Catalina Island & Ensenada Mexico Cruise with a Toddler – Itinerary, Tips and our Experience
We just came back from our 5 days and 4 nights cruise to Catalina Island and Ensenada, Mexico with our toddler.
It was an overall fun and exciting experience, and we made great memories as a family.
There are some aspects though that we will consider next time when booking a cruise with a toddler. And when going to Catalina Island or Ensenada, Mexico.
Here is a summary of our experience, itinerary and tips for taking a cruise to Catalina Island & Ensenada, Mexico with a toddler. And the video documenting our trip on my YouTube channel:
Our Cruise & Itinerary
We booked a 4 night cruise on the Carnival Radiance going to Catalina Island and Ensenada, Mexico. We left on a Monday afternoon from Long Beach, CA, and returned there on Friday early in the morning.
Day 1: Departure and at Sea
The cruise departed at 5:00pm on a Monday.
Upon checking in online in the week prior to the cruise, you can check your boarding time. We chose the earliest slot available, which was between 11:00-11:30am. We did this so our 18-month old could take her nap on board already.
The check-in process to board the ship went very smooth. We dropped off our luggage at the parking deck and then headed over to get checked in.
They checked our passports and cruise tickets, and then we waited in a big hall to be called to go on board. Even though we had our dedicated boarding time, boarding was even further split up in boarding groups. This made for a smooth experience to get on the ship.
Once on board, we had to attend a quick check-in and then the cruising experience could start!
The rooms were not ready until 1:30pm, so our toddlers nap would have to wait a little longer then usual. We did spend the time until then eating lunch and exploring the deck. She had a great time just climbing on the sunbeds and roaming around.
Once we were able to get into our rooms, we got settled in a little bit and our daughter was finally going down for her nap.
Around 5:00pm, the cruise departed from the port. And the occasion was celebrated with a sail-off party with lots of music and dancing on deck.
We attended the party for a little bit but then left as the music and the people were a little too much for our little one.
We spent the rest of the day exploring the boat, having dinner, and spending more time on deck, watching the sea and the sunset.
Around 8:00pm, we eventually made it back to our cabin to put our daughter down for bed. The baby monitor did not work outside of our cabin so one of us would stay with her in the cabin at all times. I volunteered, being pregnant and just suffering from pregnancy fatigue. It was a welcome early bedtime for me!
My husband decided to check out the casino and a comedy show.
Day 2: Catalina Island
We arrived in Catalina Island early in the morning on the second day.
After a quick breakfast, we picked up boarding passes for the shuttle boat to take us to the island.
Catalina Island is very cute, you can simply stroll around downtown, explore the shops and restaurants. Or lay out on the beach that is right next to the port.
This is probably the only time during the cruise that you can actually enjoy a little beach time.
We explored the downtown area for an hour and then opted to rent a golf cart to tour the island. You can read more about our experience below in the section “Excursions”.
After a few hours on the island we decided to head back on the cruise ship. Our toddler needed her nap and we needed a break from the sun.
During her nap, my husband decided to check out the gym and was pleasantly surprised by how updated and empty it was. People were either off the ship, hanging out by the pool on deck or enjoying some of the other programs the cruise offered.
After our daughter’s nap, we spent the rest of the time on deck again. Most of the time we just spent by the empty sunbeds, she had a blast running around.
Unfortunately, it was just too cold to enjoy the pool. And our toddler, who is not potty trained yet, was not allowed in anyways. Some cruises have splash pads for babies and toddlers, but ours did not.
So we spent the rest of the time just wandering around the decks, enjoying the views, and dinner of course.
Day 3: Ensenada, Mexico
The third day we arrived in Ensenada, Mexico. It is a port town, and unfortunately did not have a beach where we could swim within walking distance.
We decided to get off the cruise ship early again, and just stroll around Ensenada. We had not booked an excursion but I did some research prior to our cruise. Many people recommended to just go into town, maybe grab some food and drinks and go shopping.
In total, we spent around 1-2 hours strolling through the town. Unfortunately, we were not too impressed. There were lots of locals stopping us and trying to sell us things like jewelry, hats, and also excursions. We just kept on going as we were not really interested in the items.
When we arrived at one of the central street, we saw a lot of bars and pubs. Since we came early in the morning though, many places were still closed. Unfortunately, we also didn’t really find a place to do some shopping, so we just went back on the boat after our long walk through Ensenada.
The rest of the day looked similar to our second day on the boat. We had lunch, put our daughter down for a nap, and this time I went to the gym for a quick workout.
Afterwards, we spent the rest of the day hanging out on deck, watching the boat depart Ensenada, and finally enjoying dinner.
