MSC Armonia Cuba and Caribbean Cruise very long pictorial Review

This was our first time with MSC but we have sailedwith Costa so we were aware of ‘the cultural differences’. We enjoyed thecruise and loved the ports but would put the MSC experience towards the bottomof our preferred cruise lines. We cruise for destination rather than cruiseline and we would sail with MSC again if the price and destinations made itworth our while.

Iam a compulsive note-taker so my intention is to give practical information anda limited blow by blow account of what we did in this review. These are mypersonal observations and opinions. My DH and I are ‘low maintenance’ and don’texpect perfection.

Background;

My husband and I are keen cruisers andtravellers with over 50 cruises using 12 different cruise lines and, so far, over100 countries visited. We are from the Midlands in the UK and are in our very,very late 60s. My husband is extremely active whereas I have some mobilityproblems and can’t walk long distances anymore. This restricts my adventurousnature somewhat.

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The review

We chose this cruise for 2 mainreasons:

The first being the itinerary…weboth love unusual, exotic and historical destinations and, as this cruiseconsisted of 2 cruises back-to-back, it gave us almost 5 days in Havana.

The second was the price of ourpackage which was booked through a UK travel Agency. It was excellent value, giving us flights,transfers, the ‘classic’ drinks package, our first Cuba entry visa, the exittax and some OBC. We had an inside cabin as we were on a fairly tight budget.

We sailed in mid-January 2018 and,unfortunately, we had very poor weather for the first 10 days with overcastskies and prolonged bouts of heavy rain. Apparently, this bad weather hadpersisted in the area for several weeks before we arrived but we didn’t allowit to dampen our spirits or stop us from doing things

MSC ARMONIA.

The ship was mid-sized, recently refurbished andhad mostly European passengers with the majority being German, Spanish, Italianand Eastern European. There were approximately 100 UK passengers. Fortunatelyfor us, there were minimal announcements and English was the primary language.

Pros:

*Helpful staff

*freshly made pasta, pizza, sorbet and gelato

*Dancing opportunities

* an 'always available' chicken or fish option onthe dinner menu.

* loyalty programme match.

* not having to vacate our cabin until an hour beforedeparture

* the €26pppd for the ‘classic’ inclusive drinkspackage which covered all alcoholic/non-alcoholic drinks (no premiumbrands), gelato, coffees, bottled water.

Lacking:

*Face flannels

*Complementary water and coffee with meals

*Tv channels in English

*in cabin tea/coffee making equipment

*Quizzes....our favourite.

Unfamiliar.

*👎Paying for the ‘Cuban Experience’ onboard show - €29pp. The other showswere included

*👍🏿Loyalty level matching.....we applied on line once we had booked thecruise and were awarded the highest level - black card - having shown proof,with a photo shot, of our elite level with Princess. It was a quick and easyprocess.

*the 'black card' loyalty cocktail party was heldat 11.00 rather than in the early evening.

*There are very few, if any, vegetables served withthe main course at dinner. Water and coffees were charged extra at dinner

Facts for this 14-night cruise.

Cuban Visafor UK passengers

* Our holiday package included the initial entryvisa for Cuba but each time the ship returned to Cuba we needed a newvisa. The forms were delivered to the cabin for us to fill in and €15pp wascharged to our on-board account. As we returned to Havana twice this was atotal cost of €60 which needs to be factored into your budget.

* You hand the visa form to the immigrationofficial and you get a visa stamp in your passport.

* As UK citizens, we didn’t require visas for anyof the other ports.

* This cruise was a combination of 2 separatecruises so there was a considerable changeover of passengers when we arrivedback in Havana. This didn’t impact on us as we spent time off the ship.

* Unfortunately, it does mean that the theatreentertainment and films on the TV are repeated.

* The plus side is that, as top loyalty tiermembers, we get a repeat of the cocktail parties etc.

Muster drill.

This took place at 09.30 on the full day in Havana.Life jackets had to be taken and people had to assemble at their musterstations on the outside promenade on deck 6.

There was a catch-updrill for those people who were out on tours in the morning. This tookplace at 22.15 in the theatre. We had to take life jackets and, after thedemonstration, we had to put them on and were then lead out to our lifeboatstations on the deck 6 promenade.

Cabin 9249 - inside 'fantasia' level cabin.

*The cabin was conveniently located close to therear lifts.

*It was a reasonable size….comparable to insidecabins on other cruise lines.

*It had 2 bunk beds so was a family cabin.

*The bed was configured as a double when we arrivedso we asked for it to be separated which was done promptly and gave us muchmore floor space.

*There was adequate storage

*a reasonably powerful shower (dreaded showercurtain though!)

* TV with 4 English language channels - 3 news and1 films.

*there were 4plug sockets - 2x2round pin for 220vand 2x2 flat pin for 110v appliances

*safe

*fridge with a mini-bar

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Extra Ship's facilities.

*Splash park for children.

*Gelato and sorbet kiosk 🤗

*freshly made pizza and pasta outlet.

*'any-time' dining restaurant which was an optionfor people in higher grade cabins

*very well-equipped gym

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Havana cruise terminal.

