My Cuba Cruise

Hi all!

Here's the latest review of Cristal:

http://www.cruisecritic.com/memberreviews/memberreview.cfm?EntryID=502086

Chimo & have a great week!

~ Jo ~ :)

In February and March we found the coffee station at the Lida open and serving free coffee before sun up and thereafter. A situation of Seek and ye shall find.

Most expensive cruise? Perhaps if it were priced in U.S. funds but then it is in Canadian. We noted that the more select the accommodation the better the deal in comparison to comparable cruises, although this cruise is unique.

Expensive drinks? Please find me a bar anywhere ashore that will serve you cocktails at those prices.

Being tuned away from the dining room due to tardiness must have been embarrassing and placing a damper on the evening if not the full cruise. But it highlights the need for all of us to make full use of the daily bulletin to ascertain what, where and when.

HI all!

I think the writer says it all in the opening statement:

"I was not prepared for our cruise with Cuba Cruise."

This is their 1st post so maybe they didn't find this useful thread to guide them.;)

As for the drinks I thought they were very inexpensive plus they had a couple of 2 for 1 deals per day too. It's getting hard to find shrimp or lobster on the mainstream lines.

Anyhow different strokes but Cristal suited us just fine. It's always interesting to hear other's opinions!:D

Chimo!

~ Jo ~ :)

We just received the first of 6 postcards mailed from Cuba. This one was dated Feb 25/15. It took just over 2 months! None of our family have received theirs yet.

I guess that isn't too bad - we are still waiting for the ones we sent from Rio in 2013. :p

We were told that mail sent from South America has an only 50% chance of reaching it's destination.

HI all!

burm ~ good that you got one. DD in NB got hers but haven't heard if the one in Toronto did yet. Mine were mailed from that strange mouth in the wall drop near the Cathedral in that square on the 23rd.

Here's something kind of interesting I found under "news" on the front page here:

http://www.cruisecritic.com/news/news.cfm?ID=6330

Nice long stay in Havana.

~ Jo ~ :)

Here's something kind of interesting I found under "news" on the front page here:

http://www.cruisecritic.com/news/news.cfm?ID=6330

Nice long stay in Havana.

 

~ Jo ~ :)

They aren't charging Cuba Cruise Prices:

http://www.ietravel.com/north-america-caribbean/cuba/itinerary

Double Occupancy $4,198 per person

Single Occupancy $4,948

Charter Airfare from Miami (only a few dollars more than we paid to fly from Toronto) $690

Hi again!

Wow, they sure aren't!!:eek::eek: Did you see when they're going, April (today actually), May, June then Sept., Oct. Nov?

DD # 2 did receive her post card last week while she was in Cuba so both that I sent came around the 2 month mark.

burm ~ Steve posted on the Egon thread. It's been 2 years since he passed.

Lovely weather today eh? Loving those yellow flowers, Forsythia, Daffodils & even Dandelions!;)

~ Jo ~ :)

We just received the first of 6 postcards mailed from Cuba. This one was dated Feb 25/15. It took just over 2 months!

DD # 2 did receive her post card last week while she was in Cuba so both that I sent came around the 2 month mark.

This gives me a bit of hope that the one I sent on March 26 might still be on its way! Thank you for sharing :)

This gives me a bit of hope that the one I sent on March 26 might still be on its way! Thank you for sharing :)

At the standard pace, your postcard should arrive by May 27. :D

...Here's something kind of interesting I found under "news" on the front page here:

http://www.cruisecritic.com/news/news.cfm?ID=6330 ...~ Jo ~ :)

With reference to the above site and 10 things to know;

Americans are still a minority on Cuba Cruise — and many of the Canadians and Europeans onboard expressed concern that an influx would “ruin” the experience. One American family I talked to said they felt outright hostility on the ship from those north of our border.

I think what is being misunderstood is not that the Americans are finally visiting Cuba, which we Canadians have been doing for over half a century, but rather because of our understanding that their political stance during that period created a lot of economic damage to a wonderful people and their habitat. Personally I would like to hear an American visiting Cuba for the first time say something to the effect, "Oh my God, what have we done"

HI all!

oneidealvacation ~ you have nothing to worry about, the cards are on their way.;)

I mailed my nephew who's teaching in S Korea a card on April 8 for his April 25th birthday. I asked him on FB if he got it & he replied it takes about a month for mail to get there. Guess our postal system isn't that bad after all!

Ron ~ good point! In polls asking if people would cruise to Cuba a few make politics their reason for not going. Personally when I travel a country's politics is not a factor.

Have a nice weekend. Looks like it'll be a warm but maybe wet one here.

~ Jo ~ :)

We had a couple American men at the table next to us on the Lido deck who had just gotten on at Montego Bay with their wives. The one was giving the other all his insight about cruising.

Listening with interest while enjoying my boozy beverage, I heard that he best island he had ever been to was Hawaii, because everyone spoke English and the water and food were safe to drink and eat.

Somehow I decided it was smartest to pick up my drink and move locations instead of informing him that Hawaii was his 50th state and therefore he was still in the USA on that trip.

I can never remember to mail myself postcards while on a trip.

I just picked up the April issue of Porthole magazine at Chapters bookstore because there is an article about Cuba being "Cruising's biggest new port of call?".

http://www.porthole.com/just-add-land-cuba/

As if they don't have enough to contend with, Havana has been hit with flooding conditions: Story and Photos

http://sputniknews.com/latam/20150501/1021608961.html

HI all!

