Is Cruising to Cuba Really Worth the Extra Costs?

[Drazil65]

I have been pricing the trips to Cuba since CCL released them and compared to RCCL they are very reasonable. Pricing a 5 day on CCL for the 3 of us in an OV was under $1800 (with port fees and tax just over $2,000) in August 2017. That is with a stop in Key West and overnight in Cuba. Note that we can easily drive to Tampa and do not need to include air fare.

 

What a wonderful, educational opportunity for our 14 yr old, can you imagine the look on his teachers faces next school year when they ask what you did over the summer? Why not, people are people where ever we have travelled (we have travelled all over the world). Hard working families are everywhere and most enjoy the opportunity to show others that they are no different than us.

 

Our son has had a lot of exposure to many different cultures and people in this world and is a better human being for it. People in other countries rarely reflect the leaders of those countries views and pretty much want the same things for their families that we want (I would never want someone in another country comparing me to the current administration and their views of the world) for ours.

 

We are absolutely looking forward to this cruise and exploring another culture and interacting with the people of Cuba.

[ChinaShrek]

Now that individuals can travel on their own........Airfare is under $300 per person from the northeast US. As mentioned, a B&B (casa particular) runs about U$30 per night. Dinner is about $10; breakfast $5. Long-distance, air conditioned bus transportation is comfortable, cheap and scenic. Transportation around Havana in an air conditioned taxi can add up, but unless you are staying in a $700/night hotel in Havana or going on an organized group land tour, there is no way a cruise is cheaper than a land vacation in Cuba.

 

You could say the same thing for almost any Island in the Caribbean or country in Central America.

[Thrilled2012]

I have been pricing the trips to Cuba since CCL released them and compared to RCCL they are very reasonable. Pricing a 5 day on CCL for the 3 of us in an OV was under $1800 (with port fees and tax just over $2,000) in August 2017. That is with a stop in Key West and overnight in Cuba. Note that we can easily drive to Tampa and do not need to include air fare.

 

What a wonderful, educational opportunity for our 14 yr old, can you imagine the look on his teachers faces next school year when they ask what you did over the summer? Why not, people are people where ever we have travelled (we have travelled all over the world). Hard working families are everywhere and most enjoy the opportunity to show others that they are no different than us.

 

Our son has had a lot of exposure to many different cultures and people in this world and is a better human being for it. People in other countries rarely reflect the leaders of those countries views and pretty much want the same things for their families that we want (I would never want someone in another country comparing me to the current administration and their views of the world) for ours.

 

We are absolutely looking forward to this cruise and exploring another culture and interacting with the people of Cuba.

 

I just love this post so much for so many reasons! Yes, I too, would love to be a fly on the wall when my 11 yo (will be 12 right before our trip) goes back to school and tells the teacher that she spent a week in Cuba over the summer. I just think it's such a unique and educational opportunity, especially since she is "old beyond her years" and would much rather attend a lecture or go to a museum than hang on a beach. Although there will be a bit of Cuban beach time to be had whether she likes it or not lol (mama must snorkel wherever there is snorkeling to be done). I hope you and your family have a wonderful cruise filled with educational opportunities and lifelong memories!

[MorganMars]

Booked an ocean view today for $319 per person fare only for a four day cruise. Add a $75 visa and the usual fees.

[Thrilled2012]

Booked an ocean view today for $319 per person fare only for a four day cruise. Add a $75 visa and the usual fees.

 

 

Nice!! Enjoy your trip!

[easyboy]

Booked an ocean view today for $319 per person fare only for a four day cruise. Add a $75 visa and the usual fees.

Good price for an oceanview! Enjoy!

[plane2port]

Booked an ocean view today for $319 per person fare only for a four day cruise. Add a $75 visa and the usual fees.

 

Which cruise are you going on?

[MorganMars]

Which cruise are you going on?

 

Carnival Paradise on October 5th, as long as we still can by then. Keeping my fingers crossed. Just had friends return after sailing in the Habana Cup, the sailboat race from St. Petersburg, FL to Havana. They really enjoyed it. About 75 boats were in the race.

[mamajules]

I am looking forward to seeing Havana: the old city, the culture, the music, the cars. We are booked on Paradise Oct. 9. Originally booked a while back when it was Cozumel and Grand Cayman for a friend's birthday. Itinerary got changed to Cozumel and an overnight in Havana. Our rate stayed the same, and we will get $100 OBC to cover the visa we are required to get. So it is a win-win. Don't know if I would book a 5 day at prices what they are now. Our porthole room is now over $600 more (for 2 people) than it was when we booked.