· Passengers have to show their passport and gothrough a security screening each time they leave and return to the ship.

· The terminal is right in the centre of town.

· There are some small souvenir shops, a currencyexchange bureau, an information desk and some tour operators’ offices withinthe building.

· There is no long-term parking at the terminal exitbut there is a constant stream of taxis, both modern and classic, passing bywhich can be hailed.

· The HOHO bus also stops a few yards away from theexit.

· It is a short walk across the road to the old city.

· There were a few stalls selling cigars andsouvenirs in the square across the road.

· Ship's tour busses load and unload at the exit.

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Havana city.

The old city is a colourful, bustling place full ofmagnificent Art Deco buildings but, sadly, the ravages of time and lack ofmaintenance have taken their toll and it is a bit shabby.

There are a lot of the ‘classic' cars and theyattract a lot of attention.

The range of goods in the shops is limited andthere are often shortages of staple goods....at the moment it is toilet paperand detergent.

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this is the square directly outside the cruise terminal

Passengers in transit

*our cruise was booked as a 2-week package but itis actually 2 separate cruises back-to-back so we were classed as 'in transit'at the end of the first week and lots of people disembarked.

*we had the Cubanvisa forms delivered to our cabin a couple of days before arriving backin Havana......a new visa is required for every re-entry into Cuba. The €15ppis added to you on board account. We Will need another visa when we dock at theend of the holiday.

*our visa was collected and our passports werestamped when we went ashore. We have to show our passports every time we leavethe ship.

*we kept the same cabin for the whole cruise sothere were no arrangements needed.

* it was 'open seating' in the dining room thatnight.

Sightseeing in Havana.

* There are taxis and classic cars cruising alongthe road past the terminal exit bit there is nowhere for them to park for morethan a couple of minutes so you need to hail one and negotiate quickly.

* There is on open topped HOHO bus which stops justto the left of the terminal building. It is 10CUCs per person (£8approximately) and the full circuit takes approximately 2.5-3 hours dependingon traffic. I got the one that left the terminal at 08.45.

The commentary is in English and Spanish and it isbroadcast on a loudspeaker system. There are no headphones.

* The city centre is within walking distance. Thepaved areas are often very uneven so care is needed.

Disembarkation procedure.

* There was a meeting about the disembarkationprocess 2 days before our final day and this was repeated on the TV.

* Coloured luggage labels corresponding to yourdesignated departure time were delivered to the cabin the evening before.

* cases needed to be outside your cabin by 02.00.

* a visa form was also delivered to the cabin andthe €15pp added to your on board account.

* times for vacating your cabin and the meetingtime for your escorted departure from the ship were published on the dailyprogramme. We had an MSC fly/cruise package with a flight at 21.40 so we neededto vacate our cabin at 16.00 and meet in the theatre at 17.25 for our transferto the airport.

* a final copy of your account was delivered toyour cabin. Anything purchased after the account was closed is charged to yourcredit card

* We could use all the ship’s facilities, foodoutlets and our drinks package until we disembarked......excellent service!

* There was a place for storing hand luggage ifrequired.

* Luggage had to be collected on shore and taken tothe transfer coach. There were porters.

* The journey to the airport was 45 minutes.

The whole process was very efficient

Havana airport departure.

Unfortunately, our experience at the airportwas horrible. Once we were off the coach there was no support to find thecheck-in desk and the signage was difficult to read.

When we finally found the Air Europa area, theactual check-in process was very time consuming and the queue was really long.We were near the front and it took 40 minutes to reach the desk! There wasn’tanyone marshalling the line. Usually when the marshal sees my mobility issues Iget assistance or, at least, somewhere to sit.

I use the 'airport assistance' wheelchair optionand that was very difficult to find. My husband had to push me as there wasn’tan available assistant. Fortunately, he is fit and strong enough to do that.There wasn’t a 'priority lane' although that isn’t always necessary but it doeshelp when there is a long queue.

Once through the security check, the concourse wasdown a flight of stairs and there wasn’t a proper elevator, only a very ricketycontraption to lower wheelchairs to the bottom level and that was extremelydifficult to manoeuvre into and out of.

The concourse is very spartan and the queue wasvery long to get a drink.

I couldn’t access Wi-fi and, to cap it all, ourflight to Madrid was delayed. Our original departure time was 22.05 and wefinally left just after midnight.

Our cruise

Air Europa - Gatwick to Madrid. 10.35 - 14.00.

The aircraft was an Airbus 300 with a 3x3 seatingconfiguration. We were on row 3. There was no inclusive food and drink and no in-flightentertainment. This was ok as the flight was only just over 2 hours.

Air Europa - Madrid to Havana. 15,45 - 19.40.

· There was an official who gave us our Cuba visas aswe went through to the plane. She had a list of people who were entitled to them.

· The aircraft was a Boeing Dreamliner with a 3x3x3seat configuration. The flight was 9.5hours and left almost on time at 15.45.

· The economy section was almost full. We were in thecentre section on row 18.

· There was a fairly extensive selection on the in-flightentertainment system.

