Cuban Cruise Review - May 1st, 2017 - The very FIRST Norwegian sailing!!!

[CTCruiser001]

Once heading back into the terminal we did not want to climbthe 42 steps to get back up the 2nd floor. Luckily we found anelevator which while very slow, was more than capable of getting two achingtired and hot travelers upstairs! It was about 3:30 – 4:00 pm when we returnedand the terminal was still bustling. We went the reverse order from themorning, through security with metal detectors and x-rays, then throughcustoms. They only asked to see our passport and compared photos while seekingout your Cuba stamp. A painless experience which got us back onto the ship in aquick manner.

[CTCruiser001]

OP's wife here...correcting my DH since he was taking all of the pictures...at one point Hector did ask if we wanted the AC on. I said no, since we had all 4 of our windows down and there was a nice breeze.

 

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Oops. I missed this. Thanks babe!

 

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[CruiseGal999]

The reviews have been very helpful and the details great. Your photos are amazing. You & wife are SO cute together. We all hope to have 1/2 as much fun as you both did!

[Gershep]

Beautiful pictures. Thanks for posting!

[CTCruiser001]

Day Three Dailies!

 

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[CTCruiser001]

Day Four Dailies!

 

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[Karmary]

Thanks again! Great review. Cant wait for our trip July 3.

 

 

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[senoragilbert]

CT and MrsCT, I really can't thank you enough! All the photos, dailies, answers, and advice are so greatly appreciated!

[joshlangan]

Great reviews.

Couple questions...

CtCruiser and Mrs. CTCruiser, can you comment about the Sky itself? Condition of the ship, overall service, etc.? Any specifics? How was the food? Did you eat in the MDR or Specialty restaurants? Recommendations?

 

How as the entertainment? Art auctions? Usual ship experiences, etc.

[SAPMAN]

Excellent info. Thanks. Per your comments, I delayed our private tour until 10am as I understand exiting the ship and getting currency exchanged may take some time.

 

Do you know if any music is around that starts earlier than the normal 10pm, going past midnight?

 

Did you see or hear anything about the Hop On Hop Off style buses? Stop near port?

 

How was disembarking on Friday? Regular NCL procedures? As we have late flight, I am wondering if you know how long you can stay on the ship.

[JSR]

@CTCruiser- Thank you for all the detailed information. I have a few questions. You mentioned that Havana night life was lively. What night life besides the Parisian show did you experience? Any suggestions, we are traveling with our 21 yo daughter. We all enjoy live music. Also good food.

What time did you have to be back on the ship on Wednesday ?

 

 

Thank you again for all the information and wonderful photos. We are on next weeks cruise.

[riclop]

Thanks for the review.

[sswv]

Can't thank you enough for your posts and pictures and insights! You are our CC pioneer and we all thank you for the time you put in while on this amazing adventure ! You have delivered an incredible service to those lined up to go n the coming months. Safe travels and please keep posting your thoughts and experiences!

[whtbearfan]

Thanks again! Great review. Cant wait for our trip July 3.

 

 

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You on the Roll Call yet? We are on the same cruise as you.

 

 

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[Cruiser Who Knows Nothing]

I love this review. Thanks.

 

 

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[VillagesCelebrator]

@ mr.&mrs. CT Cruiser, love all your posts! Thanx for providing cruise info, facts and your entertaining viewpoint!

[bcaha]

great review, thank you. Thinking of booking the same trip.

[atanac]

Other than the novelty of visiting a once forbidden country do you think you'd like to visit Cuba again or is it more of a "Been there, done that" kind of port?

[CoffeeGoddess]

Thank you for the review! I've been reading this one while posting to mine since Cuba is on my to-visit list.

 

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[cdann4]

Thank you so much for your insight on Cuba. We are leaving in June. So looking forward to the cruise. We booked our tours through NCL. Don't know what we are doing at GSC. Havent planned anything for that day yet. Any recommendations? Do not want to rent a cabanna. Carol & Bill

[CTCruiser001]

Tonight we went to Cagney’s once showered and cooled down. Dinner and service was very good. After dinner we made our way back off the ship and were quick to get through customs and security. There was a porter in the front of the terminal upon our exit and he asked if we needed a cab. A quick whistle later, we were greeted with a driver who asked where we were going – Hotel National! We agreed on 15 CUC$ and he ran off to get his parked car. Only a few minutes later we were greeted with him and his 1950 Buick. What a great car, but boy the springs on the back seat were shot! It made us appreciate Hector and his smooth driving even more!

[Yunah]

Thanks so much for your review ctcruiser. Three more weeks for us, I really can't wait after reading all this!

 

Just a quick question. You've told us about getting into Cuba and coming and going. What about leaving for the last time. Do you tell the customs officer that this will be your last time passing so that they keep the other half of the visa? How does that work?

 

Thanks again, we've got a private tour booked in one of them really old cars too, should be a lot of fun!

[CTCruiser001]

We arrived at the hotel around 8:30 pm and walked through the courtyard to the “Famous People Bar” so called by the door man. We entered and it was empty, as it had been when we were there earlier in the day. The DW ordered a daiquiri which came plain with no flavor, and I had a double of Bailey’s. While we sat and chatted a bit, one of the Norwegian tours for the Cabaret Parisien show walked through. We counted about 28 people – All wearing the number 10 sticker indicating which tour they belonged too. This was the only tour which entered the bar with us. We spoke to a couple after confirming they were from the Norwegian Sky about the tour and they said they all had to be on the bus at 7:30 pm and sat and sat and sat for a long while before heading to the hotel. Once at the hotel they said they were restricted to remain with their group and couldn’t mingle wherever the they chose before the show.

[CTCruiser001]

Thanks so much for your review ctcruiser. Three more weeks for us, I really can't wait after reading all this!

 

Just a quick question. You've told us about getting into Cuba and coming and going. What about leaving for the last time. Do you tell the customs officer that this will be your last time passing so that they keep the other half of the visa? How does that work?

 

Thanks again, we've got a private tour booked in one of them really old cars too, should be a lot of fun!

 

They keep the full visa (both parts) when you go through the first time. I had questioned it, but we never had any issues.

[Yunah]

They keep the full visa (both parts) when you go through the first time. I had questioned it, but we never had any issues.

 

Oh right, well I suppose that does make sense in a port as you can come and go multiple times. Not like at an airport where you will enter only once and leave once. Thanks for answering!