A Tale of Two Havana tours - from the sublime to the ridiculous

[ikelmay]

I just thought I’d post my experience with our two Havana tours on our recent Cuba and Caribbean cruise.  Hopefully it may give some insight into options when visiting Havana.  Sorry in advance for the length of the posting.

 

We overnighted on the Azamara Journey, giving us almost 2 full days to explore Havana.  On our first day, we chose to use Blexie’s tours courtesy of very positive feedback from CC posters.  This was an overview of Havana taking in a walking segment around old Havana and driving to other areas in a classic car.  The second day I decided to take a ship’s tour -  Hemingway’s Havana which was intended to follow in the footsteps of the esteemed writer and give us an insight into his life and times in Cuba.

 

Day 1 was nothing short of spectacular.  Six hours spent with a knowledgeable and engaging guide, a university lecturer (Jorge) who under the current Cuban economic system, makes a much better living guiding visitors around Havana.  An incredible price for a day of sightseeing and driving in a 56 Oldsmobile.  Our tour was tailored to our exact requirements, so lots of history and culture and almost no shopping for souvenirs.

 

Day 2 by contrast was an absolute shambles.  We purchased our tour on board from the Azamara excursion desk 2 days before our arrival in Havana.  The tour wasn’t cheap at $159 but the focal point of the tour was a visit to Hemingway’s home and museum, Finca Viga, where he penned some of his greatest works.  Imagine the collective surprise on the bus when within 10 minutes of sitting down, we were told that the museum was closed and that we were instead going to visit local Havana sights which two thirds of the bus had actually visited the previous day.  We then spent the best part of 3 hours with a guide desperately trying to make the tour work, and a bus load of exceedingly grumpy and upset passengers.

 

What particularly annoyed me was the lack of interest expressed by the excursion desk when a number of guests reported back.  “Oh we knew nothing about this” was the collective response.  Excuse me, but you are the agent selling the tour, organizing and marketing the product.  You SHOULD have known about closing dates.  We did get a grudging partial refund within a few days and then one week later, a muted apology, but as always accompanied by the excursion desk parrot cry of “but we knew nothing about this”.  In my opinion I would expect the excursion desk to have a better handle on tour content when selling a tour only two days before it was due to take place.

 

The moral of the story is, of course, buyer beware.  I have always felt tour excursions from the ship offered a significantly different product to locally sourced tours, but I’ve never encountered such collective chaos from a supposedly reputable cruise line.

Edited January 13, 2019 by ikelmay
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[ellbon]

If you were on the holiday cruise then I was on that cruise. Museums closed early the first day. As in most parts  of the world museums were closed on Monday. I found it hard to find new things to do there. 

 

The MIA office should of done the ABC islands first and then both towns in  Cuba. Then  we would if had more tondo.

 

your guide should of taken you to the hotel National and explain the history there abd given guests free time to have a drink in the gardens.

 

 

i went to the HD about one tour.  I have found the shre ex desk lacking more and more. Most of us know not to buy a ships tour unless it a third world country or area. Sometimes I do the snorkel tours thru ship. But in this case the buyer should of been on the Hemingway website where the days and hours are posted.

 

 

[hiccups]

2 hours ago, ellbon said:

 

I went to the HD about one tour.  I have found the shre ex desk lacking more and more. Most of us know not to buy a ships tour unless it a third world country or area. Sometimes I do the snorkel tours thru ship. But in this case the buyer should of been on the Hemingway website where the days and hours are posted.

 

 

 

I disagree the buyer should have to check out the Hemingway website.  People book tours to have someone else take care of all the details—for $159, I expect the tour operator knows whether the venue they are being paid to take me to is open.

 

On our Uniworld river cruise, twice Uniworld made arrangements to get us into closed venues.  The least Azamara can do is not schedule an excursion to someplace that’s closed.

[ikelmay]

4 hours ago, ellbon said:

i went to the HD about one tour.  I have found the shre ex desk lacking more and more. Most of us know not to buy a ships tour unless it a third world country or area. Sometimes I do the snorkel tours thru ship. But in this case the buyer should of been on the Hemingway website where the days and hours are posted.

 

An interesting perspective -  I on the other hand would expect that one reason for paying inflated cruise ship excursion prices is to at least have a guarantee that the content and product sold to me in the brochure is accurate and timely. 

 

I'm also curious as to how you expect a customer who may not have internet access on the ship to be able to research the ship's own tour content?

Edited January 13, 2019 by ikelmay

[ellbon]

2 hours ago, ikelmay said:

An interesting perspective -  I on the other hand would expect that one reason for paying inflated cruise ship excursion prices is to at least have a guarantee that the content and product sold to me in the brochure is accurate and timely. 

