Is Ensenada Actually Worth Getting Off the Ship? 🚢 | Carnival Panorama #CarnivalPanorama #CruiseVlog

We started our day sailing into a foggy Ensenada, watching the port come into view while enjoying our morning coffee. The weather looked questionable, and we correctly guessed the flag would be down at the port. After the fog cleared up, we noticed how empty the port was compared to usual, with no other ships docked yet.

This was our first time visiting Ensenada on the Panorama in 2026, and actually our first visit to this port on this ship since the inaugural cruise. We usually sail the Mexican Riviera route with stops at different ports. The port itself needs some work, but we heard Carnival has big plans to improve it. After exploring the area and grabbing lunch at Sabina’s, we enjoyed some good fish and shrimp tacos before heading back to the ship as storm clouds rolled in from the mountains.

Key Takeaways

• We arrived at a foggy Ensenada port with no other ships docked and explored the town on a clear morning before rain moved in
• We ate lunch at Sabina’s where the margaritas and seafood tacos were good, though vendors kept coming in to sell items during our meal
• The port needs improvement with visible trash and tires at low tide, but Carnival plans to renovate the area in the future

Getting to Port in Ensenada

Morning Fog at the Harbor

We came into a very foggy Ensenada this morning. The ship was backing into port. The cranes were sticking up out of the fog, which looked pretty cool.

We enjoyed some coffee while the girls were still sleeping. We started talking about whether the flag would be up or down today. We both agreed the weather didn’t look great for having the flag up, especially since a storm was expected to come in later.

We also wondered if another ship would be in port. We thought it might be the Bliss, but we decided we would find out soon enough when we got off the ship.

Views from the Deck

This was our first time in Ensenada in 2026, which happened on January 2nd. We wanted everyone to take a good look at what the port looks like right now. Carnival has big plans to turn this into a better port.

Right now, it’s not a great port to be honest, especially right off the ship. But we’re excited to see what they do with it.

We were wrong about the other ship. There was no other ship in port yet. We’ve seen ships come in as late as 3:30 before, so you never know.

We were right about the flag though. There was no flag on the pole. There was still some fog around and we had some friends with us.

Unlike the second day in Cabo, people actually got off the ship in Ensenada. The pool and jacuzzi were fairly empty. There was a giant line at a new bagel station. Christina tried it and had a lox bagel. She took off the avocado, onions, and capers. It was a small bagel, but it was pretty good.

Storm Clouds and Clear Skies

The fog burned off and it turned into a beautiful day. It was supposed to rain that afternoon, but we didn’t see any signs of it yet. We decided to go into town and enjoy the weather while we could.

We realized this was the first time we’d been to Ensenada on the Panorama since the inaugural cruise. That was a three-day cruise. The Panorama typically only did the Mexican Riviera back when we used to cruise on it. We normally went to Puerto Vallarta, Mazatlan, and Cabo. This was our first time in Ensenada on the Panorama since that inaugural cruise.

They’ve added some revitalization efforts in Ensenada. We hoped the two new flamingo statues weren’t the whole Carnival effort. There was a lot of gunk that gets brought in from the tides. For the first time we’d ever seen, they had people cleaning this stuff up.

At 1:00, it was still absolutely beautiful. But we could see weather coming off the mountains from the clouds. We thought that was the rain they were talking about. We made a good decision to head back towards the ship.

By the time we walked back, the cleanup crew had made a good effort earlier. But the tide went out and left a lot of tires and trash behind. We’d been there before at low tide and seen trash, but never quite this bad. We didn’t know if it was from a storm front or what.

Our Arrival at Ensenada’s Cruise Terminal

Carnival Panorama Docked

We backed into a very foggy Ensenada this morning. The Adat cranes stuck up out of the fog and looked pretty cool.

We enjoyed our coffee while the girls were still sleeping. We decided to see if another ship was in port with us.

We made predictions about the flag. Would it be up or down? We both agreed it would be flag down because the weather didn’t seem right for flag waving. A storm was expected to come in later.

We thought the Bliss might be there, but we were wrong. No other ship was at port when we arrived.

This was our first time in Ensenada in 2026 on January 2nd. We got it over with early in the year.

