HAVE YOU BEEN TO CUBA????

[Chuck]

We are going on the Veendam soon and one of the major stops is Havana and the other town I can't pronounce but its on the south side of Cuba.  The cruise also stops at Belize, Cozumel, and Grand Cayman.  We have signed up for the 8 hour tour in Havana.   I was just wondering if we get some "extra time" is there other things to see and do that are possibly not on the normal 8 hour tour?????    Probably will be the only time in my lifetime that we go there so was just wanting to make the most of it.  THANK YOU. 

[Copper10-8]

2 minutes ago, Chuck said:

We are going on the Veendam soon and one of the major stops is Havana and the other town I can't pronounce but its on the south side of Cuba.  The cruise also stops at Belize, Cozumel, and Grand Cayman.  We have signed up for the 8 hour tour in Havana.   I was just wondering if we get some "extra time" is there other things to see and do that are possibly not on the normal 8 hour tour?????    Probably will be the only time in my lifetime that we go there so was just wanting to make the most of it.  THANK YOU. 

 

Cienfuegos = sjen fwegos. Going next year and looking forward to it very much. The birth nation of my lovely wife

[Ichiban Nekko]

Hi Chuck!

 

We just disembarked on Monday, November 21st. This was a terrific cruise. For us, Cuba was THE destination.

 

In Cuba, we did ship tours. In Cienfuegos (sort of pronounced See-en-fway-gos), we did a full day trip to Trinidad, a UNESCO site. The drive to and from (1.5 hours each way) gave a view of some of the countryside that we found very interesting. For Havana, we did the Hemingway Hangouts and Hideaways during the day and went to the Tropicana that night. Excellent guides and there is only one Trop. I don't understand Spanish lyrics in music, but it was a blast!  After going through some painful downsizing a few years ago, we are not big shoppers, so we did little of that.

 

On board, Cisco is the EXC Guide. His talks and slides are extensive, informative, well-prepared and we thought well worth attending. He is also very approachable at other times.

 

Some people many consider the Veendam 'old', but we truly enjoyed every moment on board. Terrific staff who work so hard to ensure the passengers have a wonderful experience, great food and a small easily-navigated footprint. What's not to like?

 

Wishing you a great cruise!!

[Chuck]

Hello Ichiban;   A "BIG THANK YOU" goes out to you.  I really do appreciate the great info.  Especially since you have just been there.  Have a great day and thank you again.

[OlsSalt]

We were on the maiden voyage of the Veendam last year to Cuba.  Even HAL CEO Orlando Ashbord wanted to join the fun on that cruise, with all the pomp and ceremony that comes with maiden port stops.

 

 No one knew at that time how to "play by the rules" so we rigidly followed prior precautions, guidelines and as US citizens the restriction then placed on us by the US Dept of Treasury. Since that time there are now many practical experiences reported here that exercised a lot more freedom during their time in Havana.

 

I hope you take the time to read as many of the later first hand reports as possible and gauge your own comfort level so you can maximize your time in Havana as much as possible.  Many have found they could successfully arrange  private touring in a classic car on their own so you could custom your time the best way possible. There is so much to see in Havana, one day is simply not enough. 

 

It is a big city and many of the "must see" sites are spread out so it is hard even on your own in a private tour to see it all, as well as absorb it all. We did something called "modern" Havana but it covered a lot of the historic neighborhoods as well. Also did the nightclub show Cafe de Paris at the Hotel National- but quite frankly I would have rather spent my time seeing more of the real night time views of the city in a private walk about from the ship dock or a private tour by classic car during that time.

 

If you go out on your own at night, be sure to bring a small flashlight as the streets are dark and full of broken pavement. But at that time they were still safe for people to walk about. There are advantages of living in a highly regulated "police state". 

 

We did the historic colonial city  tour (Trinidad)  out of Cienfeugos which is a very good way to see a lot of countryside. Others stayed in town and also enjoyed their time here. 

Edited November 25, 2018 by OlsSalt

[Chuck]

THANK YOU OLsSALT.   You are the Man on these boards.  I appreciate your wisdom and guidance.   I really do.

[Liz54]

If you have time on your hands, the ship docks right in Old Havana.  We spent 4 days there 4 years ago.  It is wonderful - beautiful architecture and squares. Lots of live music.  Just fab.  Very safe for tourists walking around.  We are Canadian so cannot address specific US Government restrictions, if any.

[wyobean]

We were there for 10 days several years ago. Travelled from one end of the country to the other. Everything was so interesting. One of the hilites for us was a tobacco farm where they made and sold their own cigars. Talking with that farmer gave us so much insite into what their life is really like. Everything I saw in Havana was interesting. I think any tours you take would be enlightening. As Americans we found everything fascinating. (We entered through Mexico and met up with a Canadian tour)There were many people begging...what they wanted were the little soaps and shampoos you get in motels. Toiletries are scarce for many people there. Have fun and be sure and talk to some of the locals if you can. It was one of our favorite trips. 

