Chris Owen Has Just Posted the Following:

While some cruise lines reduce sailings or abandon the west coast cruise market, others add ships and itineraries or reaffirm their commitment.## Carnival Inspiration is the latest Carnival Cruise Lines ship to do the Catalina Island and Ensenada run in California, continuing the lines unwavering commitment to the west coast cruise market.
Launching year-round short cruises from Long Beach, California this week, Carnival Inspiration departed on a sold-out four-day voyage to Catalina Island and Ensenada.## That’s the classic short Baja Mexico itinerary previously run by Carnival Paradise, originally the one-time entirely non-smoking ship that was moved to Tampa.## Before that, Carnival Ecstasy did the same itinerary.
We were on Carnival Ecstasy, sailing that classic itinerary nearly a decade ago in 2002, long before Carnival’s Evolutions of Fun upgrade package was applied to the line’s Fantasy class ships.# That was also when Ensenada ranked as one of those cruise ports that many argued was “not worth getting off the ship to see”.
That was then, this is now and Ensenada is a much different, improved port of call than it was a decade ago.# Cruise Critic calls Ensenada an “eclectic mix”, focusing on “Mexico’s oldest winery and Baja’s first cantina to a plaza featuring statues of national heroes. In addition to expected attractions like the large tourist shopping area and fish market, Ensenada also offers the unexpected – an elegant Prohibition-era casino and a blowhole that spews water sixty feet into the air.”
The 70,000-ton Carnival Inspiration, joining Carnival Splendor on the west coast, underwent an extensive multi-million-dollar refurbishment as part of that same Evolutions of Fun enhancement program.
On board Carnival Inspiration, passengers will enjoy a variety of attractions ranging from the ship’s WaterWorks aqua park with an adults only Serenity retreat.
Carnival is the only company to operate two ships from California on a year-round basis.# Together the Carnival Inspiration and Carnival Splendor are expected to carry 400,000 guests on an annual basis, more than any other cruise operator.

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