Kerri ~ that's the joy of travelling, finding places just like home, NOT!:rolleyes:

Thanks for the link. I subscribe to that magazine & also seem to get it by email.

Ron ~ oh no, as if they don't have enough problems in Cuba, now this!

The area near our all inclusive around Santiago de Cuba was very badly

damaged by a hurricane maybe 3 years ago & there was so much devastation. It's bad enough if you have the tools & supplies to fix things but without them a monumental task!

That looks like an interesting paper you're quoting from. I see Michael Moore has an opinion there.

Chimo!

~ Jo ~ :)

...That looks like an interesting paper you're quoting from. I see Michael Moore has an opinion there. Chimo! Jo ~ :)

I use this site for more current news of Cuba as it is hard to come by otherwise. But when I saw the story of the flood I quickly scanned north American sites attempting to pick up the story there, but no one else had bothered to carry it.

Chimo

Hi all!

Ron ~ when I mentionned the Havana floods to DD#1 she asked why we hadn't heard about that on the news. 10,000 people is a lot to be affected!

Another lovely day here so I took a little walk after Church.

Chimo!

~ Jo ~ :)

Hi all!

Ron ~ when I mentionned the Havana floods to DD#1 she asked why we hadn't heard about that on the news. 10,000 people is a lot to be affected!

Another lovely day here so I took a little walk after Church. Chimo! ~ Jo ~ :)

Jo, not unlike the flood tide that is currently affecting the west coast from Mexico all the way down to Chile. Many deaths, many missing and displaced people in the hundreds of thousands and yet not a word from our standard news sources, save for:

Correction: I have since found reports on CNN and BBC but nothing from Canada

HI all!

Just popping in to say I finally got the refund for my shore excursions I cancelled, back on my credit card. Once Air Transat got on it it didn't take too long.

Chimo!

~ Jo ~ :)

Also Tuesday, JetBlue Airways and its charter partner, Cuba Travel Services, became the first major airline to offer regular flight service between America and Cuba since travel restrictions were recently eased. The flights will depart Fridays from New York's John F. Kennedy International Airport and fly to José Martí International Airport in Havana.

JetBlue's president and CEO Robin Hayes said the flights will offer "new direct travel options from New York, where many Cubans live today."

AND:

The Obama administration approved the first ferry service in decades between the United States and Cuba on Tuesday, potentially opening a new path for the hundreds of thousands of people and hundreds of millions of dollars in goods that travel between Florida and Havana each year.

Baja Ferries, which operates passenger service in Mexico, said it had received a license from the Treasury Department. Robert Muse, an attorney for Baja Ferries, said he believed that other ferry service petitions had also been approved.

HI all!

Just popping in to say I finally got the refund for my shore excursions I cancelled, back on my credit card. Once Air Transat got on it it didn't take too long. Chimo!

~ Jo ~ :)

And we are also happy to report receiving our refund from British Air for the cancelled flight to Athens to join the Cristal for the sailing to Havana last November. Patience is a virtue they say.

Chimo

Hi all!

Ron ~ glad to hear you finally got your refund, that was a long wait!:eek:

Patience is a virtue & often not one of mine!

I'm happily spending my credit on excursions & transfer for my trip in 3 weeks!

Chimo!

~ Jo ~ :)

At the standard pace, your postcard should arrive by May 27. :D

I must've gotten "expedited" service, because the card arrived on May 8! "Only" 6 weeks after I sent it! Based on the reports here, I was expecting it more around June 8 (or never...). Would be interesting to know where it went between March 30 (postmarked out of Santiago) and May 5 (USPS bar code sticker added).

We are thinking of taking the Louis Cristal cruise around Cuba in February 2016.

We have a hold on a SB balcony cabin and would appreciate comments, photos of the layout. In addition, what is the policy on bringing wine/spirits on board?

Cheers,

Don

We are thinking of taking the Louis Cristal cruise around Cuba in February 2016.

We have a hold on a SB balcony cabin and would appreciate comments, photos of the layout. In addition, what is the policy on bringing wine/spirits on board?

 

Cheers,

 

Don

I don't remember anyone looking at bags actually on the ship like other cruise lines. We did get our bags scanned inside some of the terminals, but not on board. Our Antilla stop didn't even have a building at the tender dock. I don't think booze is as easy to find in Cuba to buy like other Caribbean ports.

I didn't bring on any alcohol since the drinks were reasonably priced and we don't drink that much, but I did have full water bottles return on board no questions.

They did have rum and maybe other bottles for sale in the Havana terminal. The prices seemed reasonable. I bought a bottle at a little kiosk in Old Havana, which I took to our cabin and ended up bringing home. No one questioned it.

There is, of course, the $2,000 of Maximo for sale at the rum factory. :) Also, one day as we walked down the street, a guy asked us if wanted to buy "anything". They were selling wine out of a cistern. A lot of Cuban men were walking into the gap between two buildings and walking out with containers of various sizes and shapes.

You won't have any trouble finding rum or beer for sale. It is easier to find than in Canada. LOL

KandCsailing and burm

Thanks for your replies. Since we don’t drink much either, we will probably drink the ship’s offerings.

After seeing a video of the balcony cabin, we have decided to go for a Deluxe Outside Stateroom (XF) on Deck 7. Do you have on thoughts/comments on these cabins?

Cheers,

Don