Empress of the Sea Cuba Concerns

Hello! I’m booked on the 4/23 Cuba overnight sailing. With the newly passed laws I was just told you can only get off the boat for RC tours. We will be over night in Cuba and I feel like I might get stuck onboard rather then out exploring. Also the excursions are $$$ compared to what I had privately booked through air b&b. Has anyone gone very recently? I book through an agency and I’m not able to get answers directly through Royal, I feel like we should get the option to rebook. Anyone on this cruise concerned as well?

Thank you,

Robyn

Welcome to CC. Keep posting on your Roll Call thread about this and search Cuba related threads. Many have reported being able to do private excursions.

Hi! I am booked on the April 9th overnight and have booked private tours. Unless this has very recently changed, I don't think getting off the ship will be a problem. Those with private tours are responsible for documenting on their own to comply with government requirements. I have been told by tour companies that they can provide a written Itinerary and that we should take pictures and make notes about what we see.

If this is wrong, I sure hope someone posts asap so I can make alternate plans, but I really don't want to participate in the large groups offered by the cruise ships and not going to Cuba to sit on the ship.

Seems like recent reports have people taking private tours but RCI is making them use the incorrect Person to Person affidavit.

And with the "Support Cuban People"- the time you spend in private restaurants and even some of the bigger shows that are in Old Havana easily meet that requirement, spelled out in FAQ's about the restrictions.

Yes! This is the issue! It is a very recent change based on a new limitation from Trump! I have documented from my agent that you can not get off the boat unless it’s a rc excursion. Again very new change and this isn’t really being communicated to booked passengers. Norwegian is allowing cruisers to go on their own but RC is not per this message I received.

have documented from my agent that you can not get off the boat unless it’s a rc excursion.

Have you considered the possibility that the TA info is wrong?

Yes! This is the issue! It is a very recent change based on a new limitation from Trump! I have documented from my agent that you can not get off the boat unless it’s a rc excursion. .

Agree with Biker - I would get another TA.

There have been no policy changes in the past several months, and the cruise line cannot and does not force you to take their excursions.

On the affidavit that you fill out at home and print, do not check People to People, unless you booked prior to June 16, 2017.

Check Support for the Cuban People.

Read the reviews from past passengers , some just in the past few weeks, and there is no problem getting off and doing private tours or simply walking around.

There is much more information on the Cuba board, recommend you check there

I can’t get another travel agent. This is who I booked through and must go through. I suggest that everyone ask their agents call to confirm this as well. These new laws were just passed and I don’t believe information is circulating back to us yet.

Please don't take this the wrong way, I mean NO disrespect to you lamrobyn. I just booked this cruise Friday night so I am far from an expert on Cuba, but I have been feverishly reading the posts about The Empres and the port of Havana. It seems to me that the problem is more with RCCL and the box you check, than a requirement to take a ships tour or not. I tend to give more credence to the information from posters whose names I recognize, from my research on these boards. The two posters have over 14,000 posts over several years. I'm not sure that the TA has the best information. Just my opinion :D

Yesterday and agent and I called RC together. We were told that 3rd party is ok but you must ha d excursions booked for both days To get off the ship both days. For example, we arrive at 4:00 pm. If you do not have an excursion booked that night you can not get off the ship. We asked if we could get off for dinner and dancing only and were told no. I’ve been on several cruises but am far from an expert. Cuba is so different because things consistently change. It would be very upsetting to be in Cuba and unable to get off the ship. I am just trying to ask the right questions and collect accurate answers.

Yesterday and agent and I called RC together. We were told that 3rd party is ok but you must ha d excursions booked for both days To get off the ship both days. For example, we arrive at 4:00 pm. If you do not have an excursion booked that night you can not get off the ship. We asked if we could get off for dinner and dancing only and were told no. I’ve been on several cruises but am far from an expert. Cuba is so different because things consistently change. It would be very upsetting to be in Cuba and unable to get off the ship. I am just trying to ask the right questions and collect accurate answers.

Hay Robyn, I'm on the 5/31 cruise. It's not an overnight in Havana, I wish it was. I'll let you know what happens to me. I'll either be sending you a photo of the square, or a post from my cabin, depending on my location when we dock. I certainly hope it isn't the latter. :confused:

What are some good tours other than the ship's tours for a day in Cuba?

