Cuba cruise from Tampa overnight vs one day

[sweets2323]

I see a few cruises from Tampa to Cuba.

Is the over night cruise better than the one that goes to Cuba, Mexico

 

Is there much to do in Cuba at night?

 

 

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[bunnyrab]

I see a few cruises from Tampa to Cuba.

Is the over night cruise better than the one that goes to Cuba, Mexico

 

Is there much to do in Cuba at night?

 

 

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Spent 2 wks. in Cuba. Loved it but I am not a night person.

If I were going on a cruise to Cuba would want the most time there.

Maybe you can find another cruise before or after to extend your vacation time especially if your trip involves airfare.

[Fouremco]

What time do you depart the following day? On cruises we've taken, we gained an extra day in port, not just the overnight stay.

[Alter Ego]

You can also ask on the Cuba board or on TripAdvisor for more ideas.

 

All I can add is that Royal does have a night excursion to see the Copacabana (?) show. Not saying you have to go with them, just what they are offering.

[Biker19]

Is there much to do in Cuba at night?

Depends on what you expect -there are clubs and restaurants.

 

Biker, who enjoyed El Rum Rum for dinner in old Havana.

[hannibal54]

What time do you depart the following day? On cruises we've taken, we gained an extra day in port, not just the overnight stay.

 

On our 5-1 NCL Sky cruise, we leave the next day at 2PM

On our 9-21 Carnival Paradise cruise, we leave the next day at 6AM

[Birder1]

I just returned from Cuba this past Monday (land tour).

 

The Copacabana houses the Tropicana (&, its cabaret show). The show is prohibitively expensive (starting at 80CUC ( 0.87 USD = 1 CUC (yes, that's right))) without dinner, but includes a watered-down cocktail. The Copacabana & the surrounding area have seen better days. It's also a 25CUC cab (w a/c & no black smoke) ride at night, one-way, per car.

 

I liked the Hotel Nacional's show (terribly misnamed as the Parisien cabaret). It is a grand, old hotel, much closer to the port, & the show w dinner & 2 drinks (front row) is 75CUC. The dinner starts at 9pm, 1st show is 10 - 11:30pm & the price includes the "audience-participation" show until 2am (we didn't stay for the 2nd part. Dancers & singers, as well as costumes were very good.

[sweets2323]

Wow the show is very late? I'm not sure if I would want to be out so late .. did you take a taxi there and do the cab drivers speak English?

 

 

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[Birder1]

Wow the show is very late? I'm not sure if I would want to be out so late .. did you take a taxi there and do the cab drivers speak English?

 

 

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Not many speak English (they do at Hotel Nacional). I took a taxi there, yes, but my sister & I speak Spanish.

 

People can hail a taxi for you at the port, but agreed, I would be wary that time of night. We started from a hotel & booked the taxi from there.

 

I believe the tour packages for Cabarets do not include transport, but I may be wrong.

 

Please note that 99% of tours are regulated by the Cuban gov't. Tours are only available from authorized "kiosks" at hotels. You might be able to find a local to give a tour for about 10CUC, but most only speak Spanish. My sister & I went all over Havana trying to find tours & we speak the language fluently...

 

What I'd recommend is the 10CUC per day HOHO bus. It goes everywhere in Old Town. Near the port, it picks-up at the Mercado (everyone knows where this is) & at the church of Asis (across the street). It runs every 25 mins & the entire route is about 2 hrs. Runs from 0900 to 1800. Very limited commentary: She'll only announce the stops. Warning: the bus moves when you're trying to go upstairs!

 

I'll try to upload a pic in a few minutes...

[Birder1]

P.S. If you want to take a ride around town in a convertible, 50s Chevy, it will set you back 50CUC/hr (per car). We were able to get them down to 30, but decided not to do it. The horse-drawn carriages are the same price, though we were able to get them down to 20. Horses seem well-cared-for, but I didn't like they were out in the smog.

 

Warning: If you have breathing/eye problems, Havana isn't for you. I have asthma & my sister, glaucoma (w a stint). The black, billowing smoke from cars/buses was terrible. I couldn't breathe & my sister's eyes were blood red & she couldn't see. 😢

[Birder1]

If you like rum, check-out the Museo de Ron at the Havana Club (across from the Mercado at the port, south about 4 blocks).

 

English tour is at noon (1 hr) & is 12CUC, which includes a rum tasting.

 

Next door is the Restaurante de Dos Hermanos where Hemingway, Garcia-Lorca, & Erol Flynn hung out.

 

If you want to buy rum, try the bottles for 16.90CUC. The staff will remove the boxes & re-wrap in another box: They'll decrease the price to 12.90CUC (if I can remember). These bottles are the 7-yr rum.

[Birder1]

Please see the HOHO "map" (I use the term loosely):

[VidaNaPraia]

Food for thought. Please read:

https://hereishavana.com/

Edited February 16, 2017 by VidaNaPraia

[Birder1]

Cubans have nothing; a high salary is 30CUC/mth & they must pay the same prices as tourists. Their monthly allotment is 5 lb rice, 2 lb sugar, and some cooking oil. It is a tragic situation. I had many, mixed emotions while there...

[VidaNaPraia]

From the article (written by a long-time foreign resident of Cuba):

 

" talking with my friend Ernesto today, he observed that one of the good things about all this tourism – especially from the USA – is that people are seeing Cuba for themselves and learning first-hand that much of what they’ve heard about Cuba – it’s dangerous, a repressive police state, that Cubans are miserable and hate their realities – is bull****."