[starrcards]

Plus. There's always the possibility this might be the only time to go in the near future. No one knows if we will roll back to the same restrictions to Cuba we've had once the new administration comes in.

 

Part of our rationale. You never know when the current administration will go back to the former travel ban.

[LMaxwell]

Part of our rationale. You never know when the current administration will go back to the former travel ban.

That's a good point. Current admin can rollback changes and make Cuba effectively off-limits again for American tourists.

 

In that case what happens with cruises that you paid a big premium to visit Cuba?

 

I know some people "lucked out" paying for a Bahamas cruise that got switched to Cuba, but what happens if Cuba gets switched to the Bahamas? Many of these 4 day Cuba cruises are significantly more expensive than a Bahamas cruise; on par with many 7 day cruise costs. Will the cruise line just say well, that's the way the cookie crumbles? Can you cancel before final payment without penalty?

[RaiderDuck]

Well you have till the 20th of Jan to get all your Cruising done to Cuba, because the New Administration is Going to Cancel Obama Executive Order regarding Cuba which means

 

No More Cruises from American Ports to Cuba

No More Direct Flights to Cuba from US

 

This is Not a Opinion, It is Stone Cold Fact..

Michael

Well, President Trump has been in office almost three months now. Our Cuba cruise sails in less than a week, and several major cruise lines have Cuba cruises available until the end of the year.

 

Got any more "Stone Cold Facts" you'd care to share with us? :'):'):'):'):')

[Mahini]

Booked a cruise on the Empress for October while on a Bahamas cruise last month. Managed to get a reasonable price, IMO, compared to the fares I saw when the Cuba trips were originally advertised. So just keep looking to see if you can catch a sale.

[lcav33]

We just returned from a 7 night cruise on Celestyal's Crystal http://yourcubacruise.com which began and ended in Montego Bay. You are also able to embark/disembark in Havana. Our ports in Cuba included two days in Havana along with a day in Cienfuegos and Santiago. While the ship was small it was a lovely experience. We had a room with an obstructed view, and the cost of $3900 included our mandatory insurance, Cuban visa, all tours which met the People to People requirements, gratuities on the ship, and an alcohol package. We flew SW airlines to Montego Bay, immediately boarded the ship and flew home the day of disembarkation. The tours were a combination of bus and walking, along with cultural/art performances and a choice of Havana's art or revolution museum. The onboard lecturer was an associate professor from U. of Havana. With airfare and parking, cost of the cruise, and about $200 for miscellaneous, the trip cost us about $4500.00. Cuba's main GDP is tourism. I would encourage anyone to visit this mysterious, vibrant country if they are fortunate enough to afford it.

 

 

Yours is the first review that I have come across so far from somebody that has been there and back via cruise line. I know there is a requirement for enrichment in order to visit there from the states. Were you able to walk around on your own after your cultural excursions to check out restaurants and stuff? I'm taking a different cruise line (RCCL) then you did, but we are in port for a long day. With the cultural tours only taking about 3 hours. I was hoping to be able to sample the cuisine (which should be an educational / history enriched tour in itself), but since these cruise offerings are so new, I haven't yet had the opportunity to hear from people who have actually experienced it. Any feedback you could provide would be greatly appreciated!

[LHT28]

Yours is the first review that I have come across so far from somebody that has been there and back via cruise line.

There are several threads on cruise to Cuba

 

Celestyal/Louis cruise line has been doing the Cuba trip for several years now

 

lots of good info in the thread

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1850565

 

also

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2488894

[VidaNaPraia]

Yours is the first review that I have come across so far from somebody that has been there and back via cruise line. I know there is a requirement for enrichment in order to visit there from the states. Were you able to walk around on your own after your cultural excursions to check out restaurants and stuff? I'm taking a different cruise line (RCCL) then you did, but we are in port for a long day. With the cultural tours only taking about 3 hours. I was hoping to be able to sample the cuisine (which should be an educational / history enriched tour in itself), but since these cruise offerings are so new, I haven't yet had the opportunity to hear from people who have actually experienced it. Any feedback you could provide would be greatly appreciated!

