next... Royal Caribbean to the Bahamas! We are SO EXCITED to finally get BACK TO CoCo Cay! Perfect Day at CoCo Cay... Here we come!
The Birthplace of the Margarita Thursday, February 22, 2024 Ensenada, Mexico
Hello Mexico... From way out west!
Morning
The girls woke up around 7:45AM only to see that the boys were nowhere to be found. We got ready and then text the boys for their location. Chris and Luke had been awake since 5:30AM due to windy conditions and the ship swaying. We ate breakfast at Blue Iguana and the boys enjoyed the Lido buffet. Natalie went back to the room to get ready while Chris and I got a few drinks from the Tides Bar in the aft. Luke enjoyed his morning Orange Crush and then went to play basketball while we waited for Natalie.
Hello Ensenada!
Luke had the court all to himself in this early morning time frame!
We were all HUGE fans of the watermelon at Blue Iguana!
We had purchased an excursion through our Travel Agent (Cheryl at Cruises Only... SHE IS AMAZING) and it did not start until 10:30AM so we didn't get off the ship until 10AM which allowed the majority of the passenger traffic to have vacated the ship! We got off and made the trek to the main street in Ensenada where we met our Tuk-Tuk driver.
The walk to town was not that bad but it was a bit of a hike!
The Carnival Radiance has been good to us!
The kids loved this walk to the town!
Another view of the main area of town from our hike from the ship!
We are loving Ensenada thus far!
This excursion was basically a private tour of Ensenada via a Tuk-Tuk with a stop at the beach and the Birthplace of the Margarita. We began by stopping at the Catholic Church in downtown Ensenada. This was a neat experience as Natalie has been studying religions in her AP Human Geography class and had recently learned about Catholicism. It was also a really special moment for our family as we lit a candle in the church for Grandma Juanita who we lost in November to pancreatic cancer. Natalie shared at DNow the previous weekend, that she was not really able to fully grieve losing Grandma Juanita so this was a good closure for her and we spent as much time as needed for her to feel as if she had truly said goodbye! We love and miss you Grandma Juanita!
They are ready for this Tuk-Tuk ride!
Let's do this!
Family Selfie #4005
The Catholic church in Ensenada!
This was a neat stop for all of us!
We love and miss you Grandma Juanita!
This one is for you Grandma!
After the church, we made our way through the town and stopped at "Vino Street" which was a new area in the center of town with a winery. This was a beautiful area of town and one that was actually maintained and well kept... however, still overran with hobos and random people. In fact, one crazy lady threw trash at Luke which was funny but we got out of there fast. Then we went to the main center strip of the town for some shopping. This was a typical Mexican street lined with shops and vendors, however, they were able to take a hint and when told we were not interested, they backed off.
Hello from "Vino Street".
There's never a dull moment with us!
We grabbed our traditional new city souvenirs (Magnet, Coffee Mug and Snow globe) and then our tour guide took us to the beach for gorgeous views of the mountains and mighty Pacific Ocean. Due to the trauma of losing Natalie's phone in the ocean just days prior, we decided that only the kids and I would go into the ocean and Chris would hold all of our belongings for safe keeping.
We really liked this excursion and loved the Tuk-Tuk!
I love seeing the ocean for the 1st time each trip... It gives me ALL THE FEELS!
Hello Pacific Ocean!
The waters were OH SO COLD but it was gorgeous!
Luke played in the water for nearly an hour!
He is our water baby- for sure!
Goodbye Mexico... Until next time!
After our short beach break, our tour guide took us to the Birthplace of the Margarita, "Bar Andaluz" in Rivera in the center of Ensenada. This was a really neat and once in a lifetime type of opportunity. The margarita was great (albeit slightly watered down) and was included with our tour costs. The kids were able to get a classic Mexican Coca-Cola as well.
The birthplace of the Margarita!
These two silly kids actually WANTED to take this picture! (I cannot get them to smile for my pictures like ever but throw a sombrero on them, and they're good to go!)
This area of the bar/ restaurant was wide open and beautiful!
This was a bucket list type moment and we LOVED IT!
These were very flavorful but not as strong as those back at home at a Tex-Mex restaurant!
Visit the Birthplace of the Margarita- CHECK!
After our margarita, we made our way to our last stop, a Taco Shop near the ship. This was authentic Baja Mexican tacos and they did not disappoint. We were able to try fish, shrimp, pork and chicken tacos and we all chowed down!
This was a quaint little taco shop and the ladies cooking were FABULOUS!
Family Selfie #40556
My Baja Shrimp Tacos were INCREDIBLE!
Luke loved his chicken tacos as well!
The walk back to the ship was HOT!
We loved the Carnival Radiance.
There were seals waiting by the ship as we boarded.
The big fat one was barking SO LOUD! We loved it!
This was a really cool sight to see!
Afternoon At the end of our tour, we tipped our tour guide and then we made our way back to the ship and made our way to Guy's Burger Bar for a quick afternoon "snack" before hitting the ropes course and pools. The ropes course did not open until 2PM so Luke played some basketball with some bigger kids while Chris and I went to the Lobby Bar for live music.
Once the Ropes Course opened, the kids did the entire course about 4 times and were up there for over an hour before finally getting off. TIP- They loved the Ropes Course and this one was well laid out over the top Sports Deck of the ship. Afterwards, Chris went to take a nap while the kids enjoyed the pool and hot tubs. We all met in the room near 4:30PM to get ready for our last night onboard the Carnival Radiance.
Evening We got ready and then went to the Alchemy Bar near our cabin before it got too busy. When we arrived at 5:15PM, it was already loaded with people and it took 20 minutes to get service. TIP- Be sure to get to the Alchemy Bar (on ANY Carnival ship) right at opening which is usually 4PM to avoid long lines. The bartenders work incredibly hard to make these very detailed and fresh cocktails and tips are always appreciated and go a long ways with these workers!
We then spent the majority of the rest of the early evening in the Red Frog Pub as Luke wanted to sing karaoke again. We played cards in the RFP lobby prior to the start of the karaoke session that began at 7PM. Once the karaoke worker arrived, Luke stood in line and was one of the first 5 people to get to perform. This time he sang "I got a Feeling" and did even better than the previous night! We are so very proud of Luke and really enjoyed hearing him sing!
This performer came out of nowhere... He has definitely come out of his shell!
"I've Got a feeling... That tonight's gonna be a good night"
THAT'S MY BOY!
After his singing we started to get hungry and decided based on the terrible service in the MDR the night before, that we would have dinner at Bonsai Sushi. We had to wait about 15 minutes for a table but the service was impeccable and night and day different that the MDR. TIP- The more I cruise, the more I understand why people do not dine in the MDR and pay extra money for dining packages and etc. The service in these "cost extra" venues is second to NONE. Plus the food is incredible. We ordered the large Sushi Boat as well as a few small specialty rolls and this was the HIT of the cruise!
Dinner Night #4
I love my little PERFORMER!
The SHIP.. We loved this sushi treat! TIP- You can also order this in the MDR for $22 and it feeds roughly 4 people!
We were all "fat and happy" and went back to the room so Luke could change clothes but he laid down instead. Before we even realized it, he was asleep. Natalie even said she was tired, so we left the kids and went back out to enjoy our last night on the ship and a late night adult comedy and the rest of our drink package. We also roamed around the ship and into the casino, but once again I did not have any luck! We called it a night around 11PM as we, too, were tired.
This final day onboard the Carnival Radiance was loaded with a new port and a great fun-filled day of ship activities.
Up Next... Disembarkation and a Travel Day back to God's Country!