[DAllenTCY]

I visited Havana 18 months ago, and my recommendation is to wear very comfortable walking shoes.  As mentioned previously, there are many potholes and broken curbs.  I found some water puddles during my walk about town.

 

If you use a walker, wheelchair, or scooter......I would not go ashore unless you are on a tour.

 

I hope to visit again and see the progress made in the port area.

 

David

[sammiedawg]

I wish your cruise spent more time in Cuba.  At the very least I would cancel the ship tours and look for a private tour guide.  Check your cruise roll call, check the Cuban port section for ideas.  

If you go again, find a cruise line that spends minimum four days in Cuba with an overnight in Havana.  

[Randyk47]

We’re kind of interested but haven’t really seriously considered it.  My wife works for the Federal government and is subject to different travel restrictions than regular US citizens.   Since the option to visit Cuba became available she’s been told everything from no problem to no way and it keeps changing.    Right now Cuba is way down our cruise bucket list.   

[OlsSalt]

1 hour ago, Randyk47 said:

We’re kind of interested but haven’t really seriously considered it.  My wife works for the Federal government and is subject to different travel restrictions than regular US citizens.   Since the option to visit Cuba became available she’s been told everything from no problem to no way and it keeps changing.    Right now Cuba is way down our cruise bucket list.   

 

US Dept of Treasury has a lot of information about travel to Cuba. One can easily work within the letter of these restrictions and have no worries later. The US Dept of Treasury does demands one must  keep precise written records of any other "free time" that one spends in Cuba outside of these Dept regulations which must be held for five years. That is what it demands on the face of the regulation - whether there is any follow up on that demand remains to be seen.

 

That record keeping on outside private activities  is what some recent travellers are choosing to ignore. Nor have their been any reports of Dept of Treasury demands to produce these records later or any reports of any demands made by Customs officials at the port when returning from Cuba. .  That is the only ongoing risk which has been an individual choice to either honor or ignore. 

 

But in our current world where even high school year book notations have come back to haunt those seeking government employment decades later, prudence is always the best policy if one wants no future concerns. 

 

Typically what one finds today on the Dept of Treasury website is a list of prohibited agencies within Cuba deemed to be fronts for the Cuban military as well as an 8 hour requirement that time is spent in some sort of direct "people to people" activity. After meeting those requirements,  one is free to do what they want. Plenty of "private"  opportunities are now made available just getting off the ship - but are they private people to people activities or merely prohibited fronts of the Cuban government - hard to tell.  

 

On our first ever trip to Cuba on the Veendam we did not even know if we could get off the ship if we were not signed up for an authorized ship's tour. We quickly observed there were no such barriers put in place at the Cuban end - you could just get off the ship, walk outdoors and be on your merry way with whatever activities you wanted to arrange on your own.

 

We were also told they did not accept US dollars - except they did  and knew exactly what they were worth even in combinations of the Cuban currency and dollars. And the port facility itself was very lovely, clean, organized and serviceable. They have been accepting international cruise ships here for some time, long before the US travellers were officially welcomed. 

 

Havana was a bucket list experience for me - it was my era - both pre-and-post Castro. Too many tension fraught hours sweating out the Cold War Cuban missle crisis, too many T-shirts and posters sporting Che Guevara,  too much consternation about Castro and his endless speeches that went on for hours, the Mariel boat lifts, the transformation of Florida,... the fact we had two highly talented Cuban origin candidates running for US President in 2016 .....too much exotic allure from the Batista days, Hemingway hours, and Ricky Ricardo playing at the Hotel National show lounge to not put this alluring and confounding country a few miles offshore on my own bucket list.

 

For the extravagant architectural remnants alone,  Havana was a  must see on my own list.  

Edited November 26, 2018 by OlsSalt

[iancal]

Yes.  It is one of our favourite Caribbean islands.  Havana is so very interesting-by day and by night.  Check out the graveyard!  The beaches are amazing.  The people are very friendly.  We found it to be very safe.

[Hobcat]

We were on this cruise in March of this year. Did the same plan as Ichiban Nekko.  Would have liked more time in Trinidad but it is what it is.  Enjoyed every thing. In fact we are going again next April with our son & his girlfriend. Shorter cruise with RCI but son & GF have time constraints. Will properly still go with ship excursions as it simplifies the whole process. 😊

[Chuck]

I just want to again say a "Big Thank You" to all.  We have signed up for 2 ship excursions and I think we'll just leave it go at that.  The thought of taking a private guide and never being seen again just kinda goes thru my old mind.   Again, I do thank everyone.

