saranda02

Good morning! Excited to Set Sail on the Venezia in April and exploring the city of NYC. We are 4 ladies from Las Vegas and Southern California for our yearly cruise trip. Looking forward to Beaches, Ports, Sunshine, snorkeling if available and lots of R & R on the ship. 

I've had the chef table 3 times in different cruises with different menus. Its fun and very extravagant. Wine and champagne were included and they gave substitute tasting choices if you had allergies, on special diets or were vegan. On some ships you have a designated dining room just for chef table events. Other times we were given a galley tour and assisted in making the chocolate melting cake. We watched them make appetizers and salads and saw the working of early dinner meals. In all we got @ 9-12 tastings that made us all full. If we chose to not eat desert because we were too full they packed it up for us to enjoy later. I have heard the galley tour has been halted due to the pandemic. Delicious food and an experience I would do over and over. 

Our family of 5 went with them in Feb this year. We had a great time! Was a wonderful excursion. Our driver and tour guide took us to Mayan ruin site and gave us info and explained all about the site to us. It quickly became hot and next we swam in a Cenote and we had her the whole place by ourselves. Even both the tour guide and driver had bathing suits and swam with us, jumped off the tow ropes and snorkeled with the kids. It was exciting and refreshing! Our family had so much fun! We even went to a Hacienda after and had a delicious lunch and dessert. All paid for and arranged by the company. We just left tip. I would use this company again for sure! 

1 hour ago, NCTribeFan said:

I did 3 tours in Havana on 5/11 & 5/12.  All through Strawberry Tours.  Booked a classic car ride for DD & I for $99.  Note that it's a ride and if you want a tour guide, that's extra.  We just rode and stopped several places.

 

Saturday night, we did the Nightlife Tour (free walking tour) to 3 different bars and a salsa dance lesson at one of them.  Drinks from 3CUC to around 6CUC.

 

Next morning, did a 3-hours "free" walking tour of Old Havana.

 

So much less expensive than the ship tours and we were even able to disembark earlier than the ship excursion folks because we docked early and the ship was cleared quickly.

 

I wrote a brief review so it shouldn't be too far down the pages, if interested in the details (and a few pics) of the tours.

 

We checked the "support the Cuban people" option on the document that you're required to fill out (NOT the Visa).

Sounds Fun! Did you use strawberry tours for the "free" tours? Ive contacted them about a private tour for our group. Were you on MSC too? Was there any problems putting "support the cuban people" on your document? 

2 hours ago, EngIceDave said:

By the way, look for my thread “LIVE from the Armonia”

I wrote a review in there

Read the thread. Great information about the ship and your Havana Tour. Thanks for the informative review. I've only been on the MSC Davina and am looking forward to all the ports on this Armonia cruise. I sure hope they don't cancel any ports. I think the group has decided to do the first day excursions from MSC then the evening and next day on our own. Our excursions through MSC should fulfill the requirement for Visa. 

9 minutes ago, EngIceDave said:

I think I got it right. 

Food tours Havana or Havana Food Tours

Maybe its this one? 

https://www.foodtourshavana.com/

Good review of your day in Havana. Thanks for sharing. Ill look him up for our upcoming August trip to Cuba on MSC🙂

29 minutes ago, EngIceDave said:

No, you don’t. 

We booked a walking food tour (Saturday) and a 3 hour classic car tour (Sunday) 

i booked it independently. 

 

Www.foodtourshavana.com

Thanks EnglceDave! It looks like that website is down or isnt working. 😞 

Hi All! Super excited to tour Cuba in August on MSC Armonia. MSC is telling us we have to buy port excursions (both days) through MSC to fulfill the visa requirements. They said we are not free to wonder off the ship without a booked excursion purchased through them. I was going to reserve a tour through Blexie but was told this information through MSC representative. Can anyone confirm or tell me if I can just wonder off with our group and explore Havana on our own? Thanks in advance for the info 😀

On 1/13/2019 at 9:59 PM, PandaBear62 said:

We will be in Cozumel on February 18. Will it be warm enough to enjoy the beach and go in the water? I've heard Cozumel pools aren't heated.

Trying to decide what to do that day.

 

Thanks.

Hi Panda Bear,

Our family is planning on doing Paradise beach when we're in Cozumel. We will be on the same ship as you. The adult kids voted on a beach day. Were hoping that the weather remains in the 80's with no rain. 

I was on the Triumph in Feb and got the new breakfast menu on the dining room. It was delicious and a breath of fresh air. I had avocado toast with poached egg, breakfast board (eggs, sourdough toasts and pastrami in a wooden board) and also another meal that was a bowl of spring greens with poached eggs on top. Forgot what that was called. I loved the new menu. Of course the classics were still available but this was a refreshing change. Dont get me wrong, I love to eat but it was nice to see a healthy menu with light choices when I was still full from the night before.

Thanks for your review 4-me! Our group is thinking about this tour in April. So far sounds good! Hopefully others can tell us how it is. Sounds like you were able to do a lot in the time allotted!

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