My Cuba Cruise

[ONT-CA]

That is interesting information. I have to wonder if the Cuban gov't allows them to keep their gratuities though. :confused: It would not surprise me in the least if they did not.

 

The nice thing about the itinerary is that the ship stops in Jamaica before returning to Havana. That allows for a bit of a shopping spree with any cash received to buy an item that may be scarce at home.

[ONT-CA]

... There's been some snarky comments on the Cuba Cruise unmentionable website. Guess we all don't enjoy Cuba or maybe cruising. ~ Jo ~ :)

 

Hi Jo

I am a little lost on the "unmentionable website" comment. Can you elaborate in a manner that will direct me. Thanks

[retiring soon]

HI all!

 

burm ~ nice to see you back here after your amazing cruise! Could a Cuba cruise be in your future?

 

ONT-CA ~ very good points!:D I would hope the Cubans could keep their tips,

they get a lot of them plus other goodies at all inclusives. I mean the place where you can talk to your friends.

 

Have a nice day.

 

~ Jo ~ :)

[burm]

HI all!

 

burm ~ nice to see you back here after your amazing cruise! Could a Cuba cruise be in your future?

 

~ Jo ~ :)

 

DH has his heart set on going to Peru first. The Cuban cruise is #2 on the list.

 

Maybe I can get him to reverse the order, because once he retires, he can spend the entire winter in Peru. :D

[bjm07]

Hello again,

In our experience the Cubans do get to keep tips; one told us that because of the tips she received from us (which probably was about 20-25 CUC), her family had the best Christmas in many, many years. Also, we have heard (from Cubans) that some people who were qualified as doctors (Cubans again) actually quit working as doctors and worked at some of the all-inclusive resorts because of the tips they could make, which made a real difference to them.

 

We expect to do our usual tipping which will be added to our shipboard account and then we typically give out some extra for those who have been special. However, I do hope that the amount which is added to our account would be shared with all, otherwise only a few would receive a portion of that and those who work behind the scenes would not get any.

 

Regards,

Barbara

[jinky]

Just back after our Cuba cruise and what a treat. We had 4 nights in Havana first staying at the Telegrafo Hotel on the main square. magical. Felt so sorry for those joining the cruise in Montego bay (and Cienfuegos) who had one night in Havana. The music, the friendly people, the buildings and life there was just fantastic to see and so may chats re: modern Cuba, the Castros and so much else. Did a trip to Vinales and walking tour of Havana but walking the back streets with my camera in perfect safety was the highlight. One Sunday morning early when the internet did not work I allowed myself to be gently hustled into a 1.5 hour mojito drinking session with a baseball coach i a local bar which was the most enlightening chat I had all holiday. It was 8am and far too early to drink but best mojitos ever if overpriced (but still cheaper and better than Hemingways El Floridito :D). The cruise was great too. Went to Biran from Holguin on ship tour and amazed at the wealth of Castros family and actions / effect on family after the revolution when the farm was split up. In Santiago a planned trip with Pototo was a disaster. No-one turned up until we phoned and then they sent 2 cars with no English speaking guide and 2 drivers for 4 of us. Ordinary cars - not the American Plymouth ordered. We said no thanks and took a taxi doing the same trip for 40 cucs instead of 160 for the 4 of us Saw the castle, mountain viewpoint and town center tour with a self appointed guide who was really useful and well worth the tip given. Pototo made u for it in Cienfuegos whne the car and guide were there early and gave us a fantastic day in Trinidad taking in Sugar valley and culminating in a guided city tour and complimentary cocktails at the Blue Palace to make up for the previous disappointment. Montego bay we found to be a bit of a rip off costing us dear for a short taxi ride to a paying beach with paid for sunbeds but pleasant enough sit in the sun for a few hours. The walk to the currency exchange shop was a worry though - lots of accosting and a feeling of unease I never felt in Cuba. One Vancouver woman on the beach advised my wife to take off her wedding ring and not "flaunt it here" as it was dangerous - given that she was planning to open a B&B there I wondered why if it was so unsafe! The boat we found pleasant enough after changing our initial cabin which was a 4 berth akin to a cross channel ferry room. We asked and were allowed to move to a suitably improved premium inside cabin 2 berth which was more what we had expected. Entertainment was good but not up to Royal Caribbean standard though the acrobats on silks / ropes were fantastic and the singers good. Food was good, service again inconsistent and not up to bigger cruise ship standards but everyone friendly and willing. Loved the Alberta steakbar upgrade to celebrate our anniversary but so muc food! They noted that we had struggled by the time of dessert and offered to have us come back the next night to strt with desserts but we soldiered on - nice offer though. Punte Frances Island of Youth was bliss - a real paradise island and so much nicer than Montego Bay. Then all too soon it was back to Havana with another day of sightseeing before the plane home. Fantastic experience which I shall never regret. had a few problems / family health issues to shock us when we got back so only just editing the 1200 or so pictures. I`m doing a book and slideshow and will no doubt do a blog so will post a link to it when I get around to it. Anyone still to go - enjoy!