 

I'm also curious as to how you expect a customer who may not have internet access on the ship to be able to research the ship's own tour content?

I thought everyone had internet on the ship.  Most of us get it for freel also before I left home I would of done  the research on everything I wanted to do on the ship. Compared the ship prices with what I could do on my own.

 

two people screwed up in the home office. The person who planned the cruise..and the person who offered a tour to a place  that is closed for the day.  The MIA research team did not do their job either.

 

i spent days on ship dealing with the motion but had no problem getting internet. 

 

I would be dealing with the HD or Gurst Relstions manager until the shore ex Celt woke up.

[uktog]

No one has absolutely free internet onboard Azamara unless they book at a time when free internet is offered as a perk.  So it’s unfair to expect any guest to have to use that.  You pay a premium for the excursions for that you expect 100% checking by the vendor whoever they are. 

 

The OP is correct that full research should have been done, not every country’s museums close on Monday so you can’t expect them as the tour purchaser to know that.

 

I too have found the onboard response to massive screw ups on excursions inappropriate even when senior management are involved. The problem is there hands are tied as all this is Head Office managed. I have, like the OP had two tours which fundamentally failed to deliver the key headline (not smaller quality issues but a failure to deliver as advertised). In one case the specialist museum we specifically booked to see had actually been closed for four months and in another a tour advertised as being with a photography expert to guide you get the best shots had no such person so was turned into a basic walking tour. 

 

In both cases under UK consumer legislation (which could not be applied) we should receive 100% refund however after onboard wrangling (and who wants to spend a cruise wasting time finding the powerless and often very ill informed staff responsible for excursions) we got 30% refunds the policy we were told is we got the excursions so there was some value in the other elements. 

 

Personally our choice now is to bodyswerve the ships offerings wherever possible however in some countries and ports this is not possible and in other cases as the ship shops are so useless and we usually stay in suites we have to do something with the OBC. 

 

I have posted before my dissatisfaction on the standard of Azamara land Discoveries particularly the inconsistency which makes them unreliable.  I have taken a river cruise, there all excursions were 100% as advertised or better(extras) in every port. Talking to guests there, that was the norm not an exception (and they were included in the cruise costs so we hadn’t selected premium options). 

 

Come on Azamara, let’s hope for 2019 the long promised sort out for excursions appears including a much swifter and fairer process where there is a fundamental breakdown in what is delivered from what was advertised- it should in circumstances like the OP described 100% automatic to all booked not just those who complain 

 

Edited January 13, 2019 by uktog

[Shawnino]

I've never understood why people take ship's tours instead of booking their own.

Risk/reward never seems to add up well.

[uktog]

3 minutes ago, Shawnino said:

I've never understood why people take ship's tours instead of booking their own.

Risk/reward never seems to add up well.

But if a promo from the cruiseline gives you $1000 OBC what else can you usefully use it for particularly if you don’t need to buy special dining.

 

Risk/reward can add up, we’ve had great ones, it’s the inconsistency in offering and failure to take responsibility by the cruiseline  that’s the big issue. Independent isn’t necessarily best, recently on our South American cruise three of us had a day trip through a provider highly recommended here on Cruise Critic. The guide was poor and our concerns were not addressed so it does cut both ways. 

[puppycanducruise]

Thanks for the warning.

[nordski]

45 minutes ago, uktog said:

But if a promo from the cruiseline gives you $1000 OBC what else can you usefully use it for particularly if you don’t need to buy special dining.

 

Risk/reward can add up, we’ve had great ones, it’s the inconsistency in offering and failure to take responsibility by the cruiseline  that’s the big issue. Independent isn’t necessarily best, recently on our South American cruise three of us had a day trip through a provider highly recommended here on Cruise Critic. The guide was poor and our concerns were not addressed so it does cut both ways. 

 

Agree. 

 

In each port we make decisions based upon a number of factors.

[IWillGoAnywhere26]

59 minutes ago, uktog said:

But if a promo from the cruiseline gives you $1000 OBC what else can you usefully use it for particularly if you don’t need to buy special dining.

 

Risk/reward can add up, we’ve had great ones, it’s the inconsistency in offering and failure to take responsibility by the cruiseline  that’s the big issue. Independent isn’t necessarily best, recently on our South American cruise three of us had a day trip through a provider highly recommended here on Cruise Critic. The guide was poor and our concerns were not addressed so it does cut both ways. 

