My Cuba Cruise

HI all!

 

I saw this article written by CC UK editor Adam, who I met on an excursion from Antilla on our 1st Cuba cruise..

He's writing about the changes on the ship as he just sailed in the Med.

http://www.cruisecritic.com/news/news.cfm?ID=7220

 

Ron ~ we've just returned from a 17 day road trip to Yellowknife & the hummingbird feeder looks pretty much as full as it was when we left. Have the little birdies flown south?

 

Have a nice weekend.

 

~ Jo ~ :)

Jo, our miniature feather friend have decided they have had enough of this destructive drought and have headed south. The pair using our feeder all but drained it before packing up.

We appreciate the site for these further updates on the Crystal ship. We are still on for our two week new balcony trial in lieu of the full private decks found with the two suits on Deck 6. From the review it sounds like we will not be disappointed. Hopefully the improvement in food quality objective will have been met by the time of our arrival. And of course we are looking forward to embarking at Montego Bay for the first time rather than our previous Havana sailings allowing us to continue our winter sojourn on into Florida.

Hope the Yellowknife excursion was all you had hoped for. Envy that.

Chimo

Ron

Hello, all!

We are booked on the Feb 24, 2017 sailing out of Montego Bay. Does this forum serve as the Roll Call for all of the Celestyal Crystal Cuba Cruises, or has Cruise Critic now set up Roll Calls for Celestyal?

:confused:

Regarding Montego Bay hotels, we saw that Toby’s Resort was highly rated on Trip Advisor, so were leaning towards staying there as a low cost option for the night before the cruise. Does anyone have any feedback on that plan?:confused:

I read that the Crystal was going into dry dock before she starts her winter Cuba itineraries. Has anyone heard what they are planning to do?:confused:

Thanks to everyone for such helpful information! We are sooo looking forward to seeing Cuba for the first time!:D

Nancy

Arkansas cruisers, go to the "Cruise Lines A-O" boards and look under Celestyal Cruises. There is a very recent post by (I think) LauraS with a link to another post by someone who just sailed on this ship for the 2nd time. It's called something like "Just Back From the Celestyal Crystal: Hits & Misses". (I may be a bit off on the title, but the post is not hard to find.) Recent refurbishments are discussed as well as some possible future ones.

Also, you should look on the roll call boards under "All Other Cruise Lines" and there are several different roll calls on various dates for this ship. If there isn't one for your date, just start one yourself.

To those of you who have booked this cruise. What are you doing about travel insurance? I was told by a Celestyal rep that I needed to buy insurance that would reimburse a hospital/doctor in Cuba directly since they don't take US credit cards and it is very difficult to get cash in Cuba. I spoke with someone at Insuremytrip who said all their providers reimburse the customer after they have paid the provider. It looks like Celestyal's insurance does not provide for trip interruption due to flight issues.

I purchased a plan through Insuremytrip and will also purchase the insurance through Celestyal. I assumed the Cuba insurance would not cover us in Jamaica. Also, my husband's Mother is 94 so we always get trip cancel/interruption insurance. The Cuba insurance is cheap so I am okay with having both.

Thanks for the information but one more question. Did Celestyal's insurance cover your mother in law? I thought it said it only covered those who were under 75?

We aren't taking her. It's just at her age we never know if we will need to cancel a trip if she gets ill...

I didn't realize the insurance wouldn't cover over 75. Hubby just turned 74.

I purchased the Mondial policy through Celestyal in order to have the required medical coverage for Cuba. I also have an annual policy through Nationwide and supplemental coverage through my Chase Visa card.

Thanks for all the help. We decided to purchase the insurance through Celestyal which sounds like the best way to go. Can't wait for our trip in February.

We would recommend checking with your personal insurance policy agents to see if "out of country" coverage applies to Cuba. If so and in the event of immediate need, your medical costs can be charged to some credit cards for eventual claim, as CNN reported:

"Americans who want to visit Cuba don't have to worry about how to pay for things once they get there.

American Express and MasterCard said they'll let customers use their credit cards in the Communist country."

We could not fathom required medical treatment in Cuba being withheld due to method of payment. The rest is paper work.

I have coverage through Obamacare and my DH is on medicare so neither of those provide coverage while out of the U.S. From what I am reading, Cuba does not accept any U.S. based credit cards so should we have an unfortunate accident, we would have to convert cash into Cuban money to pay medical providers. I also read you have to provide proof of medical insurance when entering the country. I cannot find a U.S. travel insurance provider who will pay providers directly so our best option was to purchase through the cruise line. If someone has been able to use a U.S. based credit card in Cuba, please correct me.

I also read you have to provide proof of medical insurance when entering the country. I cannot find a U.S. travel insurance provider who will pay providers directly so our best option was to purchase through the cruise line. If someone has been able to use a U.S. based credit card in Cuba, please correct me.

I have yet to hear of anyone being able to use a U.S. card, and I've known of a fairly large number of people who have gone over the last few months. My cards (credit and/or debit) definitely didn't work in March. They did check for proof of insurance when I entered Cuba by air, and the Mondial policy through Celestyal was accepted.