[DUHCAR]

Just back yesterday. Recommend starting in Havana and staying a few nights first to experience La Habana and Cuba on your own, rather than rushing around on the port day. Stayed in Casa Maura just east off the Prado which I highly recommend, although she is pretty booked up.m She actually resprings her mattresses for comfort. Liked the Cafe Paris bar on Obispo with their musicians and mojitos. Take a San Cristobal tour for 40 CUCs for four for four hours including a short car ride. Recommend the Parisien cabaret at the Nacional. Highly recommend the Atelier paladar. The Mercaderes paladar was good too.

 

Stay in a balcony suite on board. Loads of room and storage. Balcony has two chairs only. Well worth it!!

 

Alberta Steakhouse was good but too much food. As for the rest of the meals, I found them just okay and nothing memorable. On one night the rib eye steak was inedible and I did not eat it nor did several others. An officer explained that they had gotten 700kgms of poor quality beef from Miami loaded at MoBay. But that doesn't explain why they didn't reject it or even worse, why they served it.

 

I found myself perusing the dinner menu nightly with a view to ordering what would they screw up the least.

 

Crew wonderful. Best entertainers would be the ones brought in at several ports. Cruise director was just an announcer compared to other ships. Questions welcomed for a few days.

[ONT-CA]

... I do hope that the amount which is added to our account would be shared with all, otherwise only a few would receive a portion of that and those who work behind the scenes would not get any.

Regards, Barbara

 

I don't think I have ever encountered someone in service aboard a ship undeserving of gratuities. Their tasks are most difficult. So the distribution, however that is done, makes sure everyone is rewarded in some way, but also it is used as the incentive to move up where their portion of distribution would increase.

 

That said, when an individual goes out of their way to make our vacation, our cruise special, then surely they deserve something in addition to their allotted portion of the tip distribution. So at any point where such a person is recognized, we so reward. And of course we in turn are rewarded in their reciprocal efforts to please. What goes around comes around.

Edited March 5, 2014 by ONT-CA

[DUHCAR]

I don't think I have ever encountered someone in service aboard a ship undeserving of gratuities. Their tasks are most difficult. So the distribution, however that is done, makes sure everyone is rewarded in some way, but also it is used as the incentive to move up where their portion of distribution would increase.

 

That said, when an individual goes out of their way to make our vacation, our cruise special, then surely they deserve something in addition to their allotted portion of the tip distribution. So at any point where such a person is recognized, we so reward. And of course we in turn are rewarded in their reciprocal efforts to please. What goes around comes around.

 

The best way to recognize outstanding people is in the write-in section on the questionnaire at the end of the trip.

Edited March 5, 2014 by DUHCAR

[ONT-CA]

The best way to recognize outstanding people is in the write-in section on the questionnaire at the end of the trip.

 

Of course one cannot deposit goodwill in the bank. We know to many passengers money is a crass way of thanking people. But the forms which you refer to and which we filled out are set up in the manner of filled ink dots to be read by a computer. A computer cannot read comments. Whether or not there is anyone assigned to read all our comments remains a question. So when in doubt a discreet transfer of currency within a handshake is the least offensive means of rewarding someone and in the case sited, contributing to a wonderful Christmas at home for their family.

[redrum42]

Just completed the Feb 21 – 28 cruise and will list a few observations for cruisers still going this year. Thanks to other posters that have done the same and helped us in making some of the decisions in our cruise. This report is from wife and I, mid 50’s, no physical restrictions. Rather than go over boat specifications and other information that has been commented on in numerous posts, I will try to give you a sense what we liked or didn’t like during our cruise.