So well said! We've had lots of ship's excursions over the years that have been outstanding.  And we've been disappointed a number of times with private excursions that have come highly recommended online.  That being said, we try to book privately when we feel comfortable doing so.  We head off to our Cuba cruise for January 24 soon.  We have some ship's tours booked so I'll hold my breath and keep my fingers crossed, 🙂 

Edited January 13, 2019 by IWillGoAnywhere26

[Shawnino]

2 hours ago, uktog said:

But if a promo from the cruiseline gives you $1000 OBC what else can you usefully use it for particularly if you don’t need to buy special dining.

 

Risk/reward can add up, we’ve had great ones, it’s the inconsistency in offering and failure to take responsibility by the cruiseline  that’s the big issue. Independent isn’t necessarily best, recently on our South American cruise three of us had a day trip through a provider highly recommended here on Cruise Critic. The guide was poor and our concerns were not addressed so it does cut both ways. 

 

Well, dining/drinks/internet is the place to start, sure.

If you don't need to spend on that, there's the Spa and the shops. I do not claim they are screaming value but perhaps you can find something that suits.

 

We find our shore-ex on CC's sister site, Trip Advisor. We've done stacks and if we stick to top-five ranked outfits in a given location, I'm 90%+ to have what I consider to be a 5/5 or 4/5 experience. 

 

It's not just Azamara: reading the boards across this site, contracted ship-sponsored shore-ex seem to be random hit-or-miss on every line. Hit-or-miss is not how I'll spend my vacation.

 

Agreed: the damage is somewhat less if you're just burning OBC that would go unspent otherwise, as opposed to spending additional money. That said, if forced to choose between "being stuffed on a bus to see things I saw the day before with others on the bus even crankier than I am" and "somehow leaving OBC utterly unspent", I'd choose the latter. 

[nordski]

1 hour ago, Shawnino said:

 

Well, dining/drinks/internet is the place to start, sure.

If you don't need to spend on that, there's the Spa and the shops. I do not claim they are screaming value but perhaps you can find something that suits.

 

We find our shore-ex on CC's sister site, Trip Advisor. We've done stacks and if we stick to top-five ranked outfits in a given location, I'm 90%+ to have what I consider to be a 5/5 or 4/5 experience. 

 

It's not just Azamara: reading the boards across this site, contracted ship-sponsored shore-ex seem to be random hit-or-miss on every line. Hit-or-miss is not how I'll spend my vacation.

 

Agreed: the damage is somewhat less if you're just burning OBC that would go unspent otherwise, as opposed to spending additional money. That said, if forced to choose between "being stuffed on a bus to see things I saw the day before with others on the bus even crankier than I am" and "somehow leaving OBC utterly unspent", I'd choose the latter. 

 

I always appreciate hearing what works for other cruisers.

 

On the other hand, we try to make good decisions based upon our own personal experiences and needs. And I’m always pleased when we get it right. 😄

[uktog]

The silly thing is it would not take a lot for Azamara to distinguish themselves from the other lines with a 90%+ success rate.  It just needs an eye for detail between the local agents and the head office folks and a more proportionate response if that eye for detail had wandered elsewhere.  

To be fair, Azamara do not stuff their buses with a policy of aiming not to exceed 25 guests on a bus.  Even if they do go over that number I have never been on a large full bus with them.  

The Scot in me cannot leave large amounts of OBC unspent, I do not need to hit the last dime but I certainly don't want to waste $100

PS The South American disaster was checked out on trip advisor.  Again good write ups though always with the owner, no mention of the substitute.

[donaldsc]

12 hours ago, ellbon said:

I thought everyone had internet on the ship.  Most of us get it for freel also before I left home I would of done  the research on everything I wanted to do on the ship. Compared the ship prices with what I could do on my own.

 

two people screwed up in the home office. The person who planned the cruise..and the person who offered a tour to a place  that is closed for the day.  The MIA research team did not do their job either.

 

i spent days on ship dealing with the motion but had no problem getting internet. 

 

I would be dealing with the HD or Gurst Relstions manager until the shore ex Celt woke up.

 

In what universe do you live in.   Ships do HAVE internet but most of have to pay for it so we don't.   

 

DON

[hiccups]

9 hours ago, Shawnino said:

I've never understood why people take ship's tours instead of booking their own.

Risk/reward never seems to add up well.

