Limited Walking Ability - What is Available in/near Cruise Terminal?

DH and I are going to Cuba on the Carnival Paradise in 3 weeks. He has two ship's excursions booked, but I cannot walk distances and was afraid to book the excursions because of too much walking. They were labeled Easy, but one reviewer said there was a lot of walking.

1) Can I just get off the ship to wander the terminal and what's close by? Will Carnival sell me a visa just to do this without an excursion booked? There seems to be much discussion on this forum and the Carnival website wasn't helpful in this regard. Is there someone reading this forum who was on Carnival and was able to get a visa just to get off the ship and wander around?

2) Are there stores in the terminal to buy things like pottery, rum, cigars?

3) Are there restaurants close to the terminal?

4) Anyone do this in a wheelchair? DH said he would be glad to push me if we could get a wheelchair from the ship just for this. Neither of us want me to miss the opportunity to at least see some things given my limited mobility issues.

There are a few things for sale in the terminal, but just cross the street and visit the Plaza de San Francisco. If you find you can't or don't want to walk any farther you will still have seen some cool architecture, some Cuban people, etc. or if you can, walk a block or two further. It's worth a try. Carnival will sell you a visa and can't prevent you from leaving the ship. It's a beautiful city and you'll be glad you did.

Streets and pavement are very uneven - I would not attempt to bring a wheelchair. Maybe a cane to help steady yourself. There are limited stores in the terminal.

Thank you for your responses. I am thinking of renting a walker with a seat for a week from a local medical equipment company before we board the ship in Tampa. Sounds better than trying to maneuver a wheelchair.

You may consider renting a scooter to take on the ship (they'd probably throw a walker in too)!!;) Most companies will also deliver the scooter to the ship, as well. I don't think the ship will provide a wheelchair.

I borrowed a rollator (4-wheels with a seat and basket, brakes) today, so am set to go!

Cuba requires everyone who gets off the ship to have a visa. You will show it, along with your passport, at the immigration booth. The visa has nothing to do with booking excursions though....everyone getting off the ship needs a visa.

The Havana cruise terminal has a few small shops with souvenirs, but I didn't see any rum or cigars. You'll likely need to go further from the port for those. The closest restaurant I saw to the terminal was 2-3 blocks down the road, to the left and across the road.

For mobility issues, I would suggest hiring a classic car for a city tour. There are many of them lined up right outside the terminal. Pick your favorite car with a driver who speaks English and negotiate a price. A common price is $40 (40 CUC's) per hour....for the whole car, not per person.

Have fun! It's a great experience.

I visited Havana last year and used a rollator to walk around the city. Be prepared, it is extremely difficult to do so. The sidewalks are very, very narrow and often have huge holes in them. The curbs are very much higher than we are used to in the U.S. and there are no curb cuts.

The streets are very uneven cobblestones with large gaps between the stones which easily catch the wheels.

I don't want to discourage you as I was able to maneuver; however, it was very, very challenging.

I would second the idea of going around in a classic car, there seems to be many convertibles and even classic cars with working air conditioning. You can then get out as much, or as little as you want, while still seeing Havana. If you want to see one of the evening shows in Havana, perhaps you can ask about handicapped access to that. The cars will take there and wait for you, I think usually for the round-trip price.

Hop On, Hop Off bus may be an option for you as well. I read another review that said you catch it 45 steps to the left from when you come out of the cruise terminal building. Cost is 10 CUCs per person.