(emphasis/bold, mine)

[Wanderlost]

We just returned from a seven day cruise which began and ended in Montego Bay, Jamaica. Here is a link to the website http://yourcubacruise.com. I highly recommend this line if you are interested in making your first visit to Cuba. We visited Cienfuegos, Santiago, and overnighted in Havana. The People to People activities and tours were exceptional and Jorge Gonzalez Arocha who is an Associate Professor at the University of Havana, spoke about the cuban culture, the revolutions and various other topics related to the lovely, frantic, troubling, vibrant (I could go on and on) country known as Cuba. While I haven't had time to review this cruise since we just got home yesterday, I am wishing we could return tomorrow. Cuba is depending on tourism to help with the restoration of its beautiful architecture.

[sweets2323]

Wow, leaving from Jamaica on a cruise is. New!!!'

 

 

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[kc20202]

We just returned from a seven day cruise which began and ended in Montego Bay, Jamaica.

 

Or, you could take the same cruise Havana to Havana, and spend more time in Cuba before or after the cruise.

[AnJ]

Wow, leaving from Jamaica on a cruise is. New!!!'

 

 

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Yes, Montego Bay Jamaica is different but this cruise is also different. This cruise completely immersed us Cuban culture from the get go, the chefs, waiters, entertainers all Cubans. This cruise, in my mind, is the next best thing to actually staying in Cuba and allows you to see multiple cities in far areas of the country, and converse with the Cuban employees on board to learn what life is like in this beautiful country.

[Birder1]

I forgot to mention: At night, the church of Asis (across the street from the Mercado at the port), has musical concerts for not much money. The concerts may be classical & represent musicians from other parts of the world. Inexpensive & close (walking distance) to the ship.

[VidaNaPraia]

Cuba is depending on tourism to help with the restoration of its beautiful architecture.

 

...which is a good reason to do a land based tour and spend your money directly supporting the local people who are fixing up lovely old apartments and houses as casas particulares (B&Bs), as well as other local entrepreneurs earning money from tourists to do the same.

[VidaNaPraia]

IIs there much to do in Cuba atnight?

I'm not sure if I would want tobe out so late .. did you take a taxi there and do the cab drivers speakEnglish?

 

There is local music everywhere. You do not necessarily need to go to anexpensive Las Vegas type show put on for tourists. Most restaurants along the maintourist shopping street Obispo havelive music during the day, and at dinner into thenight. The bar La Floridita there, famous as being a Hemingway watering holeand featuring a statue of him at the bar, has live music al day and at night.There are clubs like FAC where locals mix with tourists to dance. On Sundayafternoon, there is rumba dancing for all at one of the local spots called Callejondo Hamel.

Get familiar with the Cuban rhythms by listening to some bands/singers onYouTube. The famous Buena Vista Social Club could be a start.

 

If your fear of being out late at night in Havana is a safety concern, rather thanage/health, you can be assured that Havana, and Cuba in general, is one of the safest places you could everfind, night or day.

 

Many people in the tourism sector speak some English, but you can’t count onrunning into a taxi driver who does. Just write down where you want to go.Taxis are expensive (because gas and car parts are), but I didn’t find themdishonest in stretching fares. Most everyone there, including taxi drivers,wants to be helpful.

[Birder1]

Buena Vista Social Club gives concerts in Havana, but tickets are a little steep. I'm not a fan of Floridita, as the Cubans don't really respect Hemingway (I was repeatedly told: "He wasn't even Cuban!"). Floridita is always tooooo crowded (as in you can't even turn around). Go to Restaurante Dos Hermanos next to the port & it's also a former, Hemingway hangout (as well as Garcia-Lorca).

 

Taxi drivers want to be helpful b'c they are privatized! Ridiculous to pay them 50 CUC / hr. Petrol is imported from their friends in Venezuela, yet it's 4 CUC / gal (don't get me started - I'm originally from Venezuela...).

 

 

There is local music everywhere. You do not necessarily need to go to anexpensive Las Vegas type show put on for tourists. Most restaurants along the maintourist shopping street Obispo havelive music during the day, and at dinner into thenight. The bar La Floridita there, famous as being a Hemingway watering holeand featuring a statue of him at the bar, has live music al day and at night.There are clubs like FAC where locals mix with tourists to dance. On Sundayafternoon, there is rumba dancing for all at one of the local spots called Callejondo Hamel.

Get familiar with the Cuban rhythms by listening to some bands/singers onYouTube. The famous Buena Vista Social Club could be a start.

 

If your fear of being out late at night in Havana is a safety concern, rather thanage/health, you can be assured that Havana, and Cuba in general, is one of the safest places you could everfind, night or day.

 

Many people in the tourism sector speak some English, but you can’t count onrunning into a taxi driver who does. Just write down where you want to go.Taxis are expensive (because gas and car parts are), but I didn’t find themdishonest in stretching fares. Most everyone there, including taxi drivers,wants to be helpful.

[pbenjamin]

Buena Vista Social Club was a venue that no longer exists. There is a place that operates under that name but from reviews that I have read it has nothing to do with the original either in location, musicians or musical style. The original musicians have mostly passed away. Some reviews indicate hearing music that deviates quite a bit (Beatles, mambo, etc) from the "son" that was performed in the BVSC movie/recordings/tours. I have heard more promising feedback about Tradicionales de Los 50s and are planning to go there on our night in Havana. Any additional insight into this subject would be appreciated.

[VidaNaPraia]

Your Tradicionales del 50s, btw, play every night at 9:30 at Sociedad Rosalia de Castro on Egido e/Monte y Dragones.

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