· Wi-fi access could be purchased on a sliding scalefrom €6 - €15.

· We were served with drinks (alcoholic and soft)followed by a basic hot meal of chicken and rice or pasta, a bread roll andbutter, a lemon mousse and tea/coffee.

· We were offered water once and it was possible togo to the rear galley to get a drink.

· We had a hot drink and a hot cheese and hamsandwich (a bit like eating warm cardboard) before landing.

· We had to fill in a customs declaration form alongwith the visa forms.

· The flight was fine but I would recommend bringingsnacks on board as the food was very sparse for a 10-hour flight.

Havana arrival.

The luggage came quickly and we were met by MSCrepresentatives at the exit. This was when I understood why we had to attachour cruise luggage labels before we checked the cases in at Gatwickbecause these were scrutinised and our names crossed off the list. Once ournames had been checked we were directed to a line of coaches a few yards away.

The journey to the ship took about 30 minutes.

Boarding the ship.

When we arrived at the terminal, we collected ourcases and took them inside to where they were being collected by the porters.

From there we headed upstairs to the check-in andsecurity areas. This process was fairly short and it took us just over an hourfrom leaving the plane to boarding the ship.

The cabins were ready and our key cards were in thecabin.....this was fine except that we managed to close the door so were stuckin the corridor for 15 minutes before our steward ‘ rescued' us.

One case arrived just as we got into the cabin andthe other was there when we got back from dinner.

We were too late for the MDR so went to the buffetwhere we enjoyed the pasta in particular.

Things to note;

· Our cabin door was open when we arrived and our keycards were on the bed

· We were not given a ship’s map or a copy of thedaily programme. We might just have missed seeing them in the rush through thereception area.

· Our tour tickets were also not in the cabin.....theymay come later.

· Our key cards showed that we are 'black card'holders. It confirmed our first sitting dining option and showed the tablenumber as well as showing our 'drinks package' and muster station.

· Muster drill was scheduled for 09.30 the followingmorning with a backup one at 22.30 for people who were out on tours.

Day 3. Wednesday 24th January

Havana - Old cars Havana Classic Car tour 09.00 x12.00 - 120CUCs + 20 CUCs in tips (approx. £100)

A.M. torrential rain which gradually eased and thenit was warm with short sunny periods.

P.M. hot, humid and overcast

After breakfast we left the ship at 08.00 andwalked into the terminal building where we found the money exchange and changed£150 into CUCs

Old Cars, Havana.

· I had found the company through a google search andit had good reviews on Tripadvisor.

· The company provided a number of options and wedecided on a 3hour guided tour round Havana with an English-speaking guide for130CUCs (approximately £95) payable to the driver and guide.

· The website was easy to use and gave us a varietyof cars to choose from. We decided on a red 1950 open-topped Studebaker.

· We got an email confirmation straight away withinformation about the meeting point.

· I got an email 3 day before we left the UK,requesting that I confirm that we still wanted to go ahead.

· The pick-up point was at a Restaurant 2 minutes’walk from the terminal exit.

· Our guide, Belle, was waiting on the restaurantveranda, holding a sign with our name on it.

· Lester, our driver arrived 2 minutes later withthis amazing car.

· Belle asked if we had any requests for places tovisit but we decided to leave the itinerary to the 'experts'.

· We started the drive with the hood up but, once itbecame apparent that the rain had stopped, Lester put it down and we completedthe tour in style.

· Belle showed us the fortress, museums and statue ofChrist which were situated on the other side of the bay. From there we weretaken through the city and out into the suburbs to see the forest and somegardens. Belle and Lester were very accommodating and stopped when we asked. Wefelt a bit like royalty as we processed around the city as people waved at usand photographed the car.

· It was a wonderful tour. Belle spoke excellentEnglish, Lester was a good driver and very professionally turned out, the carwas stunning and the city was beguiling......even the weather cooperatedeventually so what more could we want?

· We were dropped off at 12.00 at the terminalentrance and Jim arranged to go fishing with Lester in the afternoon.

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This photo was taken from the ship. We met our driver and car at the blue building

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Day 5. Friday 26th January

Belize - tender port.

Independent tour - Lamanai Ruins and crocodile city(6hours) $180. Splash Wave Tours

A.M. windy, warmish and overcast

P.M. torrential rain

Sea conditions: moderate swell

Other ships in port - none

Priority tender tickets were delivered to our cabinalong with our 'gift' which was 2 MSC baseball caps.....great for the kids!

Our priority tender tickets enable us to use anytender from 08.45.

The priority tickets were amazing - we just showedthem at the top of the staircase and were allowed straight down to the tender.

We had a wonderful day despite the terrible weatherand the change of tour. Jim was really happy with the birds that he saw and hegot some great photos too.

The tender.

The tender boats were provided by the portauthority and were much larger than the 'lifeboat' ones. They must have held200 people.

The journey to the dock took 20 minutes.

Belize Port.

The port area is highly developed for cruisepassengers with a variety of souvenir shops and duty-free outlets.

There were good toilet facilities.

There were taxis available at the exit.

