Review of Empress June 26 Havana Overnight

A great trip! This was our first time on RCCL. I want to post my photos for you, but haven't figured that out yet...

Here are the highlights:

Port of Tampa: Easy on and off. We live within a short drive of the Port and were pleased with the plentiful parking literally across the street. For any who are flying in the port is not far from TIA. Once inside, the terminal is spacious, clean and comfortable. US Customer and Immigration consisted of a friendly "hello, welcome home", and a quick scan of our passports. We were asked if we were carrying any rum, cigars and other items from Cuba (we were, and stated so) and were just waved right through.

Amazingly calm seas and fabulous weather. This of course is pure luck, especially during hurricane season. For most of the trip, the ship's speed was between 10 and 14 kts. Seas were maybe one or two feet at most. It made for a cruise that was smooth, quiet and incredibly comfortable.

Key West is always fun. We've been many times by ship or car. We opted for the Key Lime Bike Tour and had a great time getting exercise and hearing many stories from our guide. It was HOT, though (and we're Floridians). Absolutely bring the sunscreen and hat; the bike tour provides bottled water but carry your own if not on a tour.

Havana: In a word, Fascinating!! We heard very mixed reviews among our shipmates. Some were upset by the level of poverty, apparently abandoned dogs and run-down buildings. However, though our eyes, we saw a many people doing the best they can to have a good life by their own definition, and a country whose political and economic systems radically differ from ours. That is neither good nor bad, it just is. The Cubans we spoke with - tour guides, shop managers, people on the street have tremendous pride in their country and are eager for the improvements that are slooooowly coming as tourism increases.

We were surprised at fairly long lines for Cuban Immigration, since other CC posters have said the lines are much shorter. It wasn't a problem at all, just not as simple we expected based on other posters' comments. Took probably 20 - 30 minutes to clear immigration and the security scans.

Money Exchange: Our tours departed very quickly, so there was not time to exchange money. However, all 3 shops were we bought items (including one stop in the Almercera Marketplace) accepted US$, and simply calculated the 13% exchange/penalty. However, US bank credit cards (including Amex) are still not accepted anywhere.

Ship-sponsored Excursions in Havana: We did the Old Havana Heritage Walking Tour on one day and the Best of Havana bus tour on the next day. The walking tour was fantastic. Our guide was highly knowledgeable and engaging; he shoed us many little out of the way places that have historic significance to Havana. We also enjoyed a cigar making demo, a cigar -rum- coffee tasting in a beautifully restored hotel. There is stained glass everywhere in Havana and much of it is intricate, making for beautiful sights.

The bus tour was good. The stops felt a bit rushed (though the entire tour was 8 hours long). Along the way, our guide pointed out many significant sites and explained the history of each. We visited Revolution Square, the Colon Cemetery (a must-see), Hemingway's estate (where many classic cars were parked, allowing for good photo ops) and the quirky artist colony called Fusterlandia. We also had a nice lunch in a restaurant called El Tocoroco. Some on the tour complained because they did not thing the food was "Cuban enough". We thought it was yummy! Lunch consisted of rice, shellfish and either a fish or meat accompaniment. We were also treated to a Pineapple Juice and rum drink, with a second drink of one's choice provided. Dessert was a delicious maple-molasses sponge cake.

We did not do the Tropicana Cabaret, but spoke with others who did. They said the show was fantastic, just be prepared for no diver - only rum and peanuts. The early seating at 9 pm saw a show starting around 10, running to just past midnight. And - a word to those booking this trip: Apparently there was no difference in the experience for those who purchased the VIP option. The establishment did not recognize the VIP ticket as being anything different from eh regular tickets, and said that the ship paid them one price for all. However, this was the first overnight for Empress, so it may be a simple miscommunication

As we pulled away from Havana on Thursday evening, each of us shared that we felt a sense of sadness watching the many people lined up, waving goodbye to the ship.The Cuban people really touch your heart.

An interesting side note on Havana: No bugs! We sat on our balcony quite a bit while in Havana, and never saw or felt a mosquito, or any other type of insect.