What We Saw at the Port:

• Old tires and debris
• No other cruise ships initially
• Fog that later burned off
• Empty flag pole

We took a hard look at what the port looked like. We wanted to remember it because big changes are coming.

Port Improvement Projects

Carnival plans to turn this port into something good. Right now, it’s not a great port. We’ll be honest about that. The area right off the ship needs work.

They have big plans for it. We were excited to hear about these plans because the port needs improvement.

We realized something interesting. Other than the inaugural cruise, this was our first time in Ensenada on the Panorama. The Panorama usually only did the Mexican Riviera back when we used to do those cruises. We normally went to Puerto Vallarta, Mazatlan, and Cabo. This was our first time on the Panorama in Ensenada since the inaugural cruise.

They’ve added some work to make the port better. We hoped the two new flamingo statues weren’t the whole effort. The statues were nice, but the port needed more than decorations.

Watching the Cleanup Crew

We saw a lot of gunk that gets brought in from the tides. But something good was happening. We actually saw people cleaning this stuff up for the first time ever. That was great to see.

The cleanup crew made a good effort earlier in the day. Then the tide went out. What was left behind was a lot of tires. A lot of tires.

We’ve been to Ensenada before at low tide. There’s always been trash. But we’d never seen it quite this bad. We didn’t know if this was from a storm front or what. They had their work ahead of them for sure.

Cleanup Progress:

• Morning: Crew actively cleaning debris
• Afternoon: Tide revealed more tires and trash
• Worst condition we’d seen at this port
• Crew working hard despite challenges

The weather stayed beautiful through the afternoon. We could see rain coming off the mountains around 1:15. We made a good decision to head back towards the ship.

Our Time in Ensenada

Getting from the Ship to the City

We walked off the Carnival Panorama and made our way into town. The ship backed into port on a foggy morning, with the cranes barely visible through the mist.

We were wrong about another ship being in port. We thought the Bliss would be here, but we didn’t see one yet. Ships sometimes arrive as late as 3:30 pm, so one could still show up.

The port area itself wasn’t much to look at right then. Carnival has big plans to improve this port, which we’re excited about. Right now, it’s not a great port, especially the area right off the ship.

We walked past a bridge that’s visible from the ship. The path to town was pretty quick and straightforward.

Our First Trip Back After the First Sailing

This was our first visit to Ensenada on the Panorama since the inaugural cruise. That first sailing was a three-day trip down here.

We usually cruise the Mexican Riviera on the Panorama. Those cruises typically go to Puerto Vallarta, Mazatlan, and Cabo. The ship normally only does seven-day sailings or the Mexican Riviera route.

It felt special to be back in this port on the Panorama after all this time.

What’s Different and What’s Been Added

The town has had some work done on it. We noticed a few changes right away:

New Additions

• Two new flamingo statues near the port
• People actively cleaning up debris from the tides

We saw a lot of trash and tires that washed up with the tide. We’d been to Ensenada before at low tide and seen trash, but never this much. The cleanup crew worked hard earlier in the day, but the tide went out and left behind a lot of tires and debris.

The weather changed throughout the day. The fog burned off by mid-morning and it became sunny and hot. We could see storm clouds coming off the mountains around 1:15 pm. Rain was expected around 2:00 pm.

We ate lunch at Sabina’s restaurant. They served us chips with a sampler of different salsas and limes with salt. The restaurant had a lot of seafood options.

What We Ordered

• Fish tacos
• Shrimp tacos
• Octopus tacos
• House margaritas
• Mexican Cokes
• Lemonade (which turned out to be fizzy and tasted like lime)

The margarita had a full rim of salt, which we appreciated. The chips tasted like Tostitos and weren’t super great. The salsas had a kick to them and were spicy but flavorful.

The food was good overall. The fish taco was tasty, and the shrimp taco was also good. Rose said the octopus wasn’t as good as the shrimp. We would go back to this restaurant.

One issue was that vendors kept coming into the restaurant to sell us things while we ate. The restaurant was open to the street with no doors, and the staff didn’t stop vendors from walking in. We had to tell them to leave ourselves.