There was a tourist train too.

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Belize city.

The port is within walking distance of the towncentre. There were a few colonial style buildings, cafes and some small shopsbut it is not a large place.

Our tour. US$90pp (similar ship’s tour -€120pp)

I had booked our tour on the Internet after doing alot of research. The broker company offering the tour was Jaital - beyondboarders and it provides tours in a variety of Caribbeancountries. The tour along the river and to the Lamanai Ruins had an almostidentical itinerary to the one done through the ship but was $96 cheaper so nocontest.

We were met just by the exit by a representativefrom Shore Waves Tours, the company that provided ourexcursion. It was here that things changed. He explained that there had beentorrential rain over the last few days and the river was in flood so all rivertrips were cancelled. He offered us the option of cancelling the tour or wecould be taken to other places. We decided to go ahead anyway and it proved tobe a good decision.

We were the only 2 people in the car and Gareth,our driver, was very accommodating so we ended up doing lots of 'birding' onthe way to The Atun Ha Mayan Ruins.

The weather was getting progressively worse as thetour continued and it started to rain just as we arrived at the Ruins. We spent20 minutes walking round before Gareth took us for dinner in the little shack.As we got inside, the heavens opened and we had some of the worst rain thatwe’ve ever seen.

Our dinner was rice n' beans, which was nice, andchicken pieces which were ok. We had a bottle of water and a coke as well.

On the journey back to the port the rain eased offa bit but we could still see the flooding caused by the heavy rain.

Gareth took us through some of the suburbs and wesaw quite a few birds.....thank goodness!

Gareth dropped us off at the port just after 14.00and I went to have a look at the shops but the rain started again so I decidedto get the tender back to the ship. Jim went off to look for more birds ofcourse but the rain caught him out and he got the next tender so we were backon board for 15.00 after a great day.

Atun Ha Mayan Ruins.

*the site is about 20miles from the port.

there are:

*clean toilets

*souvenir stalls

*small restaurant serving a limited Belizian menu

*small museum

*fascinating, partly excavated ruins.

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Thank goodness the rain came while we were having lunch and after we had been into the site

Day 6. Saturday 27th January - Diet Day 2

Roatan, Honduras. 08.00 - 17.00. Coxon Hole Port

Nothing booked.

Clocks go forward 1 hour

A.M. warmish and overcast with heavy showers

P.M. a bit warmer and drier with short sunnyinterval

Sea conditions: strong swell last night.

Other ships in port - none

We left the ship at 08.30 and spent a few minuteslooking around the dock area before buying a tour. We left the port at 09.25and got back just before noon.

We then decided to walk into town to see if I couldfind the supermarket as I wanted some coffee but the prices in the souvenirshops was exorbitant. It was a long walk for me but worth it as I got my 2 bagsof coffee, some hot sauce and some cinnamon for the equivalent of £4!!

Coxon Hole Port.

*the dock area is purpose built for cruise ships.

*there are lots of colourful stalls and a varietyof shops selling souvenirs and local products.

*there are clean restrooms.

*there were several stalls offering taxi services,sightseeing tours and car hire on the way to the port exit. These were fixedprices and each stall had similar prices

*there were unregulated people selling tours morecheaply outside the port gate.

*local busses had stops near the port. They weremini-vans and had their destination displayed on the front.

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Coxon Hole Town.

It is the island capital and largest town but itlacks the charm of Belize City and it reflects the poor economy of the area.There is a long Main Street with a variety of small shops and cafes but theyare very rundown and shabby by our more affluent standards. There is a bank andmoney exchange in the more central part of the main street which is about halfa mile along from the port exit. There is also a supermarket called Eldon'swhich has a good supply of local products like coffee, hot sauce and cinnamonplus alcoholic/soft drinks, snacks and biscuits, toiletries and householdgoods.....all at very reasonable prices. I got a large bag of my favouriteHonduran coffee - called Oro - for $1.50. They accepted US$ and credit cards.

Our tour - US$20pp (similar ship’s tour - €56pp)

We purchased a 2.5-hour tour from one of the stallsin the port for $20pp. We were joined by 3 Italian passengers and we had amini-bus with a driver and English-speaking guide.

We were offered time at a zoo, botanical gardensand or a beach but we all declined the offer.

The tour took us through Coxon Holeand the first 2 stops were at overpriced souvenir shops. Once the guide got theidea that we weren’t interested then the tour got better as we drove throughthe central forested area to the seaside town of West End. Thishad a lovely beach and plenty of more 'upmarket' shops, restaurants and bars.We spent 45minutes walking on the beach and through the town. We could have hadtime for a drink but nobody wanted it.

We continued the drive through the rain forest andalong the coast and got back to the port just before noon.

I’m glad we did it but, if we come again, I wouldpay more for a private tour that we could tailor make. It was a shame that theBlue Harbour Arboretum was closed for maintenance as we really enjoyed ourvisit there in 2016 and we would have gone back.

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What a wonderful review/report.

I have just started reading the first two of the posts and will continue reading them.

Wonderful narrative and photos.

