Disney Wonder 4-Night Baja Cruise: The Ports

The Disney Wonder 4-Night Baja Cruise ports included San Diego (embarkation / dismebarkation), Catalina Island, and Ensenada.

The night before our cruise, we stayed at SpringHill Suites by Marriott San Diego Downtown/Bayfront, which is right across the street from the port.  They have a free breakfast buffet, and I was able to get a late check-out, which worked well for our cruise check-in time.  

On port days, if you plan to get off the ship, you need to make sure you have your key to the world cards (Magic Band+ will work too) for everyone in your party and appropriate photo IDs for adults.  Your belongings will be scanned as you go through a security checkpoint.  

Some people stay on the ship on port days, as pools and restaurants tend to be a lot less crowded, but I was happy to get off the boat and explore new-to-us areas.   You can book port activities directly through Disney Cruise Line or through third parties, or just wing it like we did. 

Our first port was Catalina Island.  I read that some people would rent golf carts to tour the area, but we would have had to rent a 6-person golf cart.  We decided to simply walk around instead.  It was pretty warm, as California was experiencing a heat wave.

We ate at a couple of places, did some shopping, and played mini golf.

At Ensenada, once we got off the boat, we went to catch a shuttle into Downtown.  It was $4 USD RT per person.  

We were originally just going to stay in Downtown and explore, but the shuttle is actually a sales pitch for tours, and we ended up getting sold on a tour to visit La Bufadora and the market.  I'm glad we went on the tour, as we saw some amazing places and experienced a lot in just a short amount of time. 

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Disney Wonder 4-Night Baja Cruise — Activities

In addition to the food, we also loved how there was no shortage of activities aboard the Disney Wonder.

We participated in all sorts of activities like trivia, crafts, and bingo (nearly all activities were free; certain activities, like bingo, costs $ to participate).  

There was dancing, karaoke, games . . . it seemed like there were endless activities 

We watched movies on the pool deck (or you can watch them in the theatre), shows, and even fireworks!

We were told that Disney is the only cruise line to be able to do fireworks at sea because they are made from materials that end up as fish food.

And of course there are the pools, the slide, a sports area with ping pong tables, football, and basketball court. 

The Disney Cruise Line Navigator app gives you the daily schedule so you can see what's going on and plan out your days (you can also find the activities on the in-room TV). 

There are activities for all ages, all throughout the day!

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