We headed back to the ship around 1:15 pm to beat the rush. All aboard time was 4:30 pm, so we had plenty of time. We planned to check the Carnival Hub app for activities and relax for the rest of the day before returning to Long Beach the next morning.

Our Lunch at Sabina’s

The Setting and Vibe

We found ourselves at Sabina’s, a restaurant just off the street in Ensenada. The place had an open layout with no doors facing the street. It was quiet and relaxed when we arrived.

They brought us chips right away with a sampler of different salsas. The chips had a Tostitos kind of feel to them and weren’t super great. The salsas came in small cups with little spoons, which was a classy touch. They were flavorful but definitely had a kick to them. If you don’t like spice, you may want to stay away from them.

We also got limes with salt to go with everything.

What We Ordered

We ordered a house margarita, and it came with a whole rim of salt. A lot of times, restaurants only put a quarter or half rim of salt, but this one was salted all the way around. The margarita was really good.

The menu had a lot of seafood options. There were many fish tacos and other seafood dishes to choose from. If you don’t like seafood, this wouldn’t be the best place for you.

What we got:

• Fish taco
• Shrimp taco
• Shrimp and fish taco combo
• Octopus taco with two shrimp tacos

One of us also ordered a Mexican Coke, which has extra sugar and calories. Someone else got what they thought was lemonade, but it turned out to be fizzy and tasted like lime with other fruits in it.

Our Taco Experience

The fish taco was good. The shrimp taco was also very good. Rose got the octopus taco and said it was not as good as the shrimp.

The food was enjoyable overall. We would go back to this place. It was a nice quiet spot to eat.

The Vendor Issue

While we were eating, a lot of vendors kept coming into the restaurant trying to sell us stuff. The restaurant was open to the street with no doors, so people could just walk in.

This bothered us a bit. When you’re eating in an establishment, you kind of feel like it’s the restaurant’s responsibility to keep vendors out. But they didn’t seem to care at all.

It’s kind of normal for Mexico, but we had to tell the vendors to leave ourselves. The restaurant staff didn’t help with this at all.

Exploring the Port and Local Area

Fresh Catches and Dining Out

We headed to Sabina’s for lunch. The restaurant brought us chips with a sampler of different salsas and limes with salt. They had little spoons for the salsa, which was a nice touch.

The menu had a lot of fish tacos and seafood options. Allison got a fish taco. Rose ordered octopus and two shrimp tacos. Christina got a shrimp taco. We ordered a fish taco and a shrimp taco.

Our drinks included:

• House margarita with a full rim of salt
• Mexican Cokes
• Fizzy lemonade that tasted more like lime

The margarita was really good. The chips had a Tostitos feel to them and weren’t super great. The salsas were flavorful but spicy. If you don’t like spice, you may want to skip them.

The fish taco was good. Christina’s shrimp taco was good too. Rose said the octopus wasn’t as good as the shrimp. We would go back to Sabina’s.

The restaurant was off the street, which was nice. But it was open to the street with no doors. A lot of vendors kept coming in and trying to sell us stuff while we were eating. The restaurant didn’t seem to care about keeping them out. We had to tell them to leave ourselves.

Browsing the Local Stores

The girls went off to shop while we got some footage. We saw them coming back from shopping but they didn’t buy anything. We thought they were going to get a shirt or something.

They got their money back. There were no good shirts to buy.

Changing Conditions and Debris

We saw the weather coming in off the mountains around 1:15. It was about 1:00 or 1:15 and still absolutely beautiful. But the weather was coming our way. Last call on board was 4:30.

The tide went out and left a lot behind. There were a lot of tires. We’ve been to the port before at low tide and there’s been trash. But we’ve never seen it quite so bad. We don’t know if this was from a storm front or what. The cleanup crew made a valiant effort earlier in the day before the tide went out.

They actually had people cleaning this stuff up. That was great and the first time we’ve ever seen that. You can see there’s a lot of gunk that gets brought in from the tides.

We made a good decision by making our way back towards the ship. We were going to beat the rush. The rain was supposed to start around 2:00.

Getting Back to the Panorama

When to Head Back

We left Ensenada around 1:15 in the afternoon. The weather was still nice and sunny at that point. We could see storm clouds coming in from the mountains though. Rain was supposed to start around 2:00.