Empress MDR: Food was great! Not 5 star, but quite good. The staff - from the Dining Room Manager, to the Head Waiter, to our own wait staff, were so service oriented and kind. We went back every night except the last one, as we had a Chef's Table reservation.

Speaking of Chef's Table: Wow, just plain WOW!!! 10 couples (none of us knew each other but became fast friends by the end of the night), incredible food (this WAS 5 star) and very good wines. It was, for us, a FOUR HOUR experience, with many laughs and lots of talk about many subjects. This is another must-do and we were lucky enough to be able to book this for the night of our wedding anniversary, making it extra special! Absolutely worth the price, without question.

Our Room: Owner's Suite forward, 7506 - huge balcony, great place to watch sailaway and to relax while cruising. Highly recommend getting an OS or the RS is there is any way you can fund it. Believe me, the balcony was absolutely worth every penny! OS guests do enjoy several amenities including luxury robes, 3 drinks per person per day in any bar on the ship, upgraded toiletries (Gilchrist & Soames), breakfast in Chops (we did it only once and were not impressed - Windjammer was great and not crowded), fee-free Room Service (we didn't use this benefit). We did enjoy priority boarding, and were supposed to have priority disembarkation at all ports and not he final day, but that didn't happen either, and we didn't mind at all.

Only one word of advice - other than to encourage you to GO to this most fascinating place that has not yet found the 21st century....

If you book anything in advance: shore excursions, spa treatments, dining, or if you receive gifts (from yourself or others), BRING HARD COPY RECEIPTS. We ran into confusion on several things booked ahead where the reservation/request was lost. Everything was ultimately corrected, but best to be prepared.

I will post my pics as soon as I can find a place to do that - wished I could have embedded them here in my post.

If you have ANY questions at all - just ask!

Nice! Thanks for the review! I keep telling myself that I need to cruise to Cuba. I wanted to go next spring, but since we're going with family (they're first time cruisers) we're going to do a less exotic cruise on Freedom (they'll like how there's more to do).

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Sounds like you enjoyed your cruise. That was a well-organized review!

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Thanks for sharing. Enjoyed reading your review and your impressions of Havana.

We make final payment July 18 for our October 16 cruise. We are booked in a Jr. Suite as we must have a balcony because I am claustrophobic and must be able to step out on balcony. Since there are no real suite perks and had no need for extra space we figured the Jr. Suite would work for us.

Was struck by your comment about fellow cruisers who were stressed by the conditions. I guess they have not traveled to 3rd world countries thus don't know how lucky they are to live where they do. When I traveled to So. America in the 1970's I too felt uneasy with some the living conditions I saw. We saw similar conditions in Kenya when we went on Safari in the 1980's as well as in Mexico and Central America. I am thankful for being able to live my lifestyle and appreciate the effort others make to sustain themsleves. You can see similar conditions here in the USA as you know.

Glad you enjoyed your trip.

A great trip! This was our first time on RCCL. I want to post my photos for you, but haven't figured that out yet...

 

Here are the highlights:

 

Port of Tampa: Easy on and off. We live within a short drive of the Port and were pleased with the plentiful parking literally across the street. For any who are flying in the port is not far from TIA. Once inside, the terminal is spacious, clean and comfortable. US Customer and Immigration consisted of a friendly "hello, welcome home", and a quick scan of our passports. We were asked if we were carrying any rum, cigars and other items from Cuba (we were, and stated so) and were just waved right through.

 

Amazingly calm seas and fabulous weather. This of course is pure luck, especially during hurricane season. For most of the trip, the ship's speed was between 10 and 14 kts. Seas were maybe one or two feet at most. It made for a cruise that was smooth, quiet and incredibly comfortable.

 

Key West is always fun. We've been many times by ship or car. We opted for the Key Lime Bike Tour and had a great time getting exercise and hearing many stories from our guide. It was HOT, though (and we're Floridians). Absolutely bring the sunscreen and hat; the bike tour provides bottled water but carry your own if not on a tour.