 

In listing our ages, first of all, let me say that there were almost no children on this cruise, probably due to being during the school year, thus most of the passengers seemed to be 50+. The exceptions seemed to be some travel agents who must get sponsored deals from their companies to go on these cruises. Maybe I should get a job like that, as most of these professionals that I talked to seemed to be able to bring family members along for cheap, and didn’t give me the impression that they had really been looking forward to coming on the cruise, rather that it was an employment obligation. I know this won’t speak to all travel agents, but at least all the ones I talked to on this cruise.

We boarded in MB, getting there 3 days early and staying at the Oasis at Sunset resort, which is minutes away from the cruise ship terminal. Great all-inclusive experience there. Did a couple of scuba dives with Kelly’s water sports onsite at the resort. A bit pricey, but excellent dives. There is a beautiful private beach for the customers at the Oasis side of the resort, with excellent snorkelling in the reef just offshore.

 

For boarding, checked in early, no line-ups, and were on board before noon. This was during the olympics, and Canada was playing US in the hockey semi-final, so I checked out sports bar on deck 8 to watch the game. Unfortunately, none of the 6 or 7 channels that were available onboard was showing the game, so I decided to get off the boat and back to the cruise port, as there was a small food and beverage stand in the terminal with a TV that had the approximately 40 channels available from Jamaica TV. I had a seat, ordered a Red Stripe beer, and asked one of two rather large Jamaican women, who were busy watching a soap opera on the TV, if they could see if the hockey game was on. She gave me a look that told me my intervention during the soap opera was NOT appreciated, scanned through 3 or 4 other channels with the remote, put it back to her soap opera, and told me “No ‘ockey, mon”. Maybe if I had told her that the Jamaican bobsled team was on TV, she would have made a more diligent effort at finding the proper channel.

 

Back to the ship, smaller than regular cruise lines. One small salt water pool on deck 9, rather cool, as it is refilled from the ocean daily. One hot tub on deck 5 aft at the rum bar. The aft decks 5-9 are all connected with exterior stairways, and are nice to get out of the wind while underway and watch the boat wake, or even star watch during the evenings. For bow vantage points, there is deck 10 and 5. I would highly recommend setting yourselves up at one of these places during morning entry to the Cuban ports, as most of them navigate very narrow entries, often going by magnificent fortresses that were placed for strategic defense of these cities centuries ago. Again, DON’T SLEEP THROUGH THE PORT ENTRIES, they are some of the highlights of the trip. I doubt that some of the larger cruise ships could navigate into most of these ports.

There were only 334 passengers when we boarded in MB, and one of the two dining rooms was left closed, as there were not enough passengers to have both open. As reported before, food was mediocre, but the service was excellent.

 

Entertainment was very good. The 6 piece band of Cuban musicians, Habana Moon, was extraordinary. They were teamed with 3 vocalists. Freddy, Lisbet and Hector. Freddy had an incredible voice, especially highlighted when he did some operatic songs. Lisbet was good, with full range. Hector was the weakest vocally, still good mind you, but with somewhat weak in the lower range. He make up with it, however, with stage presence, and Tom Cruise good looks that kept the ladies enthralled.

We saw all of the shows, including the ones that featured local artists from Cuba coming on board. Don’t miss these shows because you are ‘kind of tired after dinner’. They are all first class.

They also have the band and dancers playing at the deck 9 pool, along with dance lessons for the passengers. Take advantage of this, it's a lot of fun!

One surprise was an early show (6 pm) put on by Ronny, one of the restaurant staff. He has a fabulous voice, and you should definitely catch his vocal performance of mostly Elvis tunes.