Keith

Day 7. Sunday 28th January

Costa Maya, Mexico - 08.00 - 18.00

*Independent tour - Chacchoben Mayan Ruins. 3.5 hours $54pp (bookedthrough 'jaital.com' with Toucan Tours

*Captain's Welcome back cocktail party - 20.15.

A.M. SUNNY, HOT AND HUMID!!!

P.M. hot and mostly sunny until 13.30 when the heavens opened

Sea conditions: Very rough overnight

Other ships in port - none

We were off the ship at 07.50 and it was lovely walking along the pierin the sunshine.

It was a very long walk for me to the tour company meeting place but itwas good to be able to see the port area while it was quiet. I can see why someless adventurous passengers never leave that area because it haseverything.....although at a price.

We thoroughly enjoyed the tour and were dropped off at the port entranceat 12.30. 

Costa Maya Port.

*the pier is very, very long and Armonia’s exit was right at thefarthest point.

*at the shore end of the pier is a purpose-built shopping mall with ahuge variety of shops, stalls and food outlets plus restrooms and a largeartificial beach with a big salt water swimming pool.

*ship's tours passengers bypass the long walk through the mall.

*there were taxis and a shuttle bus to town (I’m not sure of the cost)in the car park of the terminal.

*outside the gate is a long boulevard with a replica of a Mayan templeat the end. 

*our tour company, Toucan tours, had a booth by the temple from wherethe company ran shuttles to the Chacchoben Ruins.

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Chacchoben Mayan Ruins Tour. US$54pp (similar ship’s tour - €90pp)

* our instructions were to meet at the Toucan Tour office 30 minutesafter disembarking the ship.

*It was a very long walk for me from the ship to the tourbooth......30minutes.

*we got to the booth at 08.30 where there were seats and a basicrestroom.

*once our paperwork had been checked we had to wait for another couplewho arrived at 09.10.

*we ended up with a group of 12 and I need to investigate the pricing asmost had not pre-booked the tour and payed $40pp........

*the minibus was clean and modern.

*we were given bottled water, soda or beer.

*the journey to the site took about 1 hour and we traveled along avirtually straight road which passed through mangrove forests but was mostlyflat shrub-land with a few isolated villages.

*we made one stop at a petrol station where there were clean toilets anditems for sale like insect repellent and sodas at Mexican prices.

on the journey back, we stopped at the pineapple village and we wereable to buy a bag of fresh pineapple slices and some chili powder to sprinkleon....this is how the locals eat it and it was delicious.

*we were asked if we wanted dropping off at the port or we could stay onthe bus and be taken to the local town beach for an hour.

Chacchoben site

*the site has a visitors' area with stalls selling local souvenirs,toilets and a small food outlet.

*the site is large and involves walking on designated pathways which areuneven.

*our guide, Carlos, was extremely informative and also empathetic to myslow walking so I made it to about half the buildings before I left the groupand walked back to the car park.

* I thought the buildings were impressive, particularly when Carlosexplained the significance of various parts. I liked the site too. It was cleanand well-kept and I loved the variety of trees and plants.

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Day 8. Monday 29th January

Cozumel, Mexico. 07.00 - 15.30

Ship’s tour - The Tulum Mayan Ruins - 7 hours. £160

A.M. warm with thick cloud, brightening up in the late morning with somesunny intervals.

P.M. almost hot with sunny intervals but rain in the evening.

Sea conditions: rough in the night

Ships in port. NCL Breakaway was docked next to us and there were 2 other cruiseships docked further along the coast and too far away to identify.

The alarm went off at 05.00 because we needed to have breakfast beforemeeting the tour group in the theatre at 07.00.

We managed to doze on the bus both traveling to and from Tulum so wecaught up on a bit of sleep. 

The tour was excellent and well worth the money. I think it was too farto go independently in the time we had.

Once back on board we headed up to the pizza bar, played scrabble andgot changed for dinner

 The Tulum Mayan Ruins ship's tour.

*We were in group 3 which was for English speakers.

*all groups for the many different mainland tours left the shiptogether.

*it was a long walk along the pier to the ferry.

*the ferry was just for MSC tour passengers and it was quite large withplenty of comfortable seating.

*the crossing to Playa del Carmen took 30 minutes and was quitebumpy.....some passengers were sick!

*When we disembarked from the ferry we were met by our English-speakingguide. Our group had 12 people.

*we were given time to go to the toilet at the dock before following theguide through the pedestrian shopping area to our coach. It was a 10-minutewalk.

* the coach was clean, comfortable and had a toilet.

*there were several other language groups on board the coach.

*we were given a 'boxed lunch' and a bottle of water.

*we were also given radio receivers and a comfortable ear piece so ourguide then spoke to just us. I presume the other language groups had the same.

*The journey to Tulum took an hour. It was a shame that the countrysidewasn’t more interesting. It was mainly scrubland.

We arrived at Tulum at 09.15 which was great because there were not manypeople. It got very crowded later in the day.

*our coach was scheduled to leave the site at 12.50  

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The Tulum site.