 

Havana: In a word, Fascinating!! We heard very mixed reviews among our shipmates. Some were upset by the level of poverty, apparently abandoned dogs and run-down buildings. However, though our eyes, we saw a many people doing the best they can to have a good life by their own definition, and a country whose political and economic systems radically differ from ours. That is neither good nor bad, it just is. The Cubans we spoke with - tour guides, shop managers, people on the street have tremendous pride in their country and are eager for the improvements that are slooooowly coming as tourism increases.

 

We were surprised at fairly long lines for Cuban Immigration, since other CC posters have said the lines are much shorter. It wasn't a problem at all, just not as simple we expected based on other posters' comments. Took probably 20 - 30 minutes to clear immigration and the security scans.

 

Money Exchange: Our tours departed very quickly, so there was not time to exchange money. However, all 3 shops were we bought items (including one stop in the Almercera Marketplace) accepted US$, and simply calculated the 13% exchange/penalty. However, US bank credit cards (including Amex) are still not accepted anywhere.

 

Ship-sponsored Excursions in Havana: We did the Old Havana Heritage Walking Tour on one day and the Best of Havana bus tour on the next day. The walking tour was fantastic. Our guide was highly knowledgeable and engaging; he shoed us many little out of the way places that have historic significance to Havana. We also enjoyed a cigar making demo, a cigar -rum- coffee tasting in a beautifully restored hotel. There is stained glass everywhere in Havana and much of it is intricate, making for beautiful sights.

 

The bus tour was good. The stops felt a bit rushed (though the entire tour was 8 hours long). Along the way, our guide pointed out many significant sites and explained the history of each. We visited Revolution Square, the Colon Cemetery (a must-see), Hemingway's estate (where many classic cars were parked, allowing for good photo ops) and the quirky artist colony called Fusterlandia. We also had a nice lunch in a restaurant called El Tocoroco. Some on the tour complained because they did not thing the food was "Cuban enough". We thought it was yummy! Lunch consisted of rice, shellfish and either a fish or meat accompaniment. We were also treated to a Pineapple Juice and rum drink, with a second drink of one's choice provided. Dessert was a delicious maple-molasses sponge cake.

 

We did not do the Tropicana Cabaret, but spoke with others who did. They said the show was fantastic, just be prepared for no diver - only rum and peanuts. The early seating at 9 pm saw a show starting around 10, running to just past midnight. And - a word to those booking this trip: Apparently there was no difference in the experience for those who purchased the VIP option. The establishment did not recognize the VIP ticket as being anything different from eh regular tickets, and said that the ship paid them one price for all. However, this was the first overnight for Empress, so it may be a simple miscommunication

 

As we pulled away from Havana on Thursday evening, each of us shared that we felt a sense of sadness watching the many people lined up, waving goodbye to the ship.The Cuban people really touch your heart.

 

An interesting side note on Havana: No bugs! We sat on our balcony quite a bit while in Havana, and never saw or felt a mosquito, or any other type of insect.

 

Empress MDR: Food was great! Not 5 star, but quite good. The staff - from the Dining Room Manager, to the Head Waiter, to our own wait staff, were so service oriented and kind. We went back every night except the last one, as we had a Chef's Table reservation.

 

Speaking of Chef's Table: Wow, just plain WOW!!! 10 couples (none of us knew each other but became fast friends by the end of the night), incredible food (this WAS 5 star) and very good wines. It was, for us, a FOUR HOUR experience, with many laughs and lots of talk about many subjects. This is another must-do and we were lucky enough to be able to book this for the night of our wedding anniversary, making it extra special! Absolutely worth the price, without question.

 

Our Room: Owner's Suite forward, 7506 - huge balcony, great place to watch sailaway and to relax while cruising. Highly recommend getting an OS or the RS is there is any way you can fund it. Believe me, the balcony was absolutely worth every penny! OS guests do enjoy several amenities including luxury robes, 3 drinks per person per day in any bar on the ship, upgraded toiletries (Gilchrist & Soames), breakfast in Chops (we did it only once and were not impressed - Windjammer was great and not crowded), fee-free Room Service (we didn't use this benefit). We did enjoy priority boarding, and were supposed to have priority disembarkation at all ports and not he final day, but that didn't happen either, and we didn't mind at all.