 

When we have nonrefundable OBC, we (mostly me, as my husband is usually golfing), we book ship's tours.  It just doesn't make sense for me to spend $75-100 of my own money on a private tour if I have OBC.  Like uktog, the Scot in me isn't going to let it go unused 😉

[donaldsc]

3 hours ago, hiccups said:

 

When we have nonrefundable OBC, we (mostly me, as my husband is usually golfing), we book ship's tours.  It just doesn't make sense for me to spend $75-100 of my own money on a private tour if I have OBC.  Like uktog, the Scot in me isn't going to let it go unused 😉

 

I would disagree.  You take a tour (ship or otherwise) for the experience and to a certain extent the money spent on the tour is irrelevant.  The last time I took a ship tour and we almost never take them, it was free because we won it in a drawing.  It was so bad that it was worth less than what I paid for it.  By taking the free ship tour, I was denied the opportunity to do what I really wanted to do in the city - my mistake.

 

I would much prefer to pay for a good private tour and then spend the OBC on something in the store than waste my limited time in a city on a lousy ship tour.

 

With regard to the OP's message, I find it interesting and not surprising that the private tour was very good and the ship tour was bad.

 

DON

Edited January 14, 2019 by donaldsc

[hiccups]

16 minutes ago, donaldsc said:

 

I would disagree.  You take a tour (ship or otherwise) for the experience and to a certain extent the money spent on the tour is irrelevant.  The last time I took a ship tour and we almost never take them, it was free because we won it in a drawing.  It was so bad that it was worth less than what I paid for it.  By taking the free ship tour, I was denied the opportunity to do what I really wanted to do in the city - my mistake.

 

I would much prefer to pay for a good private tour and then spend the OBC on something in the store than waste my limited time in a city on a lousy ship tour.

 

With regard to the OP's message, I find it interesting and not surprising that the private tour was very good and the ship tour was bad.

 

DON

The money spent is not irrelevant to me.  If you wish to spend extra money, great!  I don't.  There are enough excursions that I generally find something that sounds appealing.  I've had good and bad ship's excursions, and good and bad private excursions.  The stores on Azamara have nothing I want, so for us, we'd rather spend the OBC on excursions.  Clearly, YMMV.

[aussie travel bird]

If the content of the sold ship's excursion (contract) wasn't covered they I believe you have every right to a raise a polite request for a refund.  

[iata]

It happens to us, sydney 4x4 Blue mountains excursion.  We were loaded in a bus (around 35 people)with a big sign in front of the bus saying 4x4 blue mountains. So we got in thinking the bus will drive us where we will pick the 4x4. 15 minutes we are outside Sydney on an highway. So i asked the bus driver when we will pick up the 4x4. He said sorry no 4x4 they all broke yesterday. What. You means 8 to 10 4x4 broke yesterday.  I am not a complainer but as soon as I got onboard I went to the shore excursions desk and have the we don't know about that and i said now you know,  she said nobody complained. I said it will come as I knew that many were angry.  She said she can't do anything about it, next.  So we went our way. We met the same night many people who were on the same excursion and tehey did complain also but they received the same answer, we don't know and nobody complained. So a group of 10 we all went back at the same time so they can't give us the same answer. We  got a 50% refund with no sorry.  We did'nt want a refund we just want them to acknowledge that it is impossible that all the 4x4 broke the day before,  so i don,t what went wrong and where and just want to know the truth, i will never know :)

[ellbon]

Ann, I never been in any country that any museum was open on a Monday, I have been everywhere but Africa. Changing that in March. I am sure I was on the OP cruise. I could not do the museums as  they were closed.  And in Havana they close early on Sunday.

 

we all know how bad AZ and most  cruiselines are on  bad tours.

[uktog]

1 hour ago, ellbon said:

Ann, I never been in any country that any museum was open on a Monday, I have been everywhere but Africa. Changing that in March. I am sure I was on the OP cruise. I could not do the museums as  they were closed.  And in Havana they close early on Sunday.

 

we all know how bad AZ and most  cruiselines are on  bad tours.

And I thought you’d been to the UK 😉 

Edited January 14, 2019 by uktog

[ellbon]

1 hour ago, uktog said:

And I thought you’d been to the UK 😉 

Yes, I have but I do not think on a Monday, are your museums open? Nine in the states, none in Cuba abd so far none  in Europe

[uktog]

All our main ones e.g. British Museum, V and A, all the London Art galleries, all the National Scottish Museums etc etc are open.  Only a few minor ones close on a Monday.  Oslo is also a city with its museums open on a Monday, the Riijksmuseum Amsterdam also opens on a Monday.  So quite a few - also at the other side of the world the majority of museums in China are also open on Mondays apart from the National Museum unless it is declared a holiday or training day (which can be tricky to determine).

Edited January 14, 2019 by uktog

[Grandma Cruising]

Our local museums are open on Mondays.