After our daughter went to bed, my husband went out again to check out another comedy show that he thoroughly enjoyed.
Day 4: At Sea
After two days of excursions, our cruise spent the last full day slowly cruising back from Ensenada to Long Beach. It was once again a chilly day, so too cold for us to check out the pool.
We spent the morning enjoying the special brunch they offered that day. Afterwards, we decided to get a head start on packing.
For lunch, they hosted a barbecue, which we definitely all enjoyed. And the dessert menu was chocolate themed, which was my favorite of all the days.
And just like the other days, after lunch our daughter went down for a nap. Afterwards, we continued packing some more and enjoyed our last moments on deck and our final dinner on board.
Day 5: Arrival back at Long Beach, CA
On Friday, we arrived back in Long Beach early in the morning. The cruise offered two debarkation options. One was to carry your own luggage off board, the other one was to have it picked up the night before and to have it brought on shore by the cruise staff.
We opted for the first option because it allowed us to leave the boat early with during the “express” debarkation window. This way, we could leave right after breakfast, and did not need to wait around on deck until it was our time to debark.
After an early breakfast we were ready to leave the boat at 7:30am. Upon leaving the boat and going through the cruise terminal, they did a quick passport check since we came in from Mexico. But it was all managed digitally through face recognition and went really fast.
By 7:50am, we were in our car, bags loaded, and started our drive back home.
Excursions
Catalina Island
I had heard lots of great things about Catalina Island before we went on the cruise.
And when doing some research about what to do there, lots of people recommended renting a golf cart to explore the island.
When you get off the cruise and into town, the golf cart rental place is pretty much right at the beginning. We were looking for an alternative one, as the line was very long. But we couldn’t find one.
My husband waited around 30 minutes until it was his turn but luckily they never ran out of golf carts, despite the long line.
They even had a baby or toddler car seat for our daughter available at not extra cost, which was amazing.
We opted to book the cart for only one hour per the recommendations in other blogs, and it was just enough time. We received a paper map from the rental agency which came in very handy. In addition, there are lots of signs all around marking the route for the golf carts to follow, as they are not allowed on certain streets.
Renting a golf cart was an amazing experience. You get a great view of the town of Avalon, which is the main town in the island, and the port and all the boats and the cruise ship. We stopped quite a few times to take photos and videos, which almost made us late for our return.
So if you do enjoy spending lots of time to take pictures, maybe get out of the cart and just enjoy the view, then a 2 hours rental would be better.
All in all, it was a fair price for the experience. We paid $80 for a golf cart that could seat 6 people (as we were traveling with the in-laws) and had to leave the same amount as a deposit. We had to pay in cash, so come prepared.
And the best part was, our toddler enjoyed the ride just as much, it was our favorite part of the cruise.
Ensenada, Mexico
Before going on the cruise, I also researched things to do in Ensenada, Mexico.
I watched a few YouTube videos and read a few blogs, but decided not to book a specific excursion.
We more or less followed the suggested walking path from this blog, but honestly were not too impressed with Ensenada. If you plan on drinking and eating out in Ensenada, this might be a fun place, but I would recommend not going into town before noon, as it was pretty much dead and most places still closed.
If you’re looking to do something more exciting, I recommend booking a tour beforehand.
We felt safe enough to walk around as a family with our toddler but would probably not do this cruise stop again as it was a little boring.
Sleeping Arrangements
We opted to book a cabin with a balcony. We figured this would give us some “outside space” that we could use while our daughter was napping or sleeping, without having to leave the cabin.
Nevertheless, it was honestly too cool outside and we didn’t up using it at all. And this was at the end of June.
The cabin was definitely roomy enough and allowed space for a crib. We called beforehand and reserved a crib to be put in our room so we didn’t have to bring our own pack n play.
The curtains worked well to block out enough light to help our daughter fall asleep comfortably in the room.
If you don’t plan on using any outside space, or if the weather does not look warm enough to use a balcony, you might want to consider downgrading on the room category to save some money. The cabins without balcony were similar in size, if not bigger. So the inside space would have been big enough in there for the three of us, too.
Food
The food on the cruise was probably the most exciting part for us and our toddler to choose from every day. There were lots of different options, ranging from a standard buffet to a burger joint, Mexican cantina, and pizza bakery.
We tried most of the different free dining options. While we couldn’t pick a favorite, the fried chicken was amazing, and we definitely enjoyed the Mexican food here and there.
The buffet offered standard fare but always had some fruit and salads to choose from, which we liked. Our daughter loved eating all the watermelon and we were happy they had some fresh fruit and veggies we could pick from for her meals.
