Cuba

Having just returned from Cuba I am begging Azamara to look into sailing there. Small ships dock right in the heart of Havana. The tour operators there do a fabulous job. They have big modern air conditioned buses that meet the groups right outside the terminal exit. It's a perfect fit for Azamara and a sea day from Miami. PLEASE look into it.

Having just returned from Cuba I am begging Azamara to look into sailing there. Small ships dock right in the heart of Havana. The tour operators there do a fabulous job. They have big modern air conditioned buses that meet the groups right outside the terminal exit. It's a perfect fit for Azamara and a sea day from Miami. PLEASE look into it.

Hi Shutterbug29.

Without getting into the politics of Cuba, I agree, this could be a good niche destination for Azamara. The only problem is, other lines are moving quickly on Cuba, and Azamara remains oddly silent. I suspect that if we do not hear something soon, they will have missed the boat - pardon the pun.

Let's hope something is in the works.

Just curious, did you sail on Fathom ? The reviews seem to be very mixed, but it's interesting to note that Fathom is using one of Azamara's R-Class sister ships on the Cuba itinerary.

Yes, I did sail on Fathom. That is why I know it's perfect for Azamara (I've been sailing with them since they started). Yes, the reviews for Fathom were mixed but, I believe, it was more about the ship experience than Cuba. The ship is manned by all P&O personnel who have it down pat! It's the Fathom end that is having growing pains. As I said before, they have a new terminal set up right in the center of Havana with money exchange booths right there. Big ships going there, in my opinion, will be a disaster. If you are interested in any other information I would be more than happy to have a personal conversation with you.

Thanks so much for your comments on Fathom. We've looked at the pricing for Fathom and find it very high for what you get. We look forward to some more competition. Since we want to see more than just Havana, the idea of a cruise is very appealing, but so far Fathom is not doing it for us. We may do a land-based trip instead. AZ, the ball is in your court!

Fathom goes to 3 ports...Havana, Cienfuegos and Santiago de Cuba. They also include full day excursions including lunch in each port.

I am not here to push this cruise line but I want to be fair in my review. My heart belongs to Azamara (I've been sailing with them from the beginning and have 2 future cruises already booked) and I am hoping they will include Cuban ports of call in the near future.

Fathom goes to 3 ports...Havana, Cienfuegos and Santiago de Cuba. They also include full day excursions including lunch in each port.

 

I am not here to push this cruise line but I want to be fair in my review. My heart belongs to Azamara (I've been sailing with them from the beginning and have 2 future cruises already booked) and I am hoping they will include Cuban ports of call in the near future.

Well as itineraries are already published well into 2018, they will upset passengers already booked on those cruises if they change those planned itineraries.

Thanks so much for your comments on Fathom. We've looked at the pricing for Fathom and find it very high for what you get. We look forward to some more competition. Since we want to see more than just Havana, the idea of a cruise is very appealing, but so far Fathom is not doing it for us. We may do a land-based trip instead. AZ, the ball is in your court!

Havana is great, but at http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showpost.php?p=50086336&postcount=7 I commented that seeing the city via a cruise may be a wiser choice at the moment.

Oh yes, it would be nice to have Azamara going to Cuban ports. Anyhow, ports do not change much now and it is becoming hard for us to decided which cruise to take because we have been on the usual ports too many times. For cruiselines who emphasize destination is a must to always look for new ports.

With regard to Wacktie's comment about the fact that a cruise would be a better choice over a land trip, I have done a 16 day land trip in Cuba and my brother has done 2 of them. All 3 were wonderful. On a cruise, you get off the ship, get taken around by a bus and then return to the ship. You sleep on the ship and take all of your meals on the ship.

 

You have no direct interaction with Cubans. On our land trip, we spent several days in each of cities we visited. We wandered around freely with no minders watching us. We went into shops where we could see how the Cubans suffered from and dealt with their US imposed economic problems. People talked to us. We at in restaurants with locals. We even got invited to Shabbat services at a local synagogue which we unfortunately had to decline because we had other things planned for that evening. Tell me how you would get those experiences on a cruise ship tour of Cuba or any other country.

 

DON

The point I was making is that Havana is now very popular, but does not have the hotel beds to cope. Cubanacan, the government tourist agency, still run things. We booked via a well known UK tour operator, but were in the hands of Cubanacan on arrival. After a 9.5 hour flight from the UK, we should have had a 20-30 minute transfer to the Hotel Iberostar Parque Central for a 3 night stay and 2 days of touring. However the hotel was overbooked and our itinerary was inverted. We were sent on our way to the beach resort, Iberostar Ensenachos, where we had been due to stay from night 4. An unpleasant 6 hour transfer followed. Having read comments from other UK travellers, our tour group was not alone in being bumped, and some ended up in accommodation that was not fit for purpose. We later discovered, via the internet, that 3 events had led to the overbooking: the Kardashians were in our hotel that week, a Chanel fashion show was taking place, and (we believe) filming of the next “Fast and Furious” was taking place. It appeared to us that the dollar is now the key. I visited Cuba twice in the 1990s and changes were already apparent. It was far more touristy, with numerous bars and restaurants that just did not exist in the early 90s. I can’t say that this was a bad thing, as it made our stay far more relaxed and enjoyable. However it was a different experience and further changes will come thick and fast.

The point I was making is that Havana is now very popular, but does not have the hotel beds to cope. Cubanacan, the government tourist agency, still run things. We booked via a well known UK tour operator, but were in the hands of Cubanacan on arrival. After a 9.5 hour flight from the UK, we should have had a 20-30 minute transfer to the Hotel Iberostar Parque Central for a 3 night stay and 2 days of touring. However the hotel was overbooked and our itinerary was inverted. We were sent on our way to the beach resort, Iberostar Ensenachos, where we had been due to stay from night 4. An unpleasant 6 hour transfer followed. Having read comments from other UK travellers, our tour group was not alone in being bumped, and some ended up in accommodation that was not fit for purpose. We later discovered, via the internet, that 3 events had led to the overbooking: the Kardashians were in our hotel that week, a Chanel fashion show was taking place, and (we believe) filming of the next “Fast and Furious” was taking place. It appeared to us that the dollar is now the key. I visited Cuba twice in the 1990s and changes were already apparent. It was far more touristy, with numerous bars and restaurants that just did not exist in the early 90s. I can’t say that this was a bad thing, as it made our stay far more relaxed and enjoyable. However it was a different experience and further changes will come thick and fast.

I do have to admit that it is almost too late to see the "real" Cuba especially in the large cities such as Havana. Our trip was before Obama changed the rules for visiting Cuba and we also spent most of our time in smaller cities outside of Havana. We started our trip in Santiago de Cuba which is in the eastern part of Cuba and worked our way west to Havana.

My brother's second trip was after the Obama opening and he commented that the country was very different than it was on his first trip a few years ago.

The changes that have occurred and will occur may be good for the economic status of many of the Cubans although I fear that as a class system develops, there will be increased tensions between the haves and the have nots. Also, Havana which is in the western part of Cuba is more predominately white than the town and cities in the more rural eastern part of Cuba which are more predominantly black. IN addition, the white population of Havana are the people who have relatives in the US and who are and will continue to send money to their relatives in Havana. The people who live in other parts of Cuba do not have relatives with money in the US so this will increase the economic disparity even more.

The next few years are going to be very interesting for the Cubans. I certainly wish them well.

DON

Don, Thanks for your interesting comments. Let's hope that Cuba retains some of its character and that the changes don't lead to any unrest.