Last call to get back on board was at 4:30. We decided to head back early to beat the rush of people returning to the ship.

Spending Time on the Ship

The ship was pretty quiet when we got back. Not many people stayed on board that day. The pool and jacuzzi areas were fairly empty.

There was a long line at a new bagel station they had set up. It wasn’t for pizza this time. They were making bagel sandwiches.

One person tried the lox bagel. They said it was pretty good. The bagels were small, not big giant ones. After getting back from port, we planned to check the Carnival Hub app. We wanted to see what activities were happening on board for the rest of the day.

Meeting Other Cruisers

We ran into some friends while we were on board. Christina was one of them. She had already tried the new bagel station before we saw her.

We spent time with Allison and Rose on this port day. They went with us into town for lunch. The four of us ate together at a restaurant in Ensenada.

This cruise would be over the next day when we got back to Long Beach.

Experiencing Our Day on Carnival Panorama

Grabbing Pizza and Snacks Topside

We grabbed some coffee while the girls were still sleeping. The ship was backing into a foggy Ensenada that morning.

We noticed a huge line on deck, but it wasn’t for pizza. Carnival had set up a new bagel station serving bagel sandwiches. Christina tried the lox bagel and said it was pretty good once she removed the avocado, onions, and capers. The bagel was smaller than expected but tasted fresh.

The pool and jacuzzi areas were fairly empty. Most passengers had gotten off the ship to explore the port.

Dealing With Weather Changes

We watched the morning fog burn off to reveal beautiful blue skies. We predicted it would be a “flag down” day before we even got to port, and we were right. The flag pole stood empty when we arrived.

The forecast called for rain to move in around 2:00 PM. We could see storm clouds gathering over the mountains as the afternoon went on. By 1:15 PM, we decided to head back toward the ship before the weather hit.

Even though it felt hot and sunny where we stood, the dark clouds rolling off the mountains made it clear that rain was coming our way.

Seeing the Ship Leave Port

We walked back from town and got some great shots of the Panorama docked in Ensenada. The ship looked impressive from the shore.

This was our first time visiting Ensenada on the Panorama since the inaugural cruise. We usually sailed the Mexican Riviera route with stops at Puerto Vallarta, Mazatlan, and Cabo instead.

Last call for passengers was at 4:30 PM. We headed back early to beat the rush and relax on board. We planned to check the Carnival Hub app to see what activities were happening for the rest of the day. The next morning we would be back in Long Beach, ending our cruise.

Fun and Entertainment Onboard

Trampoline Park Activities

We went to Sky Zone on the ship. The girls enjoyed jumping around and getting some energy out.

The trampoline park gave everyone a chance to have fun and stay active during the cruise.

Changes After the Holidays

The ship added a new bagel station after the holiday season. There was a giant line for it, and people weren’t waiting for pizza this time.

Christina tried a lox bagel from the station. She asked them to leave off the avocado and then took off the onions and capers herself. The bagel was smaller than a regular bagel, but she said it was pretty good.

The pools and jacuzzis were fairly empty compared to other days. More people got off the ship in Ensenada than they did on the second day in Cabo.

Ship Features and Activities

We checked the Carnival Hub app to see what activities were happening on board. The app helped us plan what to do for the rest of the day.

Last call to get back on the ship was at 4:30. We decided to beat the rush and head back early to relax.

We spent time enjoying coffee in the morning while the girls were still sleeping. The ship had a nice quiet atmosphere since many people went into port.

Wrapping Up Our Time in Ensenada

We came into a very foggy Ensenada this morning. The ship backed into port, and the Aduanas cranes stuck up through the fog. It looked pretty cool.

We enjoyed some coffee while the girls were still sleeping. Then we decided to head off and see if there’s another ship in port. We made some predictions about the flag. Would it be up or down? We both agreed it would be a flag down day because the weather didn’t seem right for flag waving. Plus, a storm was expected to come in later.

We thought the Bliss might be there today since it was Friday. We decided we’d find out soon enough when we went to check.

This was our first time in Ensenada in 2026. We got it done on January 2nd. We wanted everyone to take a really hard look at what this port looked like right now. Carnival was going to take this and supposedly turn it into a good port. We were excited for it because right now it’s not a great port, especially right off the ship. But they have big plans for it.

