Havana, Cienfuegos and Santiago de Cuba shore excursions

Trying to figure out what shore excursions to take from the ship or private tours for these ports.

My friend and I each get 2 ship excursions as our OLife perk but I can't find any listed under any of the upcoming cruises that include Cuba. Because the private tour business is rather limited in Cuba, we need to make our decisions for private tours sooner rather than later.

If you've been to Cuba on Oceania and used a ship shorex, will you please share your thoughts on how good it was and where it went? I'd really appreciate it. :D

ditto the OP!!!

ditto the OP!!!

??? is this an answer if so I do not understand. Please explain. :confused::confused::confused:

The shorex for the ports other than Havana have not been posted yet

The earlier cruises to Cuba on O only went to Havana

You can check on the Ports of call forum here for Cuba & get some ideas of where/what others have done in those ports

Still waiting for O also ;)

We did 2 ship tours in Havana last month - The Life of Hemingway in Havana and Parisien Cabaret at the Hotel National. We selected the 4 excursion option as we were not sure what to expect in Cuba. While they were not bad tours, knowing what we know now, they could have been done a lot easier in less time and for a whole lot less money than what O charges. Granted, they are still working out the details of handling large groups of tourists now arriving by ship but it is much more efficient to do it on your own. The tours use brand new buses imported from China, sometimes to take you to places where you could have walked from the ship. You will be traveling with a large group with different abilities and expectations, and sorry to say, with some who are clueless. We had a situation where about 15 people could not find their way back to the bus having decided they needed to stop to use the restrooms but neglected to tell the guide. They were mad that the guide had "left" them while those sitting on the bus were mad about wasting 1/2 hour. The evening at the Hotel National involved a bus that got us there two hours before the show started with little to do after having looked at the lobby and Hall of Fame.

Our most memorable private tour was 3 hours in a 1946 Ford convertible with a well traveled, well educated guide that showed us (and explained in detail) most of the major highlights of Havana.

We are doing the circumnavigation next year and definitely will do all private tours.

Just returned from two days in Havana (Marina). The first day we had a private guide for 9 hours that included walking Old Havana, lunch at a Paladar, a 1950-something Oldsmobile and all the sites - fantastic.

The next day we did the Hemingway tour with Oceania and it was very close to worthless. The 'guide' never had anything to say; the time at the Hemingway home was strictly do-it-yourself with 8-10 other big buses there. It was a 35-40 drive each way. Back in Havana there was a short walk to the hotel where Hemingway stayed that included a drink of your choice at the rooftop bar - but that was it! Absolutely not worth the price.

Others did suggest that the Oceania tour of "Art, Past and Present" was extremely worthwhile.

The shorex for the ports other than Havana have not been posted yet

The earlier cruises to Cuba on O only went to Havana

 

You can check on the Ports of call forum here for Cuba & get some ideas of where/what others have done in those ports

 

Still waiting for O also ;)

Hi.

1.I'm a bit confused. We are booked for Dec Cuba cruise, but can not find any shore excursions for even Havana yet. Since Marina is doing them, I thought they would be available for other dates. We do have 2 complimentary excursions pp through the O Life, but is there a certain date for booking, or is O waiting to see what works out before they offer to others?

2. Since we only have 2 excursions included, we have booked a Vintage car for 4 people for Santiago de Cuba, Dec 6, 2017. It is through a provider that others have used and were highly pleased with. I posted it on our Roll Call, but wonder if anyone here is also on our cruise and interested to join us as the 3rd-4th persons? I will provide the info if so. Or, you can go to our Roll Call for the info and my email. Thanx,

Hi.

1.I'm a bit confused. We are booked for Dec Cuba cruise, but can not find any shore excursions for even Havana yet. Since Marina is doing them, I thought they would be available for other dates.

AFAIK Marina is finished the stops in Cuba until the fall

They did have them listed prior when I looked at the offerings for Havana

You could ask your TA if they have the PDF for the Havana tours

Trying to figure out what shore excursions to take from the ship or private tours for these ports.

 

My friend and I each get 2 ship excursions as our OLife perk but I can't find any listed under any of the upcoming cruises that include Cuba. Because the private tour business is rather limited in Cuba, we need to make our decisions for private tours sooner rather than later.

