$400OBC or 4free excursions(2each) for Cuba

We are getting a taste of Oceania with a 7day Cuba trip from Miami.

We have free grats from a TA and are not big drinkers. We might have 1 cocktail during the day;one glass of wine with dinner;and maybe a nightcap but not always.

I generally book our own excursions unless the cruise line has something that would be difficult to book on our own. For example in Cuba I am thinking that the evening in Havana where we'd like to hear music might be more easily arranged with a ship's trip rather than on our own.

What would you experienced Oceania cruisers do in this situation with the O Life choices we have? Right now I have just kept the OBC.

On our Cuba cruise, we took the excursion perk because you can book ones worth up to $199 so this option can be worth up to $398 instead of the $200 OBC.

We booked our 2 excursions to see the Buena Vista Social Club jazz group (at the Melia Cohiba hotel) and go on a farm-to-table tour and eat lunch at the restaurant. The latter tour was cancelled and we got $100 OBC for that. The first tour was fantastic! It was in the evening in Havana.

The rest of the time in Cuba we took either private tours or wandered around on our own.

Thanks Go Bucks!!

You have been very helpful especially with Cuba info.

I know that 2019 is far off but I am quite excited about that cruise!

Thanks Go Bucks!!

You have been very helpful especially with Cuba info.

I know that 2019 is far off but I am quite excited about that cruise!

You're welcome! I'm sure you'll love Cuba...we sure did.

We did 2 of O's excursions in Havana last year. This year we will take the OBC and book our own excursions. We don't have pp gratuities this time so some of the OBC will go towards that along with some "adult" beverages.;) To give you a price comparison, last year the O evening at the Buena Vista Social Club at the Melia Cohiba was "valued" at $159. This year we will do it for $30. with private driver as an add on for the full day tour already booked. The ship tour we took to the Parisien Cabaret at the Hotel Nacional ($129.) left the pier way earlier than necessary for the 10 minute trip and once at the hotel we waited hours in poor seats for the show to begin. The $179. Life of Hemingway in Havana was interesting but truthfully we spent more time waiting for people who could not find their way back to the bus than actual touring. We learmed the lesson that you CAN do Cuba on your own for less money and more comfortably.

Interesting to hear that you can do the evening performance for such a low price. Can you share the name of the company you are using for your private tour and evening show??? I am comfortable booking private tours.

We may still switch out the OBC for the tours since I don't think we can drink enough to spend $400 in only 1 week? Not sure there is much else to spend on board since grats will be paid.

Interesting to hear that you can do the evening performance for such a low price. Can you share the name of the company you are using for your private tour and evening show??? I am comfortable booking private tours.

We may still switch out the OBC for the tours since I don't think we can drink enough to spend $400 in only 1 week? Not sure there is much else to spend on board since grats will be paid.

We're using FerTours(at)nauta.cu as recommended by a fellow CC poster.

Thanks! Have them on my list.

We may still switch out the OBC for the tours since I don't think we can drink enough to spend $400 in only 1 week? Not sure there is much else to spend on board since grats will be paid.

That's why we took the ship tours....we had tons of OBC already, plus free internet and prepaid gratuities.