 

Wandering around the ship on the afternoon on our 2nd day, I went into the empty show lounge and saw they had a grand piano to the right of the main stage. Seeing no-one around, and being a keyboard player, I sat down and started playing some tunes. After half an hour, the bartender for the lounge came in to set up his area, and rather than being scolded for touching private equipment, I was encouraged to keep playing for him while he was working. Shortly afterward, Keely, an acrobat from Vancouver, and former member of Cirque de Soleil, came in to rehearse for her evening performance. She told me that they had a talent show that evening of passengers and non-performing crew members. Long story short, I agreed to sign up for the show. That evening, I found out that there was only one other passenger that would be in the show as well, and all the rest were crew members, with months of practice and audio visual support for their parts. The other passenger was a blues guitar player who was part way through his second week of back to back cruises and had arranged to play with the Cuban house band to back him up. So at the point that they called me onstage, in front of the packed theatre, I had started to feel a bit inadequate about the whole situation, but managed to stumble through a rendition of Burton Cummings ‘Own Way to Rock’ as befits my Canadian heritage. It was a lot of fun, and afterwards some of the band members commented to me that they had enjoyed my song, so that was kind of cool.

 

Ports and Excursions

 

Cienfuegos – I had set up a private tour to go for a scuba dive through Pototo, as there are none through the cruise lines. At the port, there was no one waiting for me, so I got talked into going out to the dive center with a hustler at the port. This was about a 20 km drive, and then I had to wait 40 minutes for the divemaster to come back in from his current dive. He could not take me for a dive, so it was back to town. The person who talked me into going out to the dive center wanted to appoint himself as my personal guide for the rest of the day, but I told him I preferred to wander around by myself. I got let off at the major square a short distance from the port. There is a street just off this square that cars are not allowed, only pedestrian traffic. This seems to have the best prices for shoppers on the entire cruise. If I would have known that at the time, I would have stocked up on more souvenirs. I also had an incredible mojito at a small family owned bar (seats 10) just off this street.

Brenda had booked the botanical garden and city tour, as she does not dive, and though she enjoyed it, she said there was a lot of walking in very warm weather, and was exhausted when we met back at the ship after her tour. This tour, although it ends up right off the pedestrian street that I had enjoyed my stroll through, did not allow tour participants to stray away from the tour to explore this.

 

Beach day at Punta Frances – Beautiful beach, get in early to get one of the rare shady spots on the beach. Turn left after you get off the pier and head toward the remnants of the old commercial pier. If the spots by the shade trees near the pier are taken, keep walking. You don’t want to be sitting in the sun the whole time there. And besides, if you are a snorkeler, the best spot is the ruins of the old pier, so it is better if you get a spot close to it. Snorkel along the broken access to the old pier, and if you make it all the way out, there are hundreds of large colourful fish, along with interesting shells to make it worthwhile. Most people don’t get out there, as it is a bit of a hike from the entry point from the tender.

 

Havana – Disappointed with the half day Havana walking excursion through the cruise line. Went to a fort on the other side of the channel. Didn’t get to go into the fort, but got herded into a cigar shop on the premise of stopping there for a bathroom break. 40 people waiting in lineup for one bathroom for men and ladies. There were no tissues, the toilet did not flush, and the sink did not have running water. (And there is a toilet on the tour bus!) This wasted about 40 minutes of the tour. Then rounded off to the bar where Ernest Hemingway had mojitos. Into a couple of small 2nd floor rooms, not enough seats for everyone so we had to stand the whole time. Served watered down mojitos that Hemingway would doubtless have thrown back into the bartenders face. Don’t recommend this tour.

There is a market just a couple of blocks from the cruise port, turn left after getting onto the main street. Lots of merchandise, and within walking distance. One personal anecdote from going to this market. We were tired after the full day, and decided to get a pedicab for the short distance back to the ship. The driver told us 5 cuc’s, which was kind of pricey, but we said OK. When we got there, I only had a 10 cuc bill and he said he didn’t have any change, hoping we would say just keep it. But this was an obvious rip off ploy, so I made him wait while I went into the port facilities and got the proper change for him. Lesson learned- if you negotiate a price, have the correct change to avoid complications later.

 

Holguin – did the Cuba Life tour. Highly recommended, tour guide grew up locally, wealth of information from the area, and also candidly answered off topic questions from the tour participants about private life in Cuba, politics, etc. The cuba cruise website says bring your bathing suit for the catamaran, that is a mistake, there is no catamaran. There is a beach at Guardalavaca, but most people stay at the market. I was one of the few that went to the beach (Brenda doesn’t need my assistance at the market) and did some snorkeling. Strong current, good visibility. Saw a lion fish, so if you’re walking in the water, be aware. The sting from their spines is very painful.

