Back to Cuba on the Sky: PHOTO REVIEW

I am just back from my second trip on the Sky to Cuba so figured I would post a review as I always enjoy reading them from other people. I've done this trip before [last October] and feel in love with Havana so when a different trip fell through last minute, returning to Havana seemed like a natural choice.

Some background info:

I am a 35 y/o man from the suburbs of Boston. During the week of this cruise I originally had plans to drive cross-country with a friend but he backed out about 3 weeks before we were scheduled to leave. Since I had already taken the time off work I had to scramble for an alternate plan and the Sky had some decent last-minute deals. DH could not get the time off but my mother happened to be on vacation the same week and agreed to go with me.

For those that have read previous reviews of mine, you will remember that I take a travel journal on my trips to record my thoughts "in the moment". I then post, pretty much word for word and in the 1st person, what I recorded in my journal. I change names to initials so as not to positively identify anyone against their wishes and I add photos after each section to correspond with what I posted about. Please feel free to post comments or ask any questions you may have; I will try my best to answer everything. Thank you in advance for reading and for being a part of my journey.

Day 1: 08/13/2018 - 9.58pm

It is great to be back aboard the Norwegian Sky, though it was unexpected. After R backed out of our cross-country road trip only 3 weeks before we were due to leave, I had to scramble for a back-up plan. Luckily, Mum was off work this week and agreed to a last minute cruise.

We started the day with a 7.35am flight from BOS to FLL that was absolutely PACKED! To top it off, there was a couple in the row ahead of us who couldn't keep their hands off each other for the whole flight; seriously, they was kissing and groping heavily...most inappropriate! After arriving in FLL, it was a quick Uber ride to the Port of Miami [$44] and we were on board by 12.30pm. The check-in and boarding process was MUCH faster than the last time I sailed on the Sky.

We decided to lunch in the Palace dining room rather than the buffet and it was a wonderful decision; much better food and much more relaxing. The Philly cheese steak was quite good. After exploring the ship [it was Mum's first time on the Sky] and attending the muster drill, we parked ourselves in the Outrigger Lounge for sailaway. This lounge is so pretty and it has great views forward. We chatted with a lovely couple, S and D, from FLL for at least an hour. They were both well traveled and a pleasure to chat with.

Back in the the stateroom [#6210], I fell asleep for about an hour [missing the FOD/LGBT meetup] and before I knew it, it was almost 7.30pm and time for dinner. We chose the Crossings dining room [better atmosphere than the Palace I think] and were seated at a table for 6. W and A from Chicago, along with J and C from Cleveland. The lamb shank was excellent, the duck pate was good, and the tres leches cake was mediocre. All in all a good meal though. Havana tomorrow!

Palace dining room

Lunch menu

Stateroom 6210

Stateroom 6210

Captain Cooks

Day 2 [Havana]: 08/14/2018 - 10.02pm

Even on a second visit, Havana wows! Our excursion to the Vista Hermosa farm in Guanabacoa was absolutely amazing. Even though we roasted in the 95 degree heat, it was quite an enjoyable day. We learned all about their "slow food" mission and commitment to organic farming. They also made us a fabulous lunch of roast suckling pig, house-made cheeses & sausage, rice & beans, fried yucca, and fresh avocados, mangoes, papayas, and guavas. The workers were so kind and one could really sense their passion for the farm.

After returning to Havana, Mum and I walked to the Partagas factory to buy some cigars before catching a coco-taxi to the Plaza de la Revolucion. We were charged more for the roundtrip ride than I thought we should've been [$22 CUC] but it was so bloody hot out and I really wanted to see the plaza as I missed it on my last trip here. It was very cool to see the buildings with Che and Cienfuegos on the sides...quintessential Cuba. After returning to Habana Vieja, we did some more exploring before stopping for drinks at El Patio in the Plaza de la Catedral [with live music of course!]. We were back on the ship around 6pm and decided to call it a day. Everything was absolutely wonderful but so exhausting...we just don't have the energy to go back ashore tonight. I am sure I'll be in Havana again though.

Vista Hermosa farm

More shots of Vista Hermosa

Plaza de San Francisco

Old Havana house

Plaza de la Revolucion

Plaza de la Revolucion

Plaza de la Revolucion

Day 3 [At Sea]: 08/15/2018 - 10.56pm

Today was a fairly quiet day at sea. With nothing planned, Mum and I just decided to wing it. We took breakfast int he Palace dining room; it is much more relaxing than the buffet. We then went to the shops to check out the "Cuban Bazaar" they had advertised. Well, the only things bizarre were the astronomical prices!! It was seriously borderline offensive. They were selling wooden magnets for $10 each that I had only paid 50 cents apiece for in Havana; I am all for businesses trying to make a profit but this was ridiculous. $22 for a cheaply made plastic folding fan? $40 for coasters?? Truly, it was unreal.

