My Cuba Cruise

[BC_Brent]

Hi there everyone.

 

Is anyone else on the March 17th Sailing from Havana? Or anyone from Jamaica that will be over lapping with us? It would be great to get in touch.

 

Also, Where are people staying in Havana? B and Bs hotels?

 

Booking in Cuba is certainly different than booking a cruise out of the states.

[Love to quilt]

We have three nights in Havana prior to our Feb 10th departure. We are staying at Casa Alberto & Melba which I found on trip Advisor. It looks really nice and authentic. We have even planned to have dinner there one night.

[HDS]

You Cuban cruisers have inspired us to take this cruise but probably not till 2015, if it is running. I am posting a request to the Canadians, particularly eastern Canadians in a separate thread "My Cuba Cruise, pre cruise in Canada" as I do not want to take this excellent thread off topic. I'd appreciate your help.

[ONT-CA]

When we booked this Cuban Cruise last March we did so thinking that if we are to travel that distance to circumvent Cuba and tour the various areas in only seven days, we may as well book a double, a back-to-back. We felt that if we were to miss anything on our first go around we could catch it on the second rotation. How fortunate those who can now book a two-for-one seven day cruise. Lucky you for if you are going to arrange and purchase a flight to either Cuba or Jamaica, now is the time to take advantage of a back-to-back and get two seven day cruises for the price of one and only have to arrange flight costs once. That's the way we saw it.

[insider1649]

Wow!! :D On so many levels, this is just an amazing trip. I have to "ditto" all the positive comments that others have left. By far, the best cruise we have had. I will try to answer some of the questions that have come up in the days I was away.

- there was never any mention of medical insurance when we entered Cuba. Entry was simple, friendly and takes only a few minutes. Just a note for those boarding at Montego Bay. We spent 2 days prior to boarding in Jamacia. Before leaving the country, we had to pay $3600. Jamacian dollars (approx $38. Canadian) for 2 of us for Travel Tax. This was only paid by those who stay in Jamacia for more than 48 hours. They are not set up for credit card use here so you must have cash.

- Dress is casual for all evenings except the captains dinner. Even that is not very formal. Some ladies wore dressier outfits that night but no gowns or anything requiring panty hose. Remember, it's hot and humid there so light cotton fabrics are always suitable. There is White Night in Havana but it's not required by any means.

- The Alberta steakhouse is fabulous. 2 hours of pampering from the servers, and the chef make it more of an experience than just a meal. As a bonus, a musical serenade. You will definitely not question the $39. when you have finished.

- we used the services of Pototo in Havana. $75. per person (for 4 people) for his personal, all day tour to Vinales. The 1957 Chevy station wagon and all the Real Cuba encounters make it a very special experience. A wonderful man who loves to show off his beautiful country.

 

Phone: (+53) 7 878 5973

Cell: (+53) 5 291 0643

http://www.pototocuba.com

 

-there is open seating for dinner form 7 to 9 usually. It differs, depending on the time of the shows. Usually people tend to stay with their original table because they get to know each other and the servers make it such fun. (if you have Victor and Ricky serving you, please say Hi from Mr. Bob and Madame Lynn)

 

- We did use the ship booked tours for Cienfuegos, Holguin and Sandiego de Cuba. I too was reluctant because of the price. However, after having had the experience, I have no regrets spending the money. All of them: worth every penny. My favorite was the Cuba Life tour in Holquin, the quide, excellent. The guide for the Sandiego Panoramic City Tour is a wealth of information. Ask him anything. A very enjoyable day. It is such a special trip that we didn't want to miss anything while we were there.

 

One thing I noticed is that everyone of the staff have a Genuine desire to please you. They want you to be completely happy with your holiday. If you have any suggestion that you think would make it better, they are very receptive and always looking for feedback and ways to make it even better.

 

If you have not yet booked this adventure, then do it now, without any doubts or reservations. :):):You will be so happy you did.:):):

[DUHCAR]

17 days and counting! We are using Pototo too to book car and driver in Holguin and Cienfuegos. Less worry and no need to scramble to find someone at the port, especially Holguin.