 

If you've been to Cuba on Oceania and used a ship shorex, will you please share your thoughts on how good it was and where it went? I'd really appreciate it. :D

Same with us. Same package 2 free excursions with OLife. And fwe'll be taking private tours in Havana. I have a Cuban contact and we'll be going to a beach resort, and doing some small town sightseeing. We are on a May 2018 sailing.

Enjoy your cruise, and if God wills, grant you continued good health to live and not die before your cruise.

"ditto" = I agree with something just said

"OP" = original poster

so I agree with what the original poster requested which was information on their shore excursions in Cuba ports!

Since private tours are more available in Havana, we were thinking of doing them there. It looks like private tours are a bit sparse in the other 2 ports so we were thinking of doing the Oceania tours there. Maybe we'll change our OLife perk to the OBC and just do private tours in all the ports.

I'm really disappointed that Oceania doesn't post their tours until much later, especially when they give shore excursions as a perk. When we go on Princess, we can check theirs out on the website - not on each cruise page, but just on the general website. Even if we don't want to take them, at least we have an idea of what we can do in that port.

...and if God wills, grant you continued good health to live and not die before your cruise.

That's kinda morbid. :confused:

Since private tours are more available in Havana, we were thinking of doing them there. It looks like private tours are a bit sparse in the other 2 ports so we were thinking of doing the Oceania tours there. Maybe we'll change our OLife perk to the OBC and just do private tours in all the ports.

 

I'm really disappointed that Oceania doesn't post their tours until much later, especially when they give shore excursions as a perk. When we go on Princess, we can check theirs out on the website - not on each cruise page, but just on the general website. Even if we don't want to take them, at least we have an idea of what we can do in that port.

Rather than being disappointed, try to look on the timing of the posting of Shore Excursions as a by product of Oceania's visiting such exciting, new and different ports.

Princess is able to write their Excursions in stone because their ships plod to the same old same old, ad infinitim.

Be open to the advantages of variety.

Oceania probably contracts directly with the official tour agency (read that government run) and you get what you get. Individual guides may pay a high tax to take you places and are probably monitored pretty carefully by the authorities but they are likely to be more motivated and passionate about showing you their country. Love those 50s convertibles!

In Havana three weeks ago on Marina. The Destination Services people were scrambling! The first two times Marina was there in March, they attempted to do the tours as shown on their website - thinking that they would work. They didn't! 4 hour tours took 5-6 hours, other tours simply didn't take place as shown. On our cruise, they handed out revised tour descriptions at the desk and one of the ones I had wanted had been reduced from 5 1/2 hours to 3 1/2 and the included lunch had been removed. The price had also gone down.

I think it's because Cuba is so new to Oceania. They have no experience (mentioned above by Stan & Jim) and they really want to make sure the tours come off as planned. Give them some time. NCL will be going there soon as will a Regent ship. This should help with the learning curve.

:')

In Havana three weeks ago on Marina. The Destination Services people were scrambling! The first two times Marina was there in March, they attempted to do the tours as shown on their website - thinking that they would work. They didn't! ...I think it's because Cuba is so new to Oceania. They have no experience (mentioned above by Stan & Jim) and they really want to make sure the tours come off as planned. Give them some time. NCL will be going there soon as will a Regent ship. This should help with the learning curve.

What's so bewildering about what you've written is that while Cuba is new for Oceania, existing tour providers have been offering tours for decades to groups from the rest of the world. We visited on a People to People mission in 12/15 and our tour providers were extra-ordinary: new, clean, comfortable bus, outstanding tour guides, and a reliable schedule that was on time, but never felt rushed. Of course, the hotels on land ranged from nothing more than acceptable to sub-standard so life is a trade-off.

It may be that the increase in visitors from American cruise ships is bringing new tour providers into the market and Oceania, as a newcomer to Cuban waters, is dealing with these less experienced companies.

I agree that time will solve these problems.

Give them some time.

Only problem with "giving them some time" is that many of my fellow cruisers are booking the private tours now. If we don't get to see what Oceania is offering until close to the sail date and then we don't like them, we will be closed out of private tours.

So I think the best thing to do is to just get the OBC perk (instead of the shorex perk) and book all private tours. One private tour guide told me he has already booked 10 people from my cruise and we're still 7 months out!!