 

Only one word of advice - other than to encourage you to GO to this most fascinating place that has not yet found the 21st century....

 

If you book anything in advance: shore excursions, spa treatments, dining, or if you receive gifts (from yourself or others), BRING HARD COPY RECEIPTS. We ran into confusion on several things booked ahead where the reservation/request was lost. Everything was ultimately corrected, but best to be prepared.

 

I will post my pics as soon as I can find a place to do that - wished I could have embedded them here in my post.

 

If you have ANY questions at all - just ask!

How many days was the cruise?

A great trip! This was our first time on RCCL. I want to post my photos for you, but haven't figured that out yet...

 

Here are the highlights:

 

Port of Tampa: Easy on and off. We live within a short drive of the Port and were pleased with the plentiful parking literally across the street. For any who are flying in the port is not far from TIA. Once inside, the terminal is spacious, clean and comfortable. US Customer and Immigration consisted of a friendly "hello, welcome home", and a quick scan of our passports. We were asked if we were carrying any rum, cigars and other items from Cuba (we were, and stated so) and were just waved right through.

 

Amazingly calm seas and fabulous weather. This of course is pure luck, especially during hurricane season. For most of the trip, the ship's speed was between 10 and 14 kts. Seas were maybe one or two feet at most. It made for a cruise that was smooth, quiet and incredibly comfortable.

 

Key West is always fun. We've been many times by ship or car. We opted for the Key Lime Bike Tour and had a great time getting exercise and hearing many stories from our guide. It was HOT, though (and we're Floridians). Absolutely bring the sunscreen and hat; the bike tour provides bottled water but carry your own if not on a tour.

 

Havana: In a word, Fascinating!! We heard very mixed reviews among our shipmates. Some were upset by the level of poverty, apparently abandoned dogs and run-down buildings. However, though our eyes, we saw a many people doing the best they can to have a good life by their own definition, and a country whose political and economic systems radically differ from ours. That is neither good nor bad, it just is. The Cubans we spoke with - tour guides, shop managers, people on the street have tremendous pride in their country and are eager for the improvements that are slooooowly coming as tourism increases.

 

We were surprised at fairly long lines for Cuban Immigration, since other CC posters have said the lines are much shorter. It wasn't a problem at all, just not as simple we expected based on other posters' comments. Took probably 20 - 30 minutes to clear immigration and the security scans.

 

Money Exchange: Our tours departed very quickly, so there was not time to exchange money. However, all 3 shops were we bought items (including one stop in the Almercera Marketplace) accepted US$, and simply calculated the 13% exchange/penalty. However, US bank credit cards (including Amex) are still not accepted anywhere.

 

Ship-sponsored Excursions in Havana: We did the Old Havana Heritage Walking Tour on one day and the Best of Havana bus tour on the next day. The walking tour was fantastic. Our guide was highly knowledgeable and engaging; he shoed us many little out of the way places that have historic significance to Havana. We also enjoyed a cigar making demo, a cigar -rum- coffee tasting in a beautifully restored hotel. There is stained glass everywhere in Havana and much of it is intricate, making for beautiful sights.

 

The bus tour was good. The stops felt a bit rushed (though the entire tour was 8 hours long). Along the way, our guide pointed out many significant sites and explained the history of each. We visited Revolution Square, the Colon Cemetery (a must-see), Hemingway's estate (where many classic cars were parked, allowing for good photo ops) and the quirky artist colony called Fusterlandia. We also had a nice lunch in a restaurant called El Tocoroco. Some on the tour complained because they did not thing the food was "Cuban enough". We thought it was yummy! Lunch consisted of rice, shellfish and either a fish or meat accompaniment. We were also treated to a Pineapple Juice and rum drink, with a second drink of one's choice provided. Dessert was a delicious maple-molasses sponge cake.