Edited February 2, 2014 by DUHCAR

[hlperez]

Hi Everyone,

 

As promised, here's my review. I know it's long, but I hope some of the info is helpful. If you get tired of reading, this cruise can be summed up in 1 word - YES!:D

 

Days 1- 3 – After a long flight, took a taxi (CUC 25) to our casa in Vedado Havana, Casavana. For anyone not yet booked, thoroughly recommend this place, good 4-star standard, and one third of the price of a hotel. Passport control did ask for proof I have travel insurance. Even though this is covered by my credit card company, I asked them for a document stating this before I traveled, and was pleased I had it when they asked.

Took a private guide for a walking tour of Old Havana the second day - excellent. Third day, took HOHO bus (CUC 5) and continued to walk around old Havana. In the evening went to the Parisien Cabaret in the Nacional Hotel – pleasant and not too expensive, $40 pp including dinner, booked in advance on-line.

 

Day 4 Monday – In the morning we took the free walking tour of the Nacional Hotel. Fascinating look at the iconic hotel, including tour of bunkers prepared for Cuban Missile Crisis!

Mid-day we headed towards the ship. Had intended to take a taxi, but the owner of the casa very kindly took us there! Check-in was unusual. Taken upstairs by 2 porters, and then check-in with suitcases. Took a total of 10 minutes as no lines. Told to leave our suitcases by the gangway and taken to our cabin. Luggage arrived 5 minutes later.

Our cabin was and XE Deluxe on 6th deck. Very pleasant and reasonably spacious, with a nice sitting area. Had everything we needed and all in good condition. 2 power sockets in room, European style 220V and American 110V.

Took advantage of the hot tub whilst the ship was fairly empty. Show in the evening (and every other evening) was excellent.

 

Day 5 Tuesday – at sea. Nice relaxing day. There are plenty of activities to keep you busy if you want, in fact, much more than on most cruises. My friend and I got in the habit of winning most of the competitions/quizzes each day, providing plenty of free drinks as prizes – great fun!

The friendliness and service of the staff on this ship was outstanding. The crew is from all over the world, including some from Cuba. You can see they are happy and work well together.

 

Day 6 Wednesday – Holguin/Antilla. Landing is by tender at Antilla, a small town of about 11,000, an hour’s drive from Holguin. As there didn’t seem to be anything to do locally and was unsure of availability of taxis (there were a few outside the port), we decided to take the Cuba Life excursion, which we booked on the ship. I am not a fan of cruise excursions as I believe they are overpriced, but on this occasion decided it was the best option. The tour, although expensive, was very good. We went to quite a few different places, showing different aspects of Cuban life, past and present.

 

Day 7 Thursday – Santiago de Cuba. We had decided to walk around town by ourselves (few minutes walk from ship), visiting places with info I had downloaded from the internet in advance. As we left the port, a bicycle taxi approached us offering a tour for CUC 5 an hour – too good to turn down. The driver took us on a 2-hour tour, showing us the major sights of the town and also the different neighbourhoods where people live. He dropped us in the centre of town and asked for CUC 60! On being asked how he got to CUC 60, he said it was CUC5 per person/per hour, which should have totaled CUC 20! (Keep in mind the average monthly salary in Cuba is CUC20-30.) When we refused to pay him CUC 60, he wanted CUC 40. I threatened calling the police, after which he calmed down. We paid him the 20 and walked away. We walked around the centre of town before returning to the ship.

The show that night was at 7 pm, folk dances performed by the local Ballet Company, excellent.

 

Day 8 – Montego Bay, Jamaica. Here we took a taxi with another couple to the Bob Marley compound in Nine Miles, for a total cost of $170. They take American Dollars here (US$ 1 = Jamaican $100). It was interesting but I found the drive very long at about 2.5 hours each way. Weather was hot.