Our predictions:

• Ship prediction: Wrong – No other ship was there yet
• Flag prediction: Right – No flag on the pole

There was still some fog spotting around. We were just waiting for Allison and Rose to get ready. They needed five minutes, but that was 5 minutes ago. Unlike the second day in Cabo, people actually got off the ship. It was pretty quiet so far. The pool and the jacuzzi were fairly empty.

There was a giant line, but it wasn’t for pizza. They had a new bagel station where they had bagel sandwiches. Christina tried the lox one. She took all the stuff that people call good off of it. She asked for no avocado and then took the onions and capers off. It was a small bagel, not a big giant bagel, and it was pretty good.

We got a good view of the Carnival Panorama docked in Ensenada. It was a beautiful day. The fog burned off. It was supposed to rain that afternoon, but we didn’t see it right then. We were going to go into town and enjoy it while we could.

Christine and we were just realizing that other than the inaugural cruise, which was a three-day down here, this was the first time we’d ever been to Ensenada on the Panorama. Typically, they only did 7-day or at least back in the day when we used to do Panorama cruises, it only did the Mexican Riviera. We normally did Puertovallarta, Mazatlan, and Cabo. This was the first time we’d been on the Panorama in Ensenada since the inaugural cruise on the Panorama.

They added some revitalization efforts here in Ensenada. We were hoping this wasn’t the whole Carnival effort, but they had two new flamingo statues. We could see that there was a lot of gunk that gets brought in from the tides. But what’s good, and the first time we’d actually ever seen this, was that they had people there cleaning this stuff up.

It was a quick walk from the ship to the bridge you can see from the ship. The girls made it their mission to go eat first. We were going to go eat first.

Lunch at Sabina’s

We went to Sabina’s for lunch in Ensenada. They brought us some chips with a sampler of different salsas and limes with salt. There were little spoons to dab it on. We were still trying to figure out what to actually order. They had a lot of fish tacos and seafood options.

Allison was thinking of a fish taco. We were thinking about trying an Ensenada fish taco. We were going to get a fish taco and a shrimp taco.

Our drink orders:

• House margarita with a whole rim of salt (not just a quarter or half rim)
• Mexican Cokes with excess sugar and excess calories
• Fizzy lemonade that tasted like lime with other fruits

The margarita was pretty good. It was really good, actually. The chips had a Tostitos kind of feel to them, so they weren’t super great. The salsas were flavorful and definitely had a kick to them. We liked the little cups with the little spoons in them. That was a nice classy little touch. But they were spicy, and if you don’t like spice, you may want to stay away from the salsas.

Our food orders:

• Fish taco
• Shrimp taco
• Shrimp and fish taco
• Octopus, shrimp, and shrimp (two shrimps and an octopus)

Our Thoughts on the Food

Sabina was good. There was a lot of fish, so if you don’t like seafood, we wouldn’t go there. But it was good overall. We enjoyed it. The margaritas were really good. The chips were not great. The salsas were spicy but flavorful.

We only had the fish taco. We had a bite of Christina’s shrimp taco, which was good. The fish taco was good. Rose got the octopus and said it was not as good as the shrimp.

We would go back. It was a nice quiet place. The only thing that kind of bothered us was it was kind of off the street, which was nice, but it was open. There were no doors out to the street. A lot of vendors kept coming in and trying to sell us stuff while we were eating. It’s kind of part for the course in Mexico, but while you’re eating in an establishment, you kind of feel like that’s the restaurant’s responsibility to keep them out. They didn’t seem to care at all, so it’s kind of on you to tell them to shoo.

Heading Back to the Ship

The cleanup crew made a valiant effort earlier today, and then the tide went out and this was what’s left behind. It was a lot of tires. We’d been there before at low tide and there had been trash, but we’d never seen it quite so bad. We didn’t know if this was from a storm front or what, but they had their work ahead of them.

Even though we felt like we might have a sunburn because it was so hot and sunny right then, we could see rain coming off the mountains from the clouds. It was about 1:15 and it was still absolutely beautiful, but that weather was coming this way. We made a good decision by making our way back towards the ship.