 

The "feedback" you need to understand is that no one is checking, no one has been checking for over a decade, and no one (OFAC, other US gov't agency) is likely to have sufficient budget to check in the future. Think about it. You are supposed to keep notes on your schedule of whatever you did to fulfill the criteria you chose and hang onto them for 5 years. OK. If you are concerned, do that. (and eating or talking to people on the street technically do not count toward "educational activities", which is just 1 of the 12 possible legal reasons for travel) But in practice, how is the US gov't going to check up on an independent tour guide, a Cuban citizen, in Cuba, without running roughshod over diplomatic relationships, to confirm that you really did what you say you did? Worst case scenario: The official at the border on re-entry to the US may ask, when he sees your printed receipt from the machine, what you were doing there (just remember not to say "tourism" or "beach vacation"-- LOL) , but s/he has no authority to act beyond the question and is not interested in doing so. Cruise line is no different than any of the direct flights now. So just go, do whatever interests you, and enjoy. Go on some of the other Cuba travel forums like Thorn tree and Trip Advisor to confirm that others there are saying the same.

 

And btw, the "cuisine" is pretty bad across the board, unless you go out of your way to make reservations at one of the few places that tourists have found to be fairly adequate, so do lower your expectations.

[VidaNaPraia]

Originally posted by Wanderlost "... a 7 night cruise on Celestyal's Crystal ... the trip cost us about $4500.00. Cuba's main GDP is tourism. I would encourage anyone to visit this mysterious, vibrant country if they are fortunate enough to afford it."

 

 

And a room in a casa particular (B&B) is $30/night, meals are about $10, airfare from the US northeast is under $300, so you don't have to be so "fortunate" to afford a visit. Neither the country, the people nor the means to visit are "mysterious".

[mooline]

I'm just curious as to what it is about Cuba that will have people paying outrageous prices to go there.

 

Thank you for starting this interesting dialogue! It's intriguing to read all the different perspectives.

 

To respond to your question, we booked a Cuba cruise for several reasons.

 

Neither of us is of Cuban descent, but my husband has always been keenly interested in the history that the island holds, and has wanted to visit it for some time.

 

As others have said, it is one of the few countries that is still strongly steeped in its own culture with minimal influence from foreign corporations or companies.

 

It's an easy cruise - we live within driving distance to the embarkation port.

 

We wanted a "different" way to celebrate a wedding anniversary.

 

We're pretty easy to please and tend to go with the flow, so we're happy to enjoy this different kind of trip, even though we might encounter some curve balls (smaller/older ship, lines for immigration in Havana, bureaucracy, etc).

 

Certainly we could have purchased a less expensive cruise and had a great time, but the principal reasons are we have enjoyed every cruise we've taken, and Cuba is of particular interest, so combining the two made sense for us.

 

Hope this helps!

[pbenjamin]

We're pretty easy to please and tend to go with the flow, so we're happy to enjoy this different kind of trip, even though we might encounter some curve balls (smaller/older ship, lines for immigration in Havana, bureaucracy, etc).

 

The only significant line we had to deal with was currency exchange at our first port, which was Santiago de Cuba. In your case your first and only port is Havana, which has a much larger exchange area, although you are on a much larger ship.

[VidaNaPraia]

.... currency exchange ..... In your case your first and only port is Havana, which has a much larger exchange area.......

And many cadecas and banks quite nearby in the Havana Vieja neighborhood, if you don't need CUC immediately, arrive during business hours, and can walk 10 minutes before exchanging. Also the Florida hotel on the main tourist street of Calle Obispo, very close to the port, exchanges at their front desk. (I exchanged there and was not a guest of the hotel.) Bring your passport.

[VidaNaPraia]

...... my husband has always been keenly interested in the history that the island holds, and has wanted to visit it for some time.

 

Well, you could have gone conveniently through Mexico or other countries.

Discussing the history with local Cubans may leave your husband in shock, if he is able to have conversations with locals, as it did me when someone told me "we thought we had the good guy" when I asked. Changed my perspective for sure. Many of the poorest had their lives significantly bettered and were given opportunities that would not have been possible before. For others, they are pragmatic and prefer to avoid discussing politics/political history to just enjoy their lives in the best manner they can, or for other reasons.

Es Cuba.

Most Cubans are quite welcoming to US tourists. You may be asked where you are from quite frequently, usually as an opening to sell you a service of some sort though.

The tour guides will tell you what they think you want to hear.

 

...... it is one of the few countries that is still strongly steeped in its own culture with minimal influence from foreign corporations or companies.

 

It seems (in my experience) no more "strongly steeped in its own culture with minimal influence from foreign corporations or companies" than the Yucatan (away from tourists in Cancun and 5th in Playa del Carmen, but in contact with the Maya who live there), as just one example. The locals in Havana watch Univision from Miami every day, with commercials from Lowe's and Macy's, so they are not isolated from US culture. Or than many other countries I've visited across the globe. Brazil has a strong culture. Turkey has a strong culture. Etc. Etc. There is foreign investment in Cuba (just not US) and many people have relatives who regularly send/bring items from the US and other countries, and who are investing in businesses. There are individuals who go to Europe or Mexico to buy, and come back to Cuba to sell.