 

Day 9 – Cienfuegos. We took a taxi with another person from the cruise to the local botanical gardens just outside town. These 1,000 acre gardens were set up by Harvard University about 100 years ago and have trees and plants from all over the world. We paid CUC 2 each entrance and a total of CUC 10 for a private guide for an hour, as the plants are not marked. The guide was a fountain of knowledge about every plant, flower, bird, etc.

We then continued in the taxi to the Palacio de Valle, by the sea on the edge of town. This National Monument was once the home of a rich, 19th century trader, and built in beautiful, Morrocan style. Today there is a restaurant downstairs and a rooftop terrace with a bar and views over the whole area. Entrance was CUC 2 each and included a cocktail on the roof!

The taxi then dropped us off in the centre of town, where we walked around and then walked back to the ship (approx 15 minutes). Total cost of the taxi was CUC 30.

The show that evening was another local group, also very good.

 

Day 10 – Punta Frances – the beach of your dreams! We tendered to a palm-backed crescent of perfect sand. The only things on the beach were recliners, a couple of huts selling drinks etc, and one or two stalls selling handicrafts. The staff organized an exercise/dance session in the clear, turquoise water, and every one seemed to be having fun. We were tendered back to the ship for a barbeque lunch on deck.

 

Day 11 – Departure. We arrived in Havana at about 9.00 and disembarkation was allowed from about 9.30. People with later flights still had to put their suitcases out the night before, as they had to be screened by Cuban Customs, but they were then kept in the port all day until you traveled. People could even come back and use facilities of the ship, including having lunch. A day room for use until 5.00 pm could also be booked for $50.

 

All in all, Cuba was a fascinating experience, and doing it with Cuba Cruise, was an ideal and fun way to see various places in Cuba. Thoroughly recommended.

 

Hazel

[cookingcountrygal]

First of all - thanks to everyone for all your posts and information - & Hazel I so enjoyed your review & tips of how to do self-guided excursions.. It's great to hear about everyones journey around Cuba and looking forward to ours in less than a month.. We are 2 ladies travelling to Montego Bay Feb 27 for pre-cruise stay & sailing the 28th & interested in meeting others who may be cruising during this time..

 

I have been to Cuba over a dozen times to all-inclusive resorts and always travel off the resort touring & am truly looking forward to experiencing more of the cities in Cuba I've yet to visit & discover.

 

Again thanks to everyone on the forum & looking forward to participating and hopefully meeting others on the Feb 28th cruise... Cheers Judy

[musiclovingmom]

I am really interested to see if anyone from the US books this cruise. I'm not in a position to do this right now, but if it is or becomes doable for US citizens, it sure looks like a great itinerary.

[gettingno]

17 days and counting! We are using Pototo too to book car and driver in Holguin and Cienfuegos. Less worry and no need to scramble to find someone at the port, especially Holguin.

 

hi DUHCAR,

may I ask you how much you pay for the car with the driver? My wife and I like to do something like that too.

Only 8 Days to go for our first cruise ever :-)

[DUHCAR]

hi DUHCAR,

may I ask you how much you pay for the car with the driver? My wife and I like to do something like that too.

Only 8 Days to go for our first cruise ever :-)

 

Different prices depending on how long and whether you want a guide as well. You should contact Pototo with your plans. But will be 120+ CUC.

[Rikka]

We had Americans on our sailing. They found it convenient to board the ship in Montego Bay. The Cubans don't stamp your passport when you arrive or depart the country. They stamp the visa which is loose in the passport. You buy the Cuban visa when you board the ship and it is charged to your ship board account. Americans have been visiting Cuba for years by entering via a third country. Having said that, they must be aware that they are flouting the law.

 

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[ONT-CA]

...Americans have been visiting Cuba for years by entering via a third country. Having said that, they must be aware that they are flouting the law.

 

To quote Charles Dickens: “If the law supposes that,” said Mr. Bumble,… “the law is

a ass—a idiot."

[ritametermaid]

We are booked on the cruise leaving Havana on Feb 11 and have contacted Pototo and another contact regarding tours from Holguin and Cienfuegos... will let you know what we hear! Spending a few days in Havana and Vinales prior to cruise. Leaving Tuesday!