Arkansas cruisers, go to the "Cruise Lines A-O" boards and look under Celestyal Cruises. There is a very recent post by (I think) LauraS with a link to another post by someone who just sailed on this ship for the 2nd time. It's called something like "Just Back From the Celestyal Crystal: Hits & Misses". (I may be a bit off on the title, but the post is not hard to find.) Recent refurbishments are discussed as well as some possible future ones.

 

Also, you should look on the roll call boards under "All Other Cruise Lines" and there are several different roll calls on various dates for this ship. If there isn't one for your date, just start one yourself.

MLB, thanks for the helpful information. Right now it does not appear that anyone has started a rollcall for the February 24, 2017 sailing .I will wait a few weeks....

Thanks also to everyone for the good and helpful discussion about insurance. We have an annual travel insurance policy, but now I think that I will purchase Celestyal's policy for direct payment of any unexpected medical expenses.

Nancy

Regarding insurance coverage, check Asistur (the "official" insurance coverage for foreign visitors to Cuba). http://www.asistur.cu

If flying in, they have offices in the airports. It's about $3/day.

Maybe they have booths in port too.

This site may have some info for you:

http://www.visitorscoverage.com/travel-insurance/cuba/travel-insurance-for-cuba/

More info on Asistur:

Asistur Medical Insurance

As of May 1, 2010, all island visitors are required to have official Cuban health insurance policies in place prior to arrival.

ASISTUR is the official Cuban insurance agency providing medical coverage for island visitors. ASISTUR organizes medical services and support across the nation for travelers as needed. Emergency response is available 24 hours a day. ASISTUR coordinates services with many major medical and insurance companies globally.

ASISTUR insurance covers the following medical services and procedures while in Cuba up to 25,000 CUC (1.00 CUC equals 1.08 US dollars. The cost of medical services in Cuba is about one-tenth the cost in the United States, so this coverage goes a long ways):

◾Medical care in hospital, clinic or home.

◾Monitoring and attending to the patient's condition.

◾Obtaining and issuing medical reports.

◾Coordination of wheelchairs and medication.

◾Coordination of air and land ambulance services.

◾Coordination of medical expenses.

ASISTUR insurance covers medical evacuation from Cuba up to 7,000 CUC, including:

◾Monitoring and attending to a patient's condition while in transit.

◾Airline flight bookings and transportation to the airport.

◾ Accommodation for health care providers.

◾Authorization for air ambulance landing.

◾Coordination of air and land ambulances.

◾Assistance from air ambulance crew.

ASISTUR insurance covers repatriation from Cuba in the event of death up to 7,000 CUC,including:

◾Medical and legal procedures required for funerary services.

◾Processing of documents with local and consular authorities.

◾Airline booking and transportation to the airport.

◾Dispatching appropriate documents to funeral provider.

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We could not fathom required medical treatment in Cuba being withheld due to method of payment.

Can you fathom that supplies are extremely limited, largely due to the long-term US embargo?

Can you fathom that medical care and supplies should be used for Cuban citizens (who earn about $30 per month) who need them, not (comparatively) rich foreigners who can be a drain on the system?

Should you get care and a Cuban who needs it not receive it because there are no supplies to use?

Bring a large extra bag of over the counter medical supplies and donate them to a charity once there.

The synagogue in Havana is one charity that distributes such supplies to those in need.

Adela Dworin

Vice President of Casa de la Comunidad Hebrea de Cuba

El Patronato

Calle I, #259, Esquina 13

Vedado, Ciudad de la Habana 10400

Cuba

Phone: (537) 832-8953

Fax: (537) 33 3778

E-mail: beth_shalom@enet.cu or

patronato_ort@enet.cu

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US based credit cards are NOT being accepted in Cuba right now. They are not yet set up to do so, even if the cc companies tell you that you can use your card there. Credit cards are not accepted in many places in Cuba anyway. Cash in CUC rules.

Thanks for the insightful information and for the address of the synagogue for supplies. After living less than 90 miles from Cuba for all of my young life, I feel very blessed to finally be able to visit.

Regarding insurance coverage, check Asistur (the "official" insurance coverage for foreign visitors to Cuba)...

 

 

...Can you fathom that supplies are extremely limited, largely due to the long-term US embargo?

Can you fathom that medical care and supplies should be used for Cuban citizens (who earn about $30 per month) who need them, not (comparatively) rich foreigners who can be a drain on the system?

Should you get care and a Cuban who needs it not receive it because there are no supplies to use?

.

Anyone visiting Cuba who has the misfortune to fall ill will be afforded the best of medical attention. The country is noted for it's commitment to the medical profession graduating more doctors per capita than any other country. Therefore I say that anyone who unfortunately does fall ill and in need of medical attention need not be concerned that it will be related to the availability of a credit card. Of the 13 entries we have made into Cuba in the last three years not once have we been asked for proof of medical coverage although we are totally covered in personal policies. That said, we would strongly discourage anyone travelling to Cuba or for that matter anywhere today to do so without proper insurance coverage.