 

We did not do the Tropicana Cabaret, but spoke with others who did. They said the show was fantastic, just be prepared for no diver - only rum and peanuts. The early seating at 9 pm saw a show starting around 10, running to just past midnight. And - a word to those booking this trip: Apparently there was no difference in the experience for those who purchased the VIP option. The establishment did not recognize the VIP ticket as being anything different from eh regular tickets, and said that the ship paid them one price for all. However, this was the first overnight for Empress, so it may be a simple miscommunication

 

As we pulled away from Havana on Thursday evening, each of us shared that we felt a sense of sadness watching the many people lined up, waving goodbye to the ship.The Cuban people really touch your heart.

 

An interesting side note on Havana: No bugs! We sat on our balcony quite a bit while in Havana, and never saw or felt a mosquito, or any other type of insect.

 

Empress MDR: Food was great! Not 5 star, but quite good. The staff - from the Dining Room Manager, to the Head Waiter, to our own wait staff, were so service oriented and kind. We went back every night except the last one, as we had a Chef's Table reservation.

 

Speaking of Chef's Table: Wow, just plain WOW!!! 10 couples (none of us knew each other but became fast friends by the end of the night), incredible food (this WAS 5 star) and very good wines. It was, for us, a FOUR HOUR experience, with many laughs and lots of talk about many subjects. This is another must-do and we were lucky enough to be able to book this for the night of our wedding anniversary, making it extra special! Absolutely worth the price, without question.

 

Our Room: Owner's Suite forward, 7506 - huge balcony, great place to watch sailaway and to relax while cruising. Highly recommend getting an OS or the RS is there is any way you can fund it. Believe me, the balcony was absolutely worth every penny! OS guests do enjoy several amenities including luxury robes, 3 drinks per person per day in any bar on the ship, upgraded toiletries (Gilchrist & Soames), breakfast in Chops (we did it only once and were not impressed - Windjammer was great and not crowded), fee-free Room Service (we didn't use this benefit). We did enjoy priority boarding, and were supposed to have priority disembarkation at all ports and not he final day, but that didn't happen either, and we didn't mind at all.

 

Only one word of advice - other than to encourage you to GO to this most fascinating place that has not yet found the 21st century....

 

If you book anything in advance: shore excursions, spa treatments, dining, or if you receive gifts (from yourself or others), BRING HARD COPY RECEIPTS. We ran into confusion on several things booked ahead where the reservation/request was lost. Everything was ultimately corrected, but best to be prepared.

 

I will post my pics as soon as I can find a place to do that - wished I could have embedded them here in my post.

 

If you have ANY questions at all - just ask!

Great review How many days was the cruise?

Thanks for sharing your experience with us!

Betty

Thanks for sharing. Enjoyed reading your review and your impressions of Havana.

Glad you enjoyed your trip.

Snit - responding to you here, while I think of it. You asked on another thread about smoking at the Hotel National Cafe Parisien cabaret show. I was also on this trip and chose that show over the Tropicana.

After speaking to several other pax who did go to the Tropicana, I know I made the right choice. It was indoors, very comfortably air conditioned (believe us, you will appreciate that!), and no smoking. Service was fine, you could get a drink easily if you wanted - one mojito is included in the $35.00 ticket.

The actual shows sounded quite similar. Great fun and lovely to see.

OP - sorry for the hijack.

I too found it fascinating - I loved every minute of the experience. Was appalled to hear a fellow pax at lunch say the people lived "like rats". Ugly American privilege at it's finest...

Where can I get information on that show with no smoking at $35.00

It always amazes me that folks (American's especially) are so "put out" by the poverty they see in many other countries. That's the NORM for almost everyplace BUT America. I don't think we know how lucky we are, as a people.

Snit - responding to you here, while I think of it. You asked on another thread about smoking at the Hotel National Cafe Parisien cabaret show. I was also on this trip and chose that show over the Tropicana.

 

After speaking to several other pax who did go to the Tropicana, I know I made the right choice. It was indoors, very comfortably air conditioned (believe us, you will appreciate that!), and no smoking. Service was fine, you could get a drink easily if you wanted - one mojito is included in the $35.00 ticket.