 

Santiago – Went on a private cab tour in a 54 chevy with the venerable originator of this thread, Balloon Man, Alan, and his wife Chris. Interesting in the fact that the tour guide was not that fluent in English, and Chris, being fluent in Spanish, ended up being the interpreter for our tour. Visited the Morro fort, very cool. Not being a museum guy, I nonetheless really enjoyed the museum of the revolution. Very educational. The changing of the guard at Jose Marti’s tour was also a highlight. They took us for lunch at a local restaurant high in the hills with an incredlble view. The lunch was cheap, and very good. All in all, a very good tour.

 

Disembarkation at Montego Bay. This part was a joke. 175 passengers getting off the boat and 2 port personnel to process them. Leave yourself lots of time if you are catching a connecting flight out of MB after getting off the ship.

 

Final thoughts – Both Brenda and I thoroughly enjoyed this cruise. Not your typical party boat cruise, but as a culturally educational trip that also provides great downtime and entertainment, this was excellent. As mentioned by others, the beds are VERY firm so be prepared for that.

Hope this helps for future cruisers.

 

Frank and Brenda

Edited March 5, 2014 by redrum42

[jinky]

Sorry we missed you Frank and Brenda. I got a note left in my cabin saying you`d been by. Well done on finding us after us getting our move. Spoke to Brenda and then that night someone took our dining table Strange - we`d asked about changing from time to ti me and they said " no , same place every night" then we come in and find a few Canadians and their daughter have been put on ours and we have ro be slotted in on our own elsewhere on what was our last night! Got us friendlier, more efficient service for that night anyway but sorry if you were looking out for us and missed us.

[ONT-CA]

Taken from the morning news:

 

Cuba has officially agreed to talks with the European Union on restoring bilateral relations with the bloc

The bloc is already Cuba's second-biggest economic partner after Venezuela, and many member states have bilateral agreements with the island.

 

 

 

 

 

It also represents a major source of tourism revenue, with hundreds of thousands of European tourists visiting Cuba every year.

 

I have a feeling that the Louis Cristal will soon not be the only ship offering this great itimerary.

[jinky]

I just hope that whilst change might bring increased prosperity to the lovely Cuban people it does not change it too much. So many I spoke to talked of the need for improved living standards and better access to goods but not wanting to give up on the ideals of the revolution. Their pride in their education, health service and country in general was a lesson to us all I feel when they had so little in terms of luxuries. Anyone wanting to see my blogs would need to go to http://www.photographybypauldishman.co.uk and click on the orange blog box on the front page , bottom right as I cannot post links here evidently. The first one talks of our 4 days in Havana with just a few of the many hundreds of images I was able to take of this fantastic country.

 

Just found that link works so try going direct to the blog with this link

http://photographybypauldishman.blogspot.co.uk/

Edited March 7, 2014 by jinky

[Cubaholic]

So sorry I haven't posted since firast introducing myself, (due mainly to health issues), but I have read every word written.

 

Although I've been going to Cuba since 1978 and enjoyed the maiden voyage of the MV Santiago de Cuba in 1994, this one intrigues me, so I've devoured every word written, with joy.

 

I can't believe that it's only 2 weeks on Sunday (March 23rd), when my "travelling companion " and I will depart from Toronto to Havana, on a Hola Sun Package, to spend the rest of the night at the Occidental Miramar, prior to boarding the ship after brekky. We'll have a few days back at the Occidental after the cruise, returning home on April 4th.

 

This being thr final cruise of the season, I'm a little late in offering a few :"souvenit tips", but over the years, my family and friends have looked forward to receing:

1) Cuban coffee, whether ground or in bean form. Most people head for "Cubuta" but Cubans (& I ) prefer Serano.

2) Wheras most people purchase Havana Club rum to take home, Santiago de Cuba is just as good and a little less pricey.

 

3)VEREGROS (sp?) men's cologne is inexpensive and comes in a sizeable bottle, within a terra cotta coloured can. My son-in law and his 2 adult sond go crazy for it.

4) ALICIA is the designed perfume /cologne of Cuba's leading prima dona, Alicia Alonso. Although her years prevent her from dancing any more, she is still imvolved with The Nutcracker, perfoormed in Hamilton, Ontario, each Christmas.I was thrilled to see her sitting behind me on the third row, after a friend sent me a ticket for Christmas, a couple of years ago.