After lunch in the buffet, we both ended up taking an hour-long nap before heading to the theatre to watch "A Quiet Place". I heard so much hype about it when it was in the cinema but I honestly wasn't that impressed. It wasn't particularly scary and the ending was very dull. We did have wonderful table mates for dinner, G & C from New Zealand, and the meal was delicious [especially the lamb kofta]. This evening's show, "Rock You Tonight" was decent though not the best I've see at sea. A $30 loss in the casino was enough was one night.

Lamb shank

Goulash

Stardust Theatre

Dazzles lounge

Day 4 [Great Stirrup Cay, Bahamas]: 08/16/2018 - 10.35pm:

I've never really cared much for The Bahamas but Great Stirrup Cay was wonderful. What a relaxing day at a lovely beach. I was expecting a very rocky beach like Princess Cay but GSC was not nearly as bad; once could actually swim without banging one's feet into giant rocks! We spent about 5 hours on the island just relaxing and headed back to the ship around 3pm.

We went to the Cruise Next presentation at 4.30pm to see the sales pitch on the mega ships. Though I've sailed on the Breakaway in the past, it was cool to see some of the newer additions to the fleet. I ended up buying two future cruise deposits [$250 for $500 worth of deposit money is a good deal for anyone who cruises a lot].

Dinner tonight was just the two of us and after eating we went to the performance of "Showdown". It was entertaining enough but nothing like on the bigger ships. I would like to get to Havana again next year with DH so perhaps I'll sail the Sky for a 3rd time. It really is a lovely ship for being 19 years old.

Great Stirrup Cay

Recap and Final Thoughts

Overall this was a wonderful cruise. Havana is one of the best ports in the region as it still retains so much of its original character without the trappings of most cruise ports in the West Indies [THANKFULLY no Diamonds International and the like have arrived there yet]. The Cuban people are wonderful and there is so much history, culture, and architecture to absorb when visiting here.

The Sky is the perfect ship for this short itinerary. The smaller size means there are much less crowds in both Havana and GSC which always makes for a more pleasurable experience in port. On board, less passengers generally translates to more personal service from the crew as well [i realize there are many variables that must be taken into account but I've found this to often be the case personally]. Although food is always subjective, I must say that NCL seems to be upping their game in the MDR; we didn't have one bad dish in the MDR during the whole cruise and several dishes were actually wonderful. Even since sailing on the same ship only 9.5 months ago I've noticed a marked difference. The buffet on this ship is quite lacking in space and variety though. I would not hesitate to sail on her for a 3rd time.

Looks like we were on this cruise at the same time! Concur with your thoughts. We went to the Parisienne Cabaret at the Hotel Nationale and enjoyed both the show and the historic hotel. Thanks for the review!

Thank you for the review! We will be on the same itinerary in 15 days, and we are really looking forward to it.

Thanks for the great review! I just booked this as the first leg of a pseudo B2B for next July and I'm so excited to go to Havana! :)

Thank you for the review! We will be on the same itinerary in 15 days, and we are really looking forward to it.

Thanks for the great review! I just booked this as the first leg of a pseudo B2B for next July and I'm so excited to go to Havana! :)

You are most welcome! Thanks for reading and I hope you both enjoy your trips!! Havana is amazing.

Looks like we were on this cruise at the same time! Concur with your thoughts. We went to the Parisienne Cabaret at the Hotel Nationale and enjoyed both the show and the historic hotel. Thanks for the review!

Thanks for reading! I'm glad to hear the cabaret was good. I really wanted to go but we were just so tired...it was bloody hot that day. Hopefully I can make it to the cabaret next time...3rd time's a charm right? lol

Thank you for your review!! We board the Sky tomorrow for this itinerary! I’m glad to hear the MDR has upped its game!

Your pics are great! Thank you again for taking the time to share!

Thank you for your review!! We board the Sky tomorrow for this itinerary! I’m glad to hear the MDR has upped its game!

Your pics are great! Thank you again for taking the time to share!

You are very welcome! Enjoy your cruise and all that Havana has to offer.

I LOVE the Sky! And Cuba! Did you notice any other ship in port, large or small? I'm planning another trip next year and I don't want port to get cut short due to another ship coming in like last year.

I LOVE the Sky! And Cuba! Did you notice any other ship in port, large or small? I'm planning another trip next year and I don't want port to get cut short due to another ship coming in like last year.

We were the only ship in port on Tuesday. We still left at 6am on Wednesday though which was a bit of a bummer as my last trip on the Sky we had until noon the following day. It was still a great trip though.

Love the review. The photos and brevity were just right. Keep'em coming!

Thank you for your review! We haven't been yet but will be very soon!

Love the review. The photos and brevity were just right. Keep'em coming!

Thank you for your review! We haven't been yet but will be very soon!

Thanks you both for reading. I’m glad you enjoyed it.

Thank you for the review. Although we are not going to Cuba on the Sky I have been looking for recent reviews. We are only doing a short getaway, Nassau and GSC.

We have cruised on NCL's mega ships lately, and I love them, but we are hoping for a quieter less crowded experience this time. Your pictures make me want to head to Cuba someday.