 

The actual shows sounded quite similar. Great fun and lovely to see.

 

OP - sorry for the hijack.

I too found it fascinating - I loved every minute of the experience. Was appalled to hear a fellow pax at lunch say the people lived "like rats". Ugly American privilege at it's finest...

Thank you for this information. We avoid smoking areas and are accustomed to A/C. Also, don't have to ride for long time to get to show.

We try not to be ugly Americans. Hope OP and others forgive us but maybe someone else can use your most helpful information.

Thanks for your review, hope you are able to post some photos of your trip.

It always amazes me that folks (American's especially) are so "put out" by the poverty they see in many other countries. That's the NORM for almost everyplace BUT America. I don't think we know how lucky we are, as a people.

No, it is not the NORM for almost every place BUT America. If you ever cruised anywhere but the Carribean to get a tan, you would know this. Of course there is poverty in every country, but it is not the norm in countries like France, Spain, England, Australia, Scandanavia, etc., etc. Broaden your horizons , cb, and maybe you'll be less inclined to make these ludicrous statements.

Key West is always fun. We've been many times by ship or car. We opted for the Key Lime Bike Tour and had a great time getting exercise and hearing many stories from our guide. It was HOT, though (and we're Floridians). Absolutely bring the sunscreen and hat; the bike tour provides bottled water but carry your own if not on a tour.

Hi. Just wanted to say it was nice meeting you on the bike tour. (I'm the one who trip off my bike.)

I too thought I knew about Key West but our guide was outstanding.

One thing I would like to add about Visiting Cuba. IF you have problems walking or use a wheel chair I would think twice about doing this trip. Lots of cobblestone and uneven streets.

On Thursday when we where sailing away I meet 6 different people who sustain injuries walking around the streets as they had a hard time walking and kept tripping on the cobblestones.

I'm looking forward to going back and seeing the things I missed. Can't believe how many museum's and art galleries that are around the port.

John

 

Port of Tampa: Easy on and off. We live within a short drive of the Port and were pleased with the plentiful parking literally across the street. For any who are flying in the port is not far from TIA. Once inside, the terminal is spacious, clean and comfortable. US Customer and Immigration consisted of a friendly "hello, welcome home", and a quick scan of our passports. We were asked if we were carrying any rum, cigars and other items from Cuba (we were, and stated so) and were just waved right through.

When did you arrive at the port? We're driving over in September from NE FL, and trying to decide when to arrive. We've done 11 or so at east coast ports, think that's reasonable?

Mooline ... Thank you for the wonderful review. Look forward to seeing your photos.

EatonDoolittle... how did you get to the show? Cab? Cost? Did you have to make reservations ahead?

Mooline ... Thank you for the wonderful review. Look forward to seeing your photos.

EatonDoolittle... how did you get to the show? Cab? Cost? Did you have to make reservations ahead?

I just walked out of the terminal and crossed the street, where all the transportation is. A lady coco cab driver asked if I needed a ride. I hesitated a minute because it had rained earlier, but she assured me we would be fine and not get wet. We were, and it turned out to be a fun ride with what turned out to be the only lady driver I saw the whole time!

10 CUC. It's a short ride up the Malecon - 10 minutes max. You can take a regular cab as well, I did coming back. That was 15 CUC, either late night pricing, or me being too tired to negotiate.

I booked and paid in advance on their website. It looked like you could also just walk up to the booking desk (in the main hotel lobby) and get a ticket. Don't know if it was due to my prepaid ticket or not, but I got seated right in front of the stage. It's a small theater ( a few hundred people), so there are probably really no bad seats.

Here's the link - be sure to switch the language to English - much easier

https://www.hotelnacional-decuba.com/portal/ofertas

Thank you for your post mooline! I was excited to read your review of the Havana overnight sailing on Empress of the Seas, as we will be on the same sailing next month.