[iancal]

We had a fabulous private guide in Havana a few years ago.  He met us at the bus station (we arrived from Veradero), escorted us to our B&B, and then spent the afternoon touring us about by foot.  He had, at one time been stationed at the UN in New York. Gave us a candid picture of the three economies that existed in Cuba at that time, showed us some examples,  and answered our questions about life in Cuba.  That private tour was the highlight of our trip.

[BaltimoreCruise]

My husband and I were on the Veendam earlier this year and docked in Havana.  We hired a private tour guide (Lauren with Blexie tours) for the day (and it was an entire day), a combination of walking and riding in a vintage car.  In the evening we arranged a private tour with Strawberry tours to the local bars.  Both tours were fantastic.  During our day tour, we passed by a few large groups from the ship in Old Havana and were so happy to have our group of two!  There is no way that a large tour could cover all that we saw during our day tour.  We were all over the city (old and new).   We also saw many people just walking around but as a first timer in Havana, and with no public transportation network, we thought it was wise to hire the guides.  We had such a wonderful time we would hire the guides again.  

 

Anita

[wyobean]

Honestly, Chuck, you would be safer on a private tour in Cuba than almost anywhere else you would stop on a cruise. You have to do what you are comfortable with, though. Have a great time!

[Liz54]

1 hour ago, wyobean said:

Honestly, Chuck, you would be safer on a private tour in Cuba than almost anywhere else you would stop on a cruise. You have to do what you are comfortable with, though. Have a great time!

I agree!  Felt safer in Havana at midnight than anywhere in the Caribbean at noon!

 

[mamaofami]

Going to Cuba this January on RCL. Thank you for the description of the streets and potholes since I do use a scooter. We have arranged a private tour for 8 people and I will just have to be very careful.

[sammiedawg]

16 minutes ago, mamaofami said:

Going to Cuba this January on RCL. Thank you for the description of the streets and potholes since I do use a scooter. We have arranged a private tour for 8 people and I will just have to be very careful.

 

You may want to rethink this trip.  We are able bodied but struggled to navigate horrendous pavement,  broken and non existent sidewalks,  the worst cobblestone imaginable.  Vehicles are mostly classic cars from the fifties, no seatbelts and few have AC.  Terrible restrooms, steps everywhere.  American style parking lots?? No way.  Lots and lots of walking. ADA accessible- no way. 

The navigation difficulties are part of the experience.  The lack of tourist amenities are part of the experience.  But if you are handicapped....

Cannot imagine navigating with a scooter. We didn’t see so much as a cane anywhere.  We had four days in Cuba and toured all day each day with a guide. 

[ChinaShrek]

I will be on the Veendam in December and the ship is visiting Cienfuegos.  I am trying to decide between seeing Cienfuegos itself (and the castle) or Trinidad.  Any suggestions?  Is Trinidad a must do?  I really hate long drives while at a cruise port.  They seem like a waste of time.

[sammiedawg]

We didn’t enjoy Trinidad all that much.  The most hazardous pavement imaginable, intense heat, no shade and a long ride in a classic car.  In retrospect,  we are glad we did it as we saw the countryside with primitive lifestyles and farming  methods.  We saw another colonial city.   It was a totally different experience within a totally unique country. 

We had a brief  tour of central Cienfuegos, the beautiful plaza and a few other sites. 

[Sue from Canada]

On 11/25/2018 at 11:26 AM, Copper10-8 said:

 

Cienfuegos = sjen fwegos. Going next year and looking forward to it very much. The birth nation of my lovely wife

I'm going there in January.  Cienfuegos = See + N + fway - goes (that's an easier way to pronounce it).  Cuba is pronounced with a K.  You won't need this but others might.

 

[Sue from Canada]

On 11/25/2018 at 11:42 AM, Ichiban Nekko said:

Hi Chuck!

 

We just disembarked on Monday, November 21st. This was a terrific cruise. For us, Cuba was THE destination.

 

In Cuba, we did ship tours. In Cienfuegos (sort of pronounced See-en-fway-gos), we did a full day trip to Trinidad, a UNESCO site. The drive to and from (1.5 hours each way) gave a view of some of the countryside that we found very interesting. For Havana, we did the Hemingway Hangouts and Hideaways during the day and went to the Tropicana that night. Excellent guides and there is only one Trop. I don't understand Spanish lyrics in music, but it was a blast!  After going through some painful downsizing a few years ago, we are not big shoppers, so we did little of that.

 

On board, Cisco is the EXC Guide. His talks and slides are extensive, informative, well-prepared and we thought well worth attending. He is also very approachable at other times.

 

Some people many consider the Veendam 'old', but we truly enjoyed every moment on board. Terrific staff who work so hard to ensure the passengers have a wonderful experience, great food and a small easily-navigated footprint. What's not to like?

 

Wishing you a great cruise!!

The 8 hour trip to Trinidad is classified as Strenuous.  Is it?  What kind of thinks did you buy in either port?