Just back from the Quest to Cuba

I've just returned from the Quest voyage to Havana and would be happy to answer any questions if I can. I'll try to put together a review as time permits. This was my first Azamara cruise, 10th cruise, and we booked solely for Cuba. And we booked after June 16th. I've been using CC for over 15 years to prepare for my cruises and so appreciate the advice and experience shared by those returning from a cruise and am always happy to pay it forward. So, if you have a question I might be able to answer, shoot.

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Could you book your own excursions or did you have to go through the ship? I'm not going until October 2018.

I've just returned from the Quest voyage to Havana and would be happy to answer any questions if I can. I'll try to put together a review as time permits. This was my first Azamara cruise, 10th cruise, and we booked solely for Cuba. And we booked after June 16th. I've been using CC for over 15 years to prepare for my cruises and so appreciate the advice and experience shared by those returning from a cruise and am always happy to pay it forward. So, if you have a question I might be able to answer, shoot.

 

 

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Thank you for your offer, I'd like to follow this thread. We booked after 16th June as well and I'm yet to receive any notification from Azamara or our Australian Travel Agents and what I have found out is solely from our Quest 28 March Roll call and Trip Advisor. We will be doing three ports of call in Cuba with three days in Havana, I plan on using Azamara for the Tropicana or the Parisien (the former being twice the price of the Paisien) did you go to either? For the day time touring (and Classic Car) I plan to use a local tour company that is OFAC Complicant. Were you able to walk around the city on the days that you had booked tours?

I'm assuming your visas were handled by Azamara on board? We will be ticking Box 2 on the Certification (though we are intending doing both 1 & 2. Thank you so much in advance. Jenny

Suzcruise - Thanks again I have looked at your post on the November cruise that GrandmaCruising was good enough to refer us too. I do not EVER want to become and 'unhappy' Azamara Cruiser:):)

Many people were forced to do a ship's tour. We did our own. Since your trip is a year away, I would wait and let things shake out. There is a lot of confusion right now. And there was a lot of anger about how Azamara handled things on our cruise. I can only imagine things will change before your cruise.

I would highly recommend our guide though! We booked with a private citizen, Tours by Blexie. George wound up being our guide because Blexie was ill. He showed us everything, we customized the tour to our interests and he was very sensitive desire to work with the new regulations. blexie100588@gmail.com. It was a fabulous experience! So educational and informative and I am 100% confident our tour complied with the spirit and letter of the law. Some people aboard the ship were concerned about their ship's tour as it was on a government owned bus, guided by a government employed guide and visiting sites on the banned list.

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Thank you for your offer, I'd like to follow this thread. We booked after 16th June as well and I'm yet to receive any notification from Azamara or our Australian Travel Agents and what I have found out is solely from our Quest 28 March Roll call and Trip Advisor. We will be doing three ports of call in Cuba with three days in Havana, I plan on using Azamara for the Tropicana or the Parisien (the former being twice the price of the Paisien) did you go to either? For the day time touring (and Classic Car) I plan to use a local tour company that is OFAC Complicant. Were you able to walk around the city on the days that you had booked tours?

 

 

 

I'm assuming your visas were handled by Azamara on board? We will be ticking Box 2 on the Certification (though we are intending doing both 1 & 2. Thank you so much in advance. Jenny

Sorry, I think our posts crossed and I just now saw this. I didn't see Grandma Cruisin refer you to anything, though I have answered this question in a few different places on the forums. We did not do either of the shows, but went to hear live music on our own.

Our visas were handled onboard. I only heard of one gentleman who obtained his own. I have sited the actual language from the CFR that we relied on for our checking box 4 and "support the Cuban people" in another post that might be the one you were referred to. Look at the example from the Treasury Department's website, as I found that very helpful. I won't post it again just in case I'm being too repetitive. But let me know if I didn't answer your question.

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Go on Channel 10 Miami. The CEO of Norwegian did a short interview about Cuba. Apparently the major cruise lines sailing to Cuba are having a 2 day conference about Cuba in Miami.

Kathy

Sorry, I think our posts crossed and I just now saw this. I didn't see Grandma Cruisin refer you to anything, though I have answered this question in a few different places on the forums. We did not do either of the shows, but went to hear live music on our own.

 

Our visas were handled onboard. I only heard of one gentleman who obtained his own. I have sited the actual language from the CFR that we relied on for our checking box 4 and "support the Cuban people" in another post that might be the one you were referred to. Look at the example from the Treasury Department's website, as I found that very helpful. I won't post it again just in case I'm being too repetitive. But let me know if I didn't answer your question.

 

 

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Great that’s what we’re planning of selecting!

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I walked around fir most of two days. Walked to the Capital area and got a classic open car. Lovely day.

Last year I did the Parisian show on my own. Took a taxi each way using local money. Cost for taxinplus show about 60 American.

You can as of this week wbdwr around on your own. No one stopped me on the ship or off.

A year from now who knows

Can someone tell me when the "Azamara night" will be on the Cuba Cruise...and what did it consist of??

Can someone tell me when the "Azamara night" will be on the Cuba Cruise...and what did it consist of??

I'm wondering the same thing for our 26 March cruise, which I've asked on the roll call but no one in the know has responded.

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Our Azamazing Evening was in Cozumel. It was a "Mariachi show" at a private beach/water park. I didn't attend.

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