What are some good tours other than the ship's tours for a day in Cuba?

There are a lot of tour operators out there- we used Tour Republic and AirBnB as sources for tours. All of them were great.

Floater, I am on the 5/31 also. If you hear anymore about the Havana tours, can you let me know. Would appreciate. I am going solo, so would be great to go with a few others, instead of a shipload.

Following this thread to follow the outcome of the May cruisers. I am planning a March 2019 cruise for possibly 9 people. Would be disappointed to sit on the ship especially since we have an overnite!

Just booked 10/25... No overnight but stops in Santiago and Havana... Planning on doing private 3rd party tours... Was told by RCCL they are allowed. We will see!!!

We leave on March 12, 2018.. ill report back to this thread with a lot of information for you all.. We booked prior to Jun 16 2016 so we aren't subjected to the new rules outlined by our government.

Floater, I am on the 5/31 also. If you hear anymore about the Havana tours, can you let me know. Would appreciate. I am going solo, so would be great to go with a few others, instead of a shipload.

Hi babsie, I agree. I saw you on the Roll Call. I haven't been back here in awhile but I'm still looking for private tours. I'll keep in touch with what I decide on.

I am booked for 5/9 in my cruise planner there was a statement saying that you need to make sure whatever you do meets one of the 12 category requirements, It does state that the RCCL excursions do, but no where do it state that you are limited only to RCCL excursions. There is a lot of information on the port of call board for Cuba.

Hi babsie, I agree. I saw you on the Roll Call. I haven't been back here in awhile but I'm still looking for private tours. I'll keep in touch with what I decide on.

I booked the “I Love Cuba Tour with Yosel. Great reviews. It is 6 hrs wherever u choose to go. Creek him out online. I think the price gets divided between 1 and 4 customers. Not sure. He seems great. I am looking forward to his tour. I am the only one presently.

Hello! I’m booked on the 4/23 Cuba overnight sailing. With the newly passed laws I was just told you can only get off the boat for RC tours. We will be over night in Cuba and I feel like I might get stuck onboard rather then out exploring. Also the excursions are $$$ compared to what I had privately booked through air b&b. Has anyone gone very recently? I book through an agency and I’m not able to get answers directly through Royal, I feel like we should get the option to rebook. Anyone on this cruise concerned as well?

 

Thank you,

Robyn

While I can't speak about RC and after June 2017, I can tell you that NCL 'tried' this with their customers in MAY 2017. BEFORE the changes. When I made my reservations both verbally on the phone and in emails, I was told I HAD to purchase NCL excursions ONLY. It wasn't true then and I've read on CC it isn't true now. But do your own research and due diligence.

Also, if I may suggest, OldCarTours.com ... they are WONDERFUL and I was an older solo female cruiser.

I booked the “I Love Cuba Tour with Yosel. Great reviews. It is 6 hrs wherever u choose to go. Creek him out online. I think the price gets divided between 1 and 4 customers. Not sure. He seems great. I am looking forward to his tour. I am the only one presently.

I am on the 5/31 cruise.

I am booked on the June 14 trip to Cuba. And have been searching the threads but still don’t have an answer. Can I buy the visa on board without having to book an RC tour, which are very pricey. Is there a particular box I have to check on the visa form that allows me to use another tour operator. (3rd party)Big cat cruiser

According to RCL supervisors you can book excursions with a “US authorized” agency. Most of the customer service personnel are not familiar with policy. I’ve also been told that their policy requires you have something booked however they do not control what the ship personnel allow you to do if you want to get off the ship without a booked excursion.

I don't know what the current rules are, but the process I went through was this. Arrive in Cuba, and get off ship, go through customs, and I did this multiple times on my overnight for two days. The unique thing about the trip, is that Cuba does not care as long as you have the $75.00 visa. This is a USA rule, not a Cuban rule. Why I'm saying this, is that RCCL must and I mean they MUST tell you that it's not allowed, unless you have an appropriate tour booked. But like everything, they are not flagged in the USA, and they may, or may not check what you have. I think the poster want to know, what RCCL does at the port. That's what I want to know. I don't want to know the "corporate statement" made to comply with "USA restrictions".