2 days in Havana

[sjoantwe]

We dock for 2 full days in Havana and I wanted to get some suggestions for arranging our time.

one idea is to hire a private tour to do the highlights, floridita and some of the jewish sites for one day and to just wander the old Havana area and do a beautiful lunch the second day. On the second day we depart around 6pm.

 

The second idea is to do old havana and a classic car tour day 1. Day 2 do some of the jewish sites, lunch and the marketplace.

 

We are all in our 70's, so we can walk around, but at a leisurely pace.

 

Also, what is the best thing to do in the evening? Is the Tropicana Show worth while and should we do it on our own or on tour?

 

Any ideas would be appreciated

[FredZiffle]

Take my advice with a grain of salt because we're still a month away from our trip, but I have read several reviews of the Tropicana, and most are so-so at best. They describe an overcrowded venue filled with cigar smoke, mediocre performance, and overpriced drinks (unless you're interested in drinking the bottle of rum they give you). If you decide to do it, it sounds like going on your own is very easy. Taxis are readily available both ways and save you around $100 pp over what the cruise line is asking.

[316tarheel]

I guess it depends on what you prefer. We enjoyed the Tropicana. The dancers were phenomenal. They gave us 2 bottles of rum and some champagne. Definitely book it on your own and not through the ship.

 

 

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[LadyMac72]

I guess it depends on what you prefer. We enjoyed the Tropicana. The dancers were phenomenal. They gave us 2 bottles of rum and some champagne. Definitely book it on your own and not through the ship.

 

 

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Which ticket did you select? And was it easy getting from the ship to the venue?

[316tarheel]

Got premium seats through Tropicana’s web site. We took a taxi from the Hotel Nacional to the Tropicana. Took a taxi from Tropicana back to the cruise terminal. They are readily available.

 

 

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[AlPSUCruiser]

Just providing a slightly more positive point of view to Mr Ziffle's... I saw the Tropicana in March 2017 and looking back on it as part of our 6-day visit, I would consider it a memorable event, one of the highlights of the trip. This is primarily due to the history and being an iconic part of Cuba, and wanting to be able to say I've seen it. On the negative side, it is very noisy, seating is very tight, and cigar smoking is allowed and prevalent - to say that it is filled with cigar smoke is an overstatement based on my experience, but it was near me and I did smell it, but it didn't ruin my evening. We had premium seats in the front row and it was very, very loud, and non-stop for what seemed like an eternity. It is open-air, if it rains you will get wet. But the colors, and the energy of the dancers is incredible, really something you should see if you go to Cuba. I might recommend 2nd or 3rd row seating, and hope they don't fill your table completely. We reserved/paid directly with Tropicana, but did not eat there because of the poor reviews, and that was a good choice, there are so many great dining options in Cuba, no sense in wasting a meal at a mediocre place. You won't have a problem getting a taxi there or back.

[AlPSUCruiser]

I guess you were looking for more suggestions than just Tropicana feedback... the Museum of the Revolution was also memorable. It was interesting to see our country through the eyes of the communists. Seeing pieces of a wreckage they claim to be one of our military planes they are proud of shooting down was a conflicting moment.

 

Spending part of a day on a driving tour and part walking old town is a great idea. Lots to see.

 

 

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[CountessP]

We will be doing the overnight in about 2 weeks. Can we just wait till we get to the pier and arrange a tour there? That's what we usually do. Thanks!

 

 

 

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[316tarheel]

Yes you can. That’s what we did.

 

 

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[RiverBlues]

What exactly are you imagining as "some of the Jewish sights"?

There are 3 synagogues. The biggest is an uninteresting 1960s style building (like many suburban ones in the US). The folks there will arrange to open the sanctuary for you when you arrive, but the young woman who did so for us was very disinterested in yet another US tourist. Don't expect a welcome with open arms or any feeling of 'connection in the diaspora' or any thanks for a US Jew showing interest/solidarity. They do operate a kind of pharmacy and you do have a right to take a separate duffle bag full of medicine (30 pounds iirc) through Cuban customs to donate there.

There is another small synagogue in Havana Vieja that has kosher beef (a luxury reserved for the Jewish population) and is open daily afaik.

And the third in Centro is usually closed, except on shabbat. Not much to see.

If you can find someone with the knowledge to do a "Jewish tour" of the Colon Cemetery (as I've seen video of on YouTube), you could add that.

That's pretty much all I've discovered on several trips. If you can add anything you found while there, I'd be interested to hear for my next trip.