The cruise also had a free white top restaurant, where we could order meals a la carte. The food was in parts similar to what was served at the buffet. But my favorite part was the molten chocolate cake for dessert, that you could not get anywhere else.
When it comes to eating out during the cruise with our toddler, we found it easier than expected. We could always find some foods that we knew she liked, like pasta, fruit, chicken, and vegetables. We also let her try some of the not so healthy foods here and there, and she thoroughly enjoyed it.
If your baby or toddler is younger and you’re more concerned about the sodium and sugar intake, then the cruise food might be a little more difficult to navigate. We just decided to try to feed her as healthy as possible but also let her enjoy herself a little for these few days, and it worked out well for us.
Tips
Bring your own milk
One thing we missed from the breakfast menu was whole milk. Our 17-month old toddler still drinks whole milk throughout the day, and the cruise didn’t have any on offer. For breakfast, they only served low-fat, reduced fat and chocolate milk, which was not an option for us.
I didn’t do any research on this but decided to bring our own milk anyways, so we could have it handy for her as soon as she woke up in the morning.
It was not a problem at all to bring it on the cruise and worked very well for us and our toddler.
So if your little one drinks whole milk, this might be an idea for you as well. We like these small travel friendly milk packs from Horizon. You can also find them at Walmart or Sprouts. We like to bring them on trips and when we’re out and about with us all the time.
Bring your own plate & bib
Whenever we go out to eat, we always bring our daughter’s own plate and bib. We feel more comfortable serving her food on her own plate, knowing that it is clean. And it’s safer than having her have a go at the real plates. She is still in the phase of tossing her plate on the floor her and there.
In addition, we found that the highchair trays were quite dirty at times. We did always wipe them, but felt even more safe with her eating from her own clean plate.
We did wash her plate and bib (as well as her milk bottles and water cup) after every use in the cabin’s bathroom. Just remember to bring a small sponge or bottle brush and some dish soap.
Get food early
We found that going to get food as soon as the mealtimes begin was the best decision.
The buffet and lines can get really long and crowded very quickly, which meant not only we would have to wait for our food, but also our toddler. Since we have early mealtimes at home, it was in our routine anyways to eat an early breakfast lunch and dinner.
And it paid off. As soon as we got our food after the buffet or the restaurant opened, people swarmed in and took over the space.
Additionally, the dining area would get quite crowded. And while the cruise did have quite a few high chairs, sometimes they were all taken up.
Going out to eat early on the cruise with your toddler therefore is a good idea.
Recreate your sleep environment
When it comes to the sleep environment on the cruise, we opted to recreate the one from home for our toddler. From our past travels, we learned that sleeping while traveling can be quite the challenge. New sounds, new bed, a new environment – it can be quite unsettling.
So we made sure to bring all our toddlers nighttime essentials and recreate her bedtime routine on board. And it worked, the first day, it took her a while to get settled, she spent some time standing in the crib looking around the cabin. But she always slept through the night. And by day 3 or 4 she was completely settled.
We have been using a sound machine while she sleeps since she was only a few weeks old. And we were glad it is still a part of her sleep environment. It did get quite loud in the hallway especially in the evenings. People were walking by going to and from their rooms, and you could hear everything inside the cabin. The sound machine did help drown out some of the noise and gladly helped her sleep well.
Ditch the stroller on board
One thing that surprised me was how little we used our stroller on board. A cruise ship is big and with a toddler in tow and all the things they need I thought we’d no doubt bring the stroller everywhere. But it turns out it was much easier to just carry her and her things.
The elevators were always in use, there were lots of elderly people on board who needed them. And waiting for an elevator with a wiggly toddler is not the most fun. In addition, space was tight on deck especially in the dining areas. So we felt like the stroller was more of an obstacle than actually helpful.
We were lucky our room was two decks below the main deck, where all the fun and most dining took place. So most of the time, we just took the stairs to get where we needed. And packed a small bag with essentials for our toddler and brought that instead. And she loved walking along the hallway to and from our room. It was basically just good exercise for her, too.
Conclusion
The cruise was a lot of fun, and our toddler enjoyed it greatly too. It went a lot easier and smoother than we expected.
Going on a cruise with a toddler can seem challenging but it was a great experience.
However, we probably wouldn’t do the same itinerary again, at least not with a little one.
We found there were not really any entertainment areas for our toddler on the cruise ship. She wasn’t allowed in the pool, and there was no play area. However, she had a great time just running around on deck, and enjoying the food.
The stop in Catalina Island is beautiful and will be the best memory of our trip.
And the length of the cruise is great – it’s long enough to feel like an actual getaway, but not too long where you’d lose all your routines.
So if you’ve been thinking about trying out a cruise with your toddler, this one might be a good start and easy one to to do with your little one!