 

5) Crocheted tablecloths? I couldn't get white, so soaked my ecru ones in bleach water in my tub at home, after which it was welcomed warmly as a wedding present. (6 My little (but tall) Grand-daughter loved her dresses too, especially after seeing the photo I took of the seamstress crocheting another couple of inches on the hem, (That was at an All Inclusive Cuban Hotel in Cayo Coco.)

 

6) Leather goods / costume jewllrey.

 

Now a couple of questions:

 

I've read a couple of mentions of a "white night" and wonder where that information can be found. Is there a Facebook page with further info? I have vision problems so cannot read newspaper ads so I enlarge the text on my screen and read slowly. LOL.

 

Can anybody tell me whether or not there is an iron available in the cabins?

 

By the way: I used to belong to a (now defunct) Cuba forum, where many posters knew and visited Pototo at his home. I spoke to him by phone while in Havana 10 years ago and can only say how much I look forward to trying to meet him on this trip. He was so highly respected by everybody and drove my friend and hubby to Vinales. - a Must See! They said that he's a terrific guide, so I'm not surprised that this cruise has enabled him to spread his wings across the country.

 

I'm particularly thankful for the warning about lots of walking at some of the ports, such as the Botanical Gardens. I'll have to miss that one, for sure.

 

I loved the recent post which recommended being on deck when entering the ports. The last ship I was on was even smaller that the Luis Cristal, so this one will be a tighter fit!

 

Once again...I cannot thank you enough for all the info you've shared. Obviously, a lot of (time and) effort has been put into the organization of this trip. I'm pleased to know that the Cuban Ministry of Tourism is right behind the project.

 

I'm sure I read that we would not be the only cruisers on March 24th. Was it you, Barbara? I look forward to meeting anybody else from here.

 

Dee :)

[bjm07]

Yes, indeed, Cubaholic. We will be with you on March 24th and will be excited to meet up with you on board. We will be arriving at Varadero at 3:30 a.m. on the 24th and then travelling from VRA to Havana in the wee hours (arranged by Pototo). I hope they let us on the ship really early so we can get rid of our baggage and have a bit of rest after travelling all night.

 

Looking forward to seeing you on board!

 

Regards,

Barbara

[Cubaholic]

Yes, indeed, Cubaholic. We will be with you on March 24th and will be excited to meet up with you on board. We will be arriving at Varadero at 3:30 a.m. on the 24th and then travelling from VRA to Havana in the wee hours (arranged by Pototo). I hope they let us on the ship really early so we can get rid of our baggage and have a bit of rest after travelling all night.

 

Looking forward to seeing you on board!

 

Regards,

Barbara

 

Yeaa! I'm tickled pink to know that we'll meet you and yours, Barbara. Just look for a pair of young-at-heart "Golden Oldies with eyes held open by toothpicks! Yup! We'll all be short of sleep, that's for sure. We're supposed to arrive in Havana at 11.30pm on the 23rd but then we'll be transferred to the hotel to get ready for "brekky" on the sail date. . I believe you can leave your suitcases on board before enjoying your day.

 

I'm happy to know that you're meeting Pototo, even if we don't manage it. After all these years, he just might remember me as "Dee" from the 'Green Screen". She is /was friends of Janet, Rainbow, Bridget etc. If I can find his ;/phone number, I'll call him.

 

Looking forward to meeting you!

 

Dee;

[jinky]

I hope Pototo turns up for you! Our first b0oking in Santiago should have been for an American ca with driver and English speaking guide. No-one came! After numerous calls and an hours delay we ended up with 2 cars for 4 people with two Spanish speaking drivers and no guide. We told them to forget it and got a taxi at a fraction of the price to do the same trip. We did not expect them to turn up at Cienfuegos as booked but everything there went smoothly and we were also taken to the Blue Palace with complimentary cocktails as a "sorry". Still spoiled our car adventure in Santiago though!

 

Did another overview blog of the trip if anyone is interested:

http://photographybypauldishman.blogspot.co.uk/2014/03/highlights-of-cuba.html?spref=fb

[ONT-CA]

Thanks jinky, loved the shot of the red and white taxi with the Canadian Maple Leaf painted on the door. Now that's marketing...