*the site is a very popular tourist attraction so a huge complex ofshops and food outlets has developed a little way from the ruins themselves.....wehad a Starbucks on the way back to the coach.

*it is quite a distance from the car park to the ruins site and then thesite itself covers a large area and the surfaces are uneven so you need toconsider whether it is the tour for you if you have walking difficulties.

*there is a tourist train that runs from the complex to the site ate forUS$2 return. That was a real benefit for me.

*our guide, Filipe, spoke excellent English and was a wonderful guide.He explained things clearly and made the history of the site come alive.

*we spent an hour with Filipe and then had a couple of hours to exploreon our own. Some people went to the beach while we took some photos of thebeach area and then walked/rode back to the mall area. We had a Starbucks andchatted to a delightful young lady from Israel.

*the bus left on time at 12.50 and, after walking through the shoppingdistrict, we were back on the ferry just after 14.00 and back on board at15.00.

A great trip!

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These photos are of Playa del Carmen. some passengers got the ferry over from Cozumel to spend time here.

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Day10. Wednesday 31st January

Havana,Cuba - overnight.

Independenttour - Viñales Valley tour. 10 hours, £59pp (ship's equivalent tour - €120pp)

A.M.- early - cool, very windy and very overcast. Later - very warm with long sunnyintervals.

P.M.warm but cloudy with sunny intervals.

Seaconditions: 

Thetour was great and well worth the money. As we didn’t get back on the shipuntil 19.30 we had missed dinner so we visited the pizza bar first and then thebuffet.

Independent tour - Viñales Valley tour. 10 hours, £59pp

*I had booked this tour on line through the 'CubaTravel Network' website and paid, in full, in £sterling.

*I had to choose a hotel from a list of pick-up points where we would join thetour as there was no stop at the port terminal. I used 'google earth' to locatethe hotels and found that the hotelAmadores de Santander was about 300 yards from the terminal exit so Iopted for that one. It proved to be convenient and a good choice because wewere the second group to be picked up so had a good choice of seats.

*I got an email confirmation with details of the timing for the pick-up and thetour operator which was Gaviota tours.

Ourpick-up time was between 07.30 and 08.00. We left the ship at 07.05 and got tothe hotel at 07.25.....I have mobility difficulties and walk slowly. The buspulled up just as we arrived and the guide was there with our names on alist.....great service!

*The downside of doing an independent tour like this is the time it took to pickup the rest of the group from various hotels around the city. The good thingwas that we got to see a lot of the city that we would not normally have seenand it was very impressive although a bit shabby. Havana must have been amagnificent city in its heyday.

*At 08.30 the tour proper commenced. Our group was about 24 and the people werefrom 8 different countries but were either English or Spanish speakers and ourguide, Mara, did the commentary in both languages.

*The journey to the Viñales Valley was 2.5 hours. The highway was good and thecountryside was interesting as we passed small villages and went throughagricultural areas.

*There was a 15-minute rest stop at a small roadside cafe. The toilets wereclean but basic and had a very fierce woman handing out toilet paper andexpecting a tip!

*we turned off the main highway after 2 hours and headed up into the mountainarea where the scenery got more impressive by the minute. It is easy to see whyit is a UNESCO Heritage area as the limestone karsts are spectacular and thelandscape is very reminiscent of northern Vietnam and southern China.

*We drove through the bustling town of Viñales which is a big tourist area for people attracted bythe cycling, hiking and horse riding opportunities.

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*The first stop of the tour was at an organic tobacco farm where we were split into 2 language groups. We went withthe son of the owner who spoke excellent English and he explained the wholeprocess of producing tobacco and making the handmade cigars. There was anopportunity to smoke one of the cigars and also a chance to buy some.

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*At 12.30 we left the farm and headed to the lunch stop which was a 20-minutedrive. The restaurant was set in beautiful gardens and was very pleasant. Ourincluded meal consisted of:

Starter -fruits, tomatoes, cucumber and local crispbread.

Main - Cuban rice and beans (tasty) roast chickenand pork (tender and delicious) and boiled yucca (starchy and yuk!)

Dessert - local cinnamon rice pudding (ok but not asgood as mine)

Drinks - 1 soft drink/beer and coffee.

Ithought the meal was very good.

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*After the meal all the others went to the 'undergroundriver and Indian cave'. I was a bit disappointed not to go but theguide thought it would be too dangerous so I stayed at the restaurant and satin the garden. Jim said there were a lot of steps and it was a bit trickygetting into the boat on the river. He enjoyed the experience though.

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*We left the restaurant area at 14.45 and drove 15 minutes to the 'prehistoric wall mural' whichisn’t prehistoric at all but is a huge representation of prehistoric forms,painted on the mountain side.

Thereare food outlets, a stall selling, apparently, the best piña colada in Cuba andclean toilets with a less fierce woman handing out toilet paper and expecting atip. We spent 20 minutes at the site.

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*The last stop was at a view pointacross the valley and was a 10-minute drive. The view was spectacular. Therewas a hotel at this point and we were able to use the toilet before the longjourney back to Havana.

