Havana to become a homeport for the Braemar

[Oulton Jim]

Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines today announced that the 2021-2022 Caribbean season aboard the Braemar will be served with the turnaround port of Havana, Cuba. Presumably that will mean she will not be able to visit any of the US islands?

[vintagegarage]

Here are some more details and you can expand the itinerary to view it:

 

https://www.fredolsencruises.com/cruise/uncrowded-caribbean-islands-with-havana-m2201

[Oulton Jim]

Has anyone sailed the Braemar pre-Covid, what is your opinion? 

[ovccruiser]

1 hour ago, Oulton Jim said:

Has anyone sailed the Braemar pre-Covid, what is your opinion? 

Yes, sailed on her a number of times and is probably my current favourite Fred ship. She is not the most stable ship and rolls a bit.

[July morning]

We've sailed on the Braemar twice and loved it. 

 

Haven't been on any other FO usually sail with P&O or Princess.  When discussing cruises with my husband recently we both said we now think she is our favourite ship.  As the previous poster said we did feel some movement one evening but as it was in the Caribbean it was only the one evening 🙂

 

[Oulton Jim]

Thanks for the info -think I'll be keeping an eye on the two transfers-in from HAL. 

[Rotterdam]

That's a very nice itinerary except for Jamaica...wish US citizens could visit Cuba once again.

[ovccruiser]

42 minutes ago, Rotterdam said:

That's a very nice itinerary except for Jamaica...wish US citizens could visit Cuba once again.

Thought they had a prison camp there 😈

[Rotterdam]

Lol..my first visit to Jamaica was 1975...bad news...has led by drug sellers...harassed by men down the streets for no reason.

 

Over the years got off ships 2x there...nothing changed & last November I stayed onboard the ship.

 

That's a very nice itinerary except for Jamaica...wish US citizens could visit Cuba once again.

[Oulton Jim]

I echo your thoughts on both Cuba and Jamaica. It will be interesting to see the passenger take-up without the US cruise folk. 

[Britboys]

It is a pretty short 'residency' in Cuba. One cruise Bridgetown to Havana, three round-trip out of Havana (two itineraries) and one Havana to Bridgetown. Not sure about the "uncrowded" tag when it calls into St Kitts, Guadeloupe and St Maarten though.

I would definitely consider it if it wasn't £271 per night for the cheapest inside single...

Hopefully by then, Havana will have got its act together and be able to take more than one cruise ship at a time. When I called in on a cruise 2 years ago, they were constantly adjusting itineraries because of the limited berthing space.

[tring]

11 hours ago, Britboys said:

It is a pretty short 'residency' in Cuba. One cruise Bridgetown to Havana, three round-trip out of Havana (two itineraries) and one Havana to Bridgetown. Not sure about the "uncrowded" tag when it calls into St Kitts, Guadeloupe and St Maarten though.

I would definitely consider it if it wasn't £271 per night for the cheapest inside single...

Hopefully by then, Havana will have got its act together and be able to take more than one cruise ship at a time. When I called in on a cruise 2 years ago, they were constantly adjusting itineraries because of the limited berthing space.

When we were docked on Havana with a MSC ship for a full day we were on the Celestial Crystal and that is about the same size as Braemar, so perhaps Cuba can take one big ship and a small one, so no probs for Braemar

  You do not seem to believe me, but we were definitely docked on the other side of the pier to the MSC Opera and both ships were doing round Cuba itineraries that winter with a couple of nights in Havana, so were docked at the same time every week.  Both ships kept to their itineraries as I was looking at reports about both of them.

[Britboys]

1 hour ago, tring said:

When we were docked on Havana with a MSC ship for a full day we were on the Celestial Crystal and that is about the same size as Braemar, so perhaps Cuba can take one big ship and a small one, so no probs for Braemar

  You do not seem to believe me, but we were definitely docked on the other side of the pier to the MSC Opera and both ships were doing round Cuba itineraries that winter with a couple of nights in Havana, so were docked at the same time every week.  Both ships kept to their itineraries as I was looking at reports about both of them.

I do believe you - you would have no reason to lie. I just know that in late 2017 and early 2018 there was a lot of disruption to itineraries, with two-day calls being reduced to either one day or a day and a half. As mentioned, Marella Discovery had to leave early to allow another ship in - when there was definitely not a ship on the other side of the pier. Whatever the issue was, let's hope it has been solved to allow more people to enjoy the wonderful city that is Havana.

[tring]

On 8/8/2020 at 10:53 AM, Britboys said:

I do believe you - you would have no reason to lie. I just know that in late 2017 and early 2018 there was a lot of disruption to itineraries, with two-day calls being reduced to either one day or a day and a half. As mentioned, Marella Discovery had to leave early to allow another ship in - when there was definitely not a ship on the other side of the pier. Whatever the issue was, let's hope it has been solved to allow more people to enjoy the wonderful city that is Havana.

Was that the original Thomson Discovery @ 30,000 ton though, or was it the new bigger one.  Even so I am pretty sure both the Crystal and certainly Braemar are smaller and shallower draft than the old Discovery.  I was thinking they may not be able to take bigger ships on the other side of the pier. Just a thought, though you could call it a hope 🙂  We were docked there about a year before you and as I said that was done for the whole winter season in Havana.