Also, on the flip side, this so-called "minimal influence from foreign corporations or companies" may be romantic to you, but it is a strong negative for the Cuban people, who often face shortages of building materials and household furnishings/items. Should they keep their present lifestyle because you think it is quaint?

And personally, after a week or so in Cuba, this generally-non-fast-food fan wouldn't mind a nice juicy BEEF hamburger, whether I have to look at the golden arches on some street corner or not. And many Cubans I've spoken to can't wait for the day.

[mooline]

For others, they are pragmatic and prefer to avoid discussing politics/political history to just enjoy their lives in the best manner they can, or for other reasons

 

Also, on the flip side, this so-called "minimal influence from foreign corporations or companies" may be romantic to you, but it is a strong negative for the Cuban people, who often face shortages of building materials and household furnishings/items. Should they keep their present lifestyle because you think it is quaint?

And personally, after a week or so in Cuba, this generally-non-fast-food fan wouldn't mind a nice juicy BEEF hamburger, whether I have to look at the golden arches on some street corner or not. And many Cubans I've spoken to can't wait for the day.

 

Vida, thank you for your perspective.

 

I believe my choice of words may not have been the best. By "history", I did not mean political history, per se, instead I was referring more to the overall the cultural, architectural and anthropological, starting centuries ago We won't be "shocked", since we don't have specific opinions to validate. We're both interested to learn and discover.

 

The lack of foreign investment is not something we're romanticizing, nor is it a statement against corporate America, rather it's simply one of the attributes that makes Cuba different, thus appealing especially given its proximity to America.

 

My post was simply an honest reply to the original poster who asked others for the reasons why they would go to Cuba.

[VidaNaPraia]

The lack of foreign investment.......

...does not really exist at this time in history. Lots of foreign investment in the tourism sector particularly.

Lack of US corporate, not private individual, investment, yes.

We US folks are very US-centric regarding Cuba, have been indoctrinated quite well, (not surprising given the huge fortunes the grudge-holding Miami Cubans invest trying to buy political influence among US lawmakers to keep the status quo), and IMO, need to get over ourselves and join the modern world.

 

...lack of foreign investment ......it's simply one of the attributes that makes Cuba ......appealing

There is nothing "appealing" in deliberately keeping a people from prospering, keeping them from goods and services that they have earned and can afford, keeping their lives primitive in many cases.

Edited May 6, 2017 by VidaNaPraia

[cruisegirl1]

I wouldn't pay over $1k either, but I am highly considering booking a Cuba trip because we don't mind inside cabins and they are now under $700 for 5 nights with an overnight in Havana so we could get 2 days there (and we have always wanted to go to Cuba). My only hesitation is that I have heard nothing positive about Empress of the Seas. And I don't want to do NCL because its only a 4 night cruise which is short for us. Ahhh, decisions, decisions.

 

Returned last evening from the 7 night Empress to Cuba. If you are expecting a new ship with larger cabins, lots of balcony cabins and all the bells and whistles of a newer ship you will be disappointed. We were pleasantly surprised. We knew what we were getting and the ship exceeded all our expectations. After seeing the dock area - I can understand why they need to use a smaller ship.

 

We did the RCCL 8 hour tour and found the tour to be wonderful. We usually book private or semi private tours but didn't for this stop.

 

The ship is small but it had good entertainment, food and an amazing staff.

m

[Thrilled2012]

Returned last evening from the 7 night Empress to Cuba. If you are expecting a new ship with larger cabins, lots of balcony cabins and all the bells and whistles of a newer ship you will be disappointed. We were pleasantly surprised. We knew what we were getting and the ship exceeded all our expectations. After seeing the dock area - I can understand why they need to use a smaller ship.

 

We did the RCCL 8 hour tour and found the tour to be wonderful. We usually book private or semi private tours but didn't for this stop.

 

The ship is small but it had good entertainment, food and an amazing staff.

m

 

So glad you had a great cruise!! We actually decided some time ago to nix the cruise to Cuba idea and do a land vacay instead since it's WAY cheaper and we will get a lot more time to explore Cuba. Flights to Cuba from Philadelphia are dirt cheap (like under $300 round trip cheap) and B&Bs in Cuba are $30/night with extra meals there also being dirt cheap. So we're doing a week in Cuba in August and then flying to San Juan and we'll do our cruise from there after our land vacay. We'll still have the small/old ship experience but we picked the cruise for the ports and don't really care what the ship is like 😁.