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*The drop-off route was the reverse of the morning's pick-up but the driver verykindly stopped as close to the terminal entrance as he could so we were back onboard at 19.30........a long but very enjoyable trip'

Day 13. Saturday 3rd February.

Montego Bay, Jamaica 08.00 - 19.00

A.M. the first truly tropical day.....hot and sunny with a pleasantbreeze.

P.M. as above

Sea conditions: Slight swell.

Other ships in port - none

I had done some research on things to do from Montego Bay as we havealready climbed Dunn's River falls and done the rafting on the Martha Braeriver. I found that there is a bird sanctuary not too far from the town so weaimed to get a taxi to there.

Montego Bay Port.

*the port complex is large with a huge terminal building.

* It is situated a 20-minute drive from the town.

* There is an information booth inside the building.

* there are taxis and tours offered, officially, just outside the building.That is also where ship’s tours and pre-booked independent tours pick uppassengers.

* There are taxis offering tours more cheaply that wait outside the portgate. These are not regulated in the same way.

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Montego Bay.

* I haven’t a lot of information because we didn’t go into town.

* the port is a long way from the town 'Hip Strip'. MSC provided ashuttle bus service into town with stops at Margaritaville, Doctor's Cave beachand 'The Shoppers at Rose Hall' for €20pp. The bus ride is approx 20 minutes.

* There are shopping precincts outside the port area.....probably a 10minute walk....with food outlets, souvenir shops etc.

Rocklands Bird Sanctuary.

* I discovered this attraction when doing an internet search for birdwatching opportunities in Jamaica

* Viator, the independent tour broker site, offers a tour to thesanctuary but it worked out more expensive than getting a taxi at the portgate.

* We talked to the taxi dispatcher in the terminal and $150 was quotedfor a taxi so we went out of the port and there were taxis there. We negotiated$75 and gave $80 at the end. I think the price was excessive for what we gotbut the lady taxi driver, Tash, was a real comedian and very personable so thatwas a bonus.

* The sanctuary is a 25-minute drive from the port and up on themountainside. Once off the main road, the track is extremely steep and has deeppotholes so I can understand why the taxi drivers are reluctant to visit.

* The entrance fee is $20pp.

* The sanctuary site is quite small and consists of a small building and3 viewing areas plus a few short paths into the forest. There is a toilet butno opportunity to buy drinks or souvenirs.

* When we arrived, we were guided to chairs under a canopy and given asmall bottle of sugary water each. We were shown how to hold the bottle in 1hand and how to put out a finger from our other hand close to to the bottlewhich had a small hole in the cap. Within a few moments we had hummingbirdsaround us and then they stood on the finger and sipped from the bottle......amagical experience.

* There were numerous other bird species using the feeding stations inclose proximity to where we were sitting so there was plenty of opportunity toobserve and photograph the birds. 

* We were allowed to wander around the site but people tended to stay towatch the antics of the hummingbirds.

* We stayed there for about 2.5 hours but most other visitors left afteran hour.

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Day 14. Sunday 4th February

George Town, Grand Cayman. 08.00 - 15.00. Tender port.

Welcome back cocktail party - 20.15.

A.M. hot and sunny for the second day!

P.M. 

Sea conditions: calm

Other ships in port - Caribbean Princess 

We were off the ship at 08.10 and I was back on board at noon.

Tendering in Grand Cayman

* The ship used large, locally provided tender boats so we didn’t needtickets.

* the ride took 10 minutes.

Grand Cayman port.

* the port area is quite large. 

*there are duty free shops, a convenience store, several souvenirstalls, a clean restroom and lots of independent tour operators.

* there were taxis available on the street outside.

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Grand Cayman Island.

* the island is small....22 miles long and 8 miles wide.....with apermanent population of around 60,000.

* it is a British protectorate and has many British customs. English isthe national language. People drive on the left and most shops are closed onSundays.

* because the island is so small, there are only a few attractions;

The beaches, especially 7 Mile beach

Stingray city

Swim with the dolphins 

Rum cake

The village called Hell

The golf course 

The botanical gardens.

Snorkelling and submarine tours

Duty free shopping 

 George Town.

*George Town is the capital.

* it is small, clean and easily walkable. It is considered to be verysafe.

*the shops, bars and restaurants cater for tourists. A lot have freeWi-fi.

* there are 2 Port areas, North Terminal and the Walter Terminal. Bothare situated in the town centre 

* US $ are accepted 

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Independent tour.

* We chose a 2-hour tour for US$20pp from many different ones on offerin the terminal area.

* The mini bus was clean and comfortable. There were 14 of us.

*This tour took us to several points of interest across the island butdidn’t include beach time which, in our case, we were happy about.

* Our driver/guide was called Melson. He was very chatty andinformative.

* we drove out of town and along the road by 7-mile beach. We recognisedthe cemetery and supermarket from the last time we visited the island in thelate 1990s but there has been a huge building boom and the whole length of thebeach now has hotels along it. There is still public access but it is morelimited. The hotels were very impressive with immaculately manicured gardens.

* We made 3 stops;

1. At the village called Hell where there was a post office which willfrank postcards. It also sells souvenirs. There is a lava field (at least, Ithink it’s lava....it could be coral) by the post office.