 

I think the main advantage with Fred sailing out of Havana is that you could arrange your own flights and stay for a while.  Port visits are usually too short to do/see much.

 

 

Edited August 9, 2020 by tring

[Britboys]

33 minutes ago, tring said:

Was that the original Thomson Discovery @ 30,000 ton though, or was it the new bigger one.  Even so I am pretty sure both the Crystal and certainly Braemar are smaller and shallower draft than the old Discovery.  I was thinking they may not be able to take bigger ships on the other side of the pier. Just a thought, though you could call it a hope 🙂  We were docked there about a year before you and as I said that was done for the whole winter season in Havana.

 

I think the main advantage with Fred sailing out of Havana is that you could arrange your own flights and stay for a while.  Port visits are usually too short to do/see much.

 

 

No, it was Discovery 2, ex RCI Legend of the Seas at about 70,000 tons!

[Rotterdam]

Certainly most passengers from Europe etc would want to either do back to back do they can see more of the carib & Cuba.

I would like a 5 day Cuba  land tour & the  cruise..all doable in 2 weeks time.

[kathy49]

why do people say US Citizens cannot go to Cuba. Covid has certainly stopped all from visiting and US will probably be one of the last to return given our situation....but prior to Covid US tourists were visiting...just not on cruise ships.  This idea may be good sometime in the future but cruising in general is not going to return soon let alone from Cuba.  I would not get too excited about this one!

[Rotterdam]

19 hours ago, kathy49 said:

why do people say US Citizens cannot go to Cuba. Covid has certainly stopped all from visiting and US will probably be one of the last to return given our situation....but prior to Covid US tourists were visiting...just not on cruise ships.  This idea may be good sometime in the future but cruising in general is not going to return soon let alone from Cuba.  I would not get too excited about this one!

The US & Cuban  govts have had a love hate relationshop for years now & there was a break for a bit US citizens cannot visit Cuba just as an average tourist NOW ( as opposed to say Jamaica,  Barbados etc) unless they have an educational or cultural Visa.

So for now its a no go for us...even last year there were a few cruises from American ports that visited but literally only lasted for a few weeks.

[kathy49]

Most countries do not want US.....those that do will probably change that too....I would not expect to see any cruise ships that are frequented by US passengers to be operating as so very ports will let them in and that could be well into 2021.

[Rotterdam]

21 hours ago, kathy49 said:

Most countries do not want US.....those that do will probably change that too....I would not expect to see any cruise ships that are frequented by US passengers to be operating as so very ports will let them in and that could be well into 2021.

With all due respect Kathy49 within th e travel industry it is well known that MOST international destinations do want American tourist simply for the economics.  Americans tend to spend more due to disposable income differences, they give gratuities freely & eat & drink more at restaurants.  One European tourism minister recently  stated that  it takes 4 European tourist to match the spending of 1 American tourist.

It's all about the $$$$$

[kathy49]

6 minutes ago, Rotterdam said:

With all due respect Kathy49 within th e travel industry it is well known that MOST international destinations do want American tourist simply for the economics.  Americans tend to spend more due to disposable income differences, they give gratuities freely & eat & drink more at restaurants.  One European tourism minister recently  stated that  it takes 4 European tourist to match the spending of 1 American tourist.

It's all about the $$$$$

I get all of that about t the big spending Americans who eat/drink/tip and see them as I travel and in fact am one...however I am speaking of right now where one state has more cases per day than most entire  countries...as long as Covid 19 is around doubt we will be welcome $$ or not.

Edited August 16, 2020 by kathy49

[tring]

I see Fred has pulled Cuba from the around South America planned for early 2022.  I wonder if it is because it would be on their new ship.  From the Bonheur statement the payment period was over three years with nothing to pay the first two or three years, followed by a couple of big payments the following two years.

 

We are wondering if that basically means the ships are still owned, or part owned, by Carnival, hence cannot call at Cuba, possibly more to do with the US government rules, rather than the Cubans.

 

Just a thought.

[ScottishMaid]

US citizens are not allowed by the US government to travel to Cuba. Thus no Americans could board or disembark at Havana.


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[Britboys]

On 9/10/2020 at 7:53 PM, tring said:

I see Fred has pulled Cuba from the around South America planned for early 2022.  I wonder if it is because it would be on their new ship.  From the Bonheur statement the payment period was over three years with nothing to pay the first two or three years, followed by a couple of big payments the following two years.

 

We are wondering if that basically means the ships are still owned, or part owned, by Carnival, hence cannot call at Cuba, possibly more to do with the US government rules, rather than the Cubans.

 

Just a thought.

Anything is possible with the current administration of the USA Barbara but I would have thought she would be okay flying the Norwegian flag and likely registered in Nassau. Another thought is that it didn't fit with the new itinerary and as Braemar is making several calls into Havana they were not that worried about getting another ship there?

[Sue from Canada]

On 9/11/2020 at 3:30 PM, ScottishMaid said:

US citizens are not allowed by the US government to travel to Cuba. Thus no Americans could board or disembark at Havana.


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I beg to differ.  Once Cuba opens up its borders to travellers again, Americans can travel there again.  We Canadians have been travelling to Cuba for years and they love us.