[ritametermaid]

Americans can go under a General Professional License if they meet the criteria - which is somewhat easy to justify.

[ritametermaid]

hi DUHCAR,

may I ask you how much you pay for the car with the driver? My wife and I like to do something like that too.

Only 8 Days to go for our first cruise ever :-)

 

We wrote to Pototo regarding tours of Holguin and Trinidad. He quoted 120 cuc for 2-4 people for driver. Are awaiting clarification of what is included in price besides driver... Also contacted another agency - will let you know what we find out. Spending a few days in Havana prior to cruise - leaving Tuesday and cruising on the 10th! See you on board?!

[gettingno]

We wrote to Pototo regarding tours of Holguin and Trinidad. He quoted 120 cuc for 2-4 people for driver. Are awaiting clarification of what is included in price besides driver... Also contacted another agency - will let you know what we find out. Spending a few days in Havana prior to cruise - leaving Tuesday and cruising on the 10th! See you on board?!

 

hi ritametermaid,

would be nice to hear from you about your inquiring. Since we are already in Havana I try today or tomorrow to find some other option in Holguin and also Cienfuegos/Trinidad. See you next week!

[gettingno]

Starting our cruise in Havana, does anybody know if you HAVE to disembark the ship at Montego Bay or can you stay aboard? Would rather relax and do a lazy day on board.

[DUHCAR]

Starting our cruise in Havana, does anybody know if you HAVE to disembark the ship at Montego Bay or can you stay aboard? Would rather relax and do a lazy day on board.

 

I'm sure you can stay onboard. I almost went that way, but decided to do the Bamboo Rafting. It's only 4 hours for $78 and you get to see some of Jamaica mon.

[Rikka]

You can absolutely stay aboard. It is really lovely to have most of the place to yourself. We 've been home from our cruise fof 10 days and wish we could go back and go round again. Have a great time.

 

Sent from my GT-P5113 using Forums mobile app

[ONT-CA]

Starting our cruise in Havana, does anybody know if you HAVE to disembark the ship at Montego Bay or can you stay aboard? Would rather relax and do a lazy day on board.

 

We too will be staying aboard and enjoying the ship. As Jamaica was part of the itinerary on several other cruises taken and there was no need to disembark upon arrival, we can only assume that the Louis Cristal will find the status quo.

[ONT-CA]

You can absolutely stay aboard. It is really lovely to have most of the place to yourself. We 've been home from our cruise fof 10 days and wish we could go back and go round again. Have a great time.

 

We board in one week and from what we are hearing and your above comment, Rikka, we are glad we made it a b2b. And had we been lucky enough to have been part of the 2 for 1 sale we could well have been aboard for a month. If that seems excessive to anyone, they have not been a resident of Eastern Canada this winter...

[ONT-CA]

Who would have thought? 30,000+ hits for our Cuba Cruise

 

http://i999.photobucket.com/albums/af114/Yarkerhill/viewers.jpg

[ritametermaid]

Hi everyone! New at this -not sure which post I am replying to. This is for Gettingno - will absolutely let you know what we find out regarding tours. How will we find you on the ship?? Is internet readily available in Havana? We will arrive on Wednesday in Havana -hired a private guide and staying at Casa Particulares. If you are still there, maybe my hubby and I can meet you in the evening on Wednesday at a hotel in Havana- for mojito??! We hired private guide to go to Vinales Saturday. Heard it is beautiful!

[elpapa]

We wrote to Pototo regarding tours of Holguin and Trinidad. He quoted 120 cuc for 2-4 people for driver. Are awaiting clarification of what is included in price besides driver... Also contacted another agency - will let you know what we find out. Spending a few days in Havana prior to cruise - leaving Tuesday and cruising on the 10th! See you on board?!

 

If you are interested in sharing costs, we are also interested in "other than ship" excursions and I am in touch with Pototo re accommodation in Havana after the cruise.