Anyone visiting Cuba who has the misfortune to fall ill will be afforded the best of medical attention. The country is noted for it's commitment to the medical profession graduating more doctors per capita than any other country. Therefore I say that anyone who unfortunately does fall ill and in need of medical attention need not be concerned that it will be related to the availability of a credit card. Of the 13 entries we have made into Cuba in the last three years not once have we been asked for proof of medical coverage although we are totally covered in personal policies. That said, we would strongly discourage anyone travelling to Cuba or for that matter anywhere today to do so without proper insurance coverage.

Medical care in Cuba is still a use of supplies and staff that should be directed toward Cubans, not rich tourists who can well afford to pay for their own medical care. Asistur runs about $3/day. Probably you will not be asked at Aduana. Probably you will not need to use it. Buying insurance is currently more of a moral issue than a financial one IMO. And for US passport holders, it can be a logistical nightmare to try to find coverage other than Asistur.

Cuba may graduate "more doctors per capita than any other country", but those doctors become a state asset and earn about 30 CUC per month in Cuba. They are sometimes allowed to practice in other countries (for example, there are many currently in Brazil, where paying wages --to pay the government as demanded or the doctors themselves as Brazilian law requires-- became a problem) or to buy a taxi for a cheaper price to augment their earnings, but are not allowed to travel as tourists out of the country.

Medical care in Cuba is still a use of supplies and staff that should be directed toward Cubans, not rich tourists who can well afford to pay for their own medical care.....

The point remains that should one be taken ill while travelling in Cuba they will receive the best of care available. A tourist who succumbs to a heart attack is certainly not going to refuse treatment for fear of taking away some aspect of the Cuban health system. And the thought of there being an excess numbers of graduated doctors available in Cuba is in itself comforting. The call to the medical profession is not based on the prospect of wealth, at least not in Cuba, for why would so many students seek enrolment in this science.

Someone mentioned obtaining travel insurance in the form of trip interruption, etc. Of course, health insurance has nothing to do with that type of coverage. Before buying trip interruption insurance, check to make sure one of you credit cards doesn't automatically cover such things for you. (Same as many offer free CDW when you rent a car. While free travel insurance isn't as common as free collision, its' not that unusual. In order for mine to be affective, I must have used the card to book the particular trip I will be covered on. Of course, there is no medical insurance within trip cancellation insurance.

In addition, someone mentioned Medicare doesn't cover them if they need medical care out of the country. Medicare itself doesn't. However, many of the medicare supplements do.

... someone mentioned Medicare doesn't cover them if they need medical care out of the country. Medicare itself doesn't. However, many of the medicare supplements do.

In CUBA? (This is a Cuba forum after all.) Accepted by the Cuban government that is the entity requiring the insurance plan?

We are curious to hear from those who may have planned on booking the Crystal cruise or had actually booked this cruise only to given up the idea due to the current state of the Canadian dollar. The original Cuba Cruse was priced in Canadian dollars. That has changed now to US currency and so when taking into consideration the current status of the dollars means that Canadians must pay the posted price plus about an additional 40%. This is bound to have had an effect on many plans and it would be interesting to hear from those who fell into this mode of cancellation.

Hello, all!

 

We are booked on the Feb 24, 2017 sailing out of Montego Bay. Does this forum serve as the Roll Call for all of the Celestyal Crystal Cuba Cruises, or has Cruise Critic now set up Roll Calls for Celestyal?

 

 

We've been reading the Boards and the itinerary looks great. For the second Havana day, I've contacted a high score TripAdvisor guide and asked about an itinerary that includes

= Hemingway walk (bars hotel)

= Hotel Nacional (including waterview lunch)

= Rum museum

= Cigar factory

= Morro Castle (inside Visit)

 

And a few others.

 

Also trying to understand whether Trinidad is worth the try.

 

Riverclub=Herb

We're US citizens. Credit cards won't work in Cuba. Did you bring cash off the ship? If so in what currency? And how much per stop? Thanks for replying.

We're US citizens. Credit cards won't work in Cuba. Did you bring cash off the ship? If so in what currency? And how much per stop? Thanks for replying.

When you first disembark in Cuba at Santiago, there is a kiosk on the wharf that converts currencies into Cuban CUC's. These kiosks will be found at all points of your tour of Cuba. As they can be busy and time consuming, I would recommend that you convert $100. at the first point. You shouldn't need that much but in so doing you will have some CUC's for the next port(s) of call. You can then judge your requirements and purchase accordingly along the way. Any remaining CUC's can be converted back into your currency at the exit point from Cuba.

VidaNaPraia, for the record, when an American insurance company indicates the covered person is covered when in another country, unless the coverage specifically states that a particular company is excluded, the way it often works is the covered person must cover their own expenses and then get reimbursed by their insurance company later. Someone mentioned some credit cards will not withhold payment for medical charges in Cuba but I don't know anything about that. Medicare normally will NOT cover someone in Cuba, but certain Medicare group plan supplementary policies (often provided by a person's current or former employer) sometimes do. A supplementary, GROUP plan apparently can have different rules and coverages than regular, individual supplemental plans. At least I was told that by the insurance broker who handles the employer arranged supplemental plan I have. Just the same, Cuban medical insurance being offered to us by the cruise line is only $48 per person and certainly worth the peace of mind!