Preferred port for cruising to Cuba.

Will travel to Florida to cruise to Cuba. Which port do you recommend and why? Have never been to Florida.

On Carnival, for the moment cruises to Cuba are only out of Tampa on the Paradise.

I didn't realize that! Thanks!

a quick check on CCL website, Victory and Sensation out of Miami, Sunrise out of FL, and the Paradise out of Tampa. Of the 3 Florida cities FL is our least favorite. We love Miami as it is so vibrant and the port area has everything.

MSC Armonia, cruises out of Miami also

IMHO I would pick a cruise that spent the night in Havana. Have friends who went on Paradise last month and they were in Cuba overnight; friends who went from Miami and spent only one night wished they had longer. Just my two cents worth!

or a cruise that stops in more than 1 Cuban port

Can attest to overnight in Havana being pretty darn good. Being able to experiance the night life is fantastic

or a cruise that stops in more than 1 Cuban port

Or a land trip of Cuba where you really get to see Cuba.

DON

Regarding the departure ports, not all cruise lines have ships departing from every port on itineraries that include Cuba. That would be cruise line and ship specific, so you should research the mainstream cruise lines to see which ships departe from which port on which itinerary. Check their websites and do a destination search or contact a travel agent.

The departure ports really are not really relevant and secondary to the cruise line, ship, and itinerary that you would be interested in - you would depart from the port that offers what you want. But just FYI, the typical ones that I'm familiar with that would have Cuban itineraries are primarily Miami and Tampa, and perhaps Ft. Lauderdale. And most of them are relatively short 4-5 day itineraries as Cuba is either the only port of call or one of two, with Key West often being another.

A number of upscale lines are doing 7 day round trips out of Havana.

More than the port of embarkation, I’d focus on the itinerary. As others have said, an overnight in Havana is awesome and will give you a chance to really appreciate what this city has to offer. Also, if you can find an itinerary that visits other Cuban ports besides Havana, that will be even better.

I personally don’t care much for Miami (maybe because I lived there for several years so I don’t see that city through tourist rose colored glasses). I’d rather sail from Ft Lauderdale or Tampa. But as mentioned before, the port of embarkation wouldn’t be a decidido factor for me.

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A number of upscale lines are doing 7 day round trips out of Havana.

Thanks for the update!