2. At a small store where we were able to taste and buy the local rumcake. It also sold other Caribbean delicacies like hot sauce and jerkseasoning.

3. The Dolphin Experience which was free to get in and there wereviewing areas where you could see the people swimming with the dolphins.

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* We were also offered the chance to visit the Turtle Reserve but thathad an US$18pp entrance fee. Non of the passengers wanted to go in.

* on the way back to George Town, we dropped some passengers off at thebeach. They were going to get a taxi back to the port.

* Melson dropped us off in the town but he would have taken us back tothe port if we had asked.

Verdict.

A nice tour and just about worth the money

Day 15. Monday 5th February 

Cozumel, Mexico. 10.00 - 18.00

A.M. very hot and sunny

P.M. 

Sea conditions: calm

Other ship’s in port; at NCL Escape, Carnival Triumph and Carnival.....? also NCL Dream anda Disney ship at the other docking area.

We left the ship at 10.00. And walked to the terminal where we got a3-hour island tour which was very nice and gave us an overview of the differentaspect of life on the island.

We were back on board around 14.15 having called at the small OXXOconvenience store just by the port gate to get a couple of packets of biscuitsto sustain us on the flight home.

Cozumel cruise terminal.

Having been to Cozumel last week, we expected to dock in the same placeagain but got a surprise when we sailed past that dock and tied up at the otherone alongside 3 other ships.

* This Port has a large duty free terminal area with a large number ofshops and stalls plus bars and food outlets.

* There are some booths along the pier offering beach days, snorkelingtrips and boat trips.

* The taxis and island tours are available at the port exit.

* There are lots of shops and bars within close proximity to the portexit.

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Cozumel City.

* The City is a sprawling urbanization with a huge number of retailoutlets of all styles.

* There are many hotels that offer day passes and the beaches are softgolden sand and the sea is clear and clean.

* The city itself is modern with good roads and it is kept clean.

Our independent'island tour' - US$40pp (ship’s tour - €90pp)

* We looked around for a tour that didn’t include beach time and foundVictor who offered a 3.5-hour tour for US $35pp.

* his mini bus was clean and comfortable.

* He had 14 passengers to start off with but dropped 9 off at a beachwhich left us 2 and a group of 3 from Australia.

* Our first stop was at the ClubCozumel Caribe hotel and beach where we dropped off the group of 9.Victor gave us 15 minutes there so we could look at the facilities and use therestrooms. It was a beautiful setting for swimming and lounging on the beach.He was going back to collect the group at 14.30.

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* Victor was very informative and he stopped at a couple of areas withhistorical importance and explained their significance.

* Our second, long stop was at the SanGervasio Mayan Ruins site. We had an hour to explore after payingUS$9.50PP.

The site has a small shopping and refreshments area with well-maintainedrestrooms. The ruins themselves are set in very pleasant gardens with lots ofiguanas as an extra attraction.

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The Mayan buildings are not as spectacular as the ones we saw at Tulumbut I still found them interesting and they were clearly labelled with relevantinformation. The only downside was that the pathways were very uneven.

* our third stop was at an 'organictequila' manufacturer's where we were given a short explanation of thedistilling process followed by a chance to taste a variety of differentqualities and flavours of tequila. We then had an opportunity to purchasebottles which ranged in price from US€40 to $110!

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* Victor drove us through areas with very expensive properties and areaswith much more modest accommodation while he talked about the make-up of thelocal population.

* Victor dropped us off at the terminal at 14.00. 

Verdict.

A pleasant and informative way to see something of the area at areasonable cost.

I must congratulate you if you have got through all these postings.

Here are a few more photos of the amazing Havana....

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What a wonderful report! I love all the photographs and details. Thank you for sharing your trip with us!

Thank you so much for your informative blog. I am considering this cruise for early next year. Do you think the ship/itinerary would be suitable for a single not very young but reasonably fit lady. Could you also confirm the cost of the drinks package.

A fantastic and very enjoyable report to read. :)

Just one small thing about face flannels not being provided. The cabin steward will provide them if requested.

Ilovemygarden ... the all-inclusive drinks package price is €26 pppd (plus 15% service charge if purchased onboard) if the cruise is 8 nights or less.

Thanks for the review.

Thank you for your review! I enjoyed it

Thank you so much for your review. Havana is one of the cruises on my wishlist, so your comments and pictures have been very helpful!

You said you had almost 5 days in Havana, how did you find the ship 'in general' during that time? Was it quite quiet, with a lot of passengers ashore, even during the evenings?

Great review, thank you for the detail. :)

Love your review and the informative style. Hope it's not finished yet! Ken

Thank you very much for such informative review.

It is helpfull to a lot of us who are considering taking a cruise that includes Cuba.

A wonderful really helpful account of the trip we are doing in April! However, we booked flights & cruise through an on-line "agent" No Cuba visa included, so we have to buy direct from the Consulate in UK. £39.00 per person - by Postal Order or Bankers draft!

Thaks for your review and sharing your photos.