[retiring soon]

HI all!

 

Loving reading all your thoughts on the Cuba cruise & getting ideas for next time.;)

 

I have to agree Montego Bay is a scary place & Vinales a beautiful one.

I really enjoyed the Cuba Life tour too seeing so much of the countryside.

 

Jinky ~ nice account & photos of your trip, thanks.:DToo bad you were disappointed by Pototo & didn't get to tour in the old car. A French Canadian couple at our table would have been better off sitting with the couple they met from France but were told they had to stay at our table, no changes.

 

Cubaholic ~ I only saw in the daily & heard here of the White Night but didn't actually see evidence of it. Have no idea if there's an iron in the cabin, sorry.

 

ONT-CA ~ I just got a letter from Kawartha Voyager about their presentations this spring & there's none in Kingston, Belleville being the closest one to you. I noticed the fare is up to $1900 for a 5 night but it does include transportation, excursions, parking, tips & insurance.

 

Have a nice weekend. Sad to think the Cuba cruises are coming to an end this month but sure hope everybody comes back here to share their thoughts & pictures.

 

~ Jo ~ :)

[jinky]

Thx retiring soon. Yes ont ca - loved that taxi - just so many cars to shoot!

cubaholic- certainly no iron in our cabin. As for white night no real evidence of it on our cruise. We knew nothing about it until we saw the schedule and did our best

Edited March 8, 2014 by jinky

[ONT-CA]

...A French Canadian couple at our table would have been better off sitting with the couple they met from France but were told they had to stay at our table, no changes. ~ Jo ~ :)

 

This surprised us for we did see several table changes due to languages spoken. At one point Carlos did try to prevent a couple from joining a table explaining to them that all the others were French speaking. The lady replied in perfect, accent free English, "So are we". (How I envied them) Originally we were placed at a table with a couple from California who when having difficulty in getting the waiter to understand their needs increased the volume and tone their demands exponentially. Unable to continue with that we requested a new table. We shouldn't have but did pull a little rank in explaining that we were aboard for two weeks and had a SI cabin which resulted in a private table for four which we shared at times with other passengers. Regardless, on any other cruise we have taken and when seating becomes a problem, the transfer of a portrait of the Queen or Andrew Jackson to the maître d' can get you almost any table you want.

[Cubaholic]

I hope Pototo turns up for you! Our first b0oking in Santiago should have been for an American ca with driver and English speaking guide. No-one came! After numerous calls and an hours delay we ended up with 2 cars for 4 people with two Spanish speaking drivers and no guide. We told them to forget it and got a taxi at a fraction of the price to do the same trip. We did not expect them to turn up at Cienfuegos as booked but everything there went smoothly and we were also taken to the Blue Palace with complimentary cocktails as a "sorry". Still spoiled our car adventure in Santiago though!

 

Did another overview blog of the trip if anyone is interested:

http://photographybypauldishman.blogspot.co.uk/2014/03/highlights-of-cuba.html?spref=fb

No problema Jinky. I'm only hoping to meet Pototo on his home turf in Hava, where he is a highly respected gentleman. He spends his life helping others, no matter what time of day or night they show up - he'll be there to meet them. I suspect that this cruise is the reason he has spread his wings to more of tyhe country.

 

If you took those photos - let me congratulate you. I recognise many of them and you've caught the essence of Cuba with each one. I'm pleased that you went to Vinales. I've never been to Biran, or the Isle of Youth so must make the effort there.

 

Thanks a million for the treat!

 

Dee :)

[BC_Brent]

Hi again everyone, we're getting excited, firstly thanks to those that have kept up with all the great posts and those that have answered our questions. I wish we could be as informative as all of you. This is our first trip to Cuba and thanks to this forum I think we are going to be making the most of it.

 

Is anyone else going to be getting on March 17th in Havana or crossing over our week from MB?

 

Would like to share shore trip/excursion ideas.

[cookingcountrygal]

Returned late last night from Mo Bay - had a great cruise - those embarking in the next month are in for a treat. Will be posting a full review in next couple days and pictures on Facebook hopefully as well.. You won't be disappointed.

 

Thanks to everyone for all their suggestions precruise - super helpful. Should anyone have questions prior to my review - ask away!!!! Cheers - Judy