Did you feel any pressure to book excursions through the ship to satisfy one of the travel regulations? Did you speak with other passengers who booked private tours? I have a private tour booked on our second day in Havana and I have confirmed that it meets the "people-to-people" requirement, however I was hoping we could just walk off the ship on the first day and venture out on our own.

Also, for those guests that went to Tropicana (and EatonDoolittle, who went to Hotel Nacional), is it easy to get off the ship later in the evening and grab a car/cab to one of the venues? I would love to check out one of the cabaret shows and possibly enjoy some dancing while in Havana overnight.

Thank you for your replies!

Thank you for your post mooline! I was excited to read your review of the Havana overnight sailing on Empress of the Seas, as we will be on the same sailing next month.

 

Did you feel any pressure to book excursions through the ship to satisfy one of the travel regulations? Did you speak with other passengers who booked private tours? I have a private tour booked on our second day in Havana and I have confirmed that it meets the "people-to-people" requirement, however I was hoping we could just walk off the ship on the first day and venture out on our own. No, no pressure at all. I think people are putting the fear on themselves. If some are more comfortable having their hand held every minute, so be it, book a ship excursion. I wanted to see and support Havana, RCCL gets enough of my money!

I even went to Marco Rubio's website (he's the FL Senator who prodded #45 to "crack down") and he said the people to people requirements have not changed except that you cannot spend money directly with the Military of Government. 10 of us from our roll call booked a wonderful private full day tour, no issues whatsoever.

I've said on another thread, I have serious doubts that the cruise lines will get involved in monitoring any sort of regulations of their passengers. I just cannot see them posting a staffer at the gangway to ask guests what their plans for the day are. But of course they are going to push their excursions, that is no different from any other port.

 

Also, for those guests that went to Tropicana (and EatonDoolittle, who went to Hotel Nacional), is it easy to get off the ship later in the evening and grab a car/cab to one of the venues? I would love to check out one of the cabaret shows and possibly enjoy some dancing while in Havana overnight. Very easy, nobody cares. You leave your certification document with the check in agent at the port (check box "B") and keep a copy for yourself. Once in Havana, you get off the ship like any other port - scan your card at the door and off you go down the gangway. The customs and security scanners (like at an airport) in the terminal at each in - and - out are not what we are used to, but nobody asks where are you going, or where you have been. I was in and out numerous times and thinking back, I don't even remember anyone being stopped at the scanners for a closer look in their packages.

You change your money, if you want to, go down the steps (elevator on the right, if you prefer), and off you go!

Have a wonderful time - I'm booked to go back next December (when it's a bit cooler, hopefully) and am already working on my list of what to see next time.

Thank you for your replies!

See my responses in red - let me know if I can help with any other questions

See my responses in red - let me know if I can help with any other questions

EatonDoolittle,

Thank you SO MUCH for your response! Very helpful!

May I ask which private tour company you used for your full-day tour? Thanks!

EatonDoolittle,

 

 

May I ask which private tour company you used for your full-day tour? Thanks!

http://havanatourcompany.com/our-tours/full-day-havana-tour/

Highly recommended.

Very responsive and easy to work with. It appears they are (electronically) based in New Zealand, so no worries about supporting the Castro regime.

Our guide was Sady, she was wonderful.

She ended up in our car for the classic convertible part of the tour, so we got even a little extra information from her. Highlight of the trip.

Key West is always fun. We've been many times by ship or car. We opted for the Key Lime Bike Tour and had a great time getting exercise and hearing many stories from our guide. It was HOT, though (and we're Floridians). Absolutely bring the sunscreen and hat; the bike tour provides bottled water but carry your own if not on a tour.

 

If you have ANY questions at all - just ask!

What can you tell me about this tour and the bikes? Did you make many stops? What about the bikes, are they single speed with coaster brakes or multi-speed with hand brakes. Part of the reason I ask is many people of this younger generation don't understand coaster brakes. In Fort Lauderdale we had a fellow cruiser sent to the ER after being run over by a tourist on a bike he didn't know how to stop. That was a rental, and not an organized tour, but as a frequent cyclist I am curious as to what they provide.