Looking for a unique way to celebrate Halloween? Skip the cold night trick-or-treating and pack your suitcase for Carnival’s Halloween Cruise – just don’t forget your costume!
After flying in to Los Angeles from Vancouver, Canada we were ready to trade in our rainboots for bathing suits and a long weekend of fun in the sun on Carnival’s Halloween Cruise. We boarded the Carnival Imagination at Long Beach and set out to sea for 3 nights sailing down to Ensenada, Mexico and back!
Out at Sea
It may be the end of October, but that doesn’t mean summer is over! LA was having a major heat wave when we visited, so we got to spend our time out at sea in 100 degree weather. Bring on the pina coladas!
Whether we were relaxing at the spa or sipping pina coladas poolside with a good book, there was plenty of time to relax in the sunshine on the Carnival Imagination.
We loved the adults-only section with sunny, yellow umbrellas at the front of the ship, it was the perfect place to lay out in the sunshine and enjoy the view as we sailed into the sunset.
Exploring Ensenada
When we arrived in Ensenada, there were a lot of excursions to choose from, like horseback riding and wine tasting! We ended up exploring the town of Ensenada for the day, because we will jump at any chance to enjoy fish tacos, margaritas, and churros all day long.
We found the best ceviche at a local food truck and loved wandering the knick-knack shops looking for unique Mexican items to bring home.
If you’re looking for hip Mexico, there is a cool plaza that is home to a local coffee shop and vegan bakery. There’s even a tasting room for the oldest winery in Baja, Santo Tomas.
You can also wander through Ensenada and check out a cantina that claims to have invented the margarita!
Our tip: make sure that you change your money from USD to pesos if you want to explore some of the more local shops or food carts.
Halloween Night!
On the last night of our cruise, it was time to dress up yet again, but this time in costume! After dinner, everyone donned their best Halloween costumes and came together for the Halloween costume contest. It was so fun to see everyone’s costumes and really made us get into the festive spirit!
We had a group sing-a-long with everyone in their spookiest best, including some very elaborate costumes and even an inflatable tyrannosaurus rex! The party wasn’t over yet, because next thing you knew our cruise director Alex was tossing out glow sticks to everyone, and it was time to party.
The rest of the night on the cruise was extra fun because wherever you went, you saw people in costume!
The best part is that it doesn’t take much to get into the Halloween spirit with Carnival – since we flew to LA, we had to pack light, so we opted for some sparkly masquerade masks as our costume. Easy to pack, but totally made a statement!
