My Cuba Cruise

[Liz54]

So miserable, cold and snowy! What were we thinking going in January??? We even went so far as to do a "dummy booking" to do it again March 9th. The rates are great but not free, so reason prevailed:mad:

[chacas88]

Ah..the weather! One of the reasons we booked for early March. Getting out of here to Toronto could be a challenge...and ensuring (hopefully) that we have great temps where we are going. Usually book overnight on the strip prior to flight day just in case a storm comes in. Boarding ship at MB on 6th.

[ONT-CA]

So miserable, cold and snowy! What were we thinking going in January??? We even went so far as to do a "dummy booking" to do it again March 9th. The rates are great but not free, so reason prevailed:mad:

 

Did you receive the notice of the 2 for 1 sale this morning? So it's half free...:D

[Liz54]

Did you receive the notice of the 2 for 1 sale this morning? So it's half free...:D

 

Its about $2500 with air and including 2 for 1. We are tempted, but our house goes on the market this week so we will sadly be cleaning and arranging flowers while others cruise:(

 

If it sells for top dollar in a week we will be there!!!

[wu687]

Ah..the weather! One of the reasons we booked for early March. Getting out of here to Toronto could be a challenge...and ensuring (hopefully) that we have great temps where we are going. Usually book overnight on the strip prior to flight day just in case a storm comes in. Boarding ship at MB on 6th.

 

After hearing about the weather in the rest of Canada, Victoria had some frost. this morning in some areas, the first this month. It only got up to 10C yesterday, down from 14C the other day. Had no rain for a while. Now 12C today, have to get the lawn mower out soon.

[bjm07]

After hearing about the weather in the rest of Canada, Victoria had some frost. this morning in some areas, the first this month. It only got up to 10C yesterday, down from 14C the other day. Had no rain for a while. Now 12C today, have to get the lawn mower out soon.

 

wu687: It sounds like it is about time for you to get out there and start the flower count. (LOL)

[wu687]

wu687: It sounds like it is about time for you to get out there and start the flower count. (LOL)

 

Flower count is not until next month, Spring certainly is early, not good for the local skiers.

[David22]

just got back from cruise

 

Then 3 nights havana

And 4 in varadero

 

Cruise is 3 star but 5 star staff and entertainment

 

Food not great but again 3 star

 

Take anti diaheia pills before trip as advised from other people as its bad dirty place

 

Sauna area is good clean shower and etc

 

 

Tip ahead of time for best service

 

For the money its a great cruise

 

Two thumbs up

 

Entertainment was really great

 

One staff/crew to every passenger for cheap price

 

Constantly 1/2 capacity or around there

 

Steak house emtpy all the time

 

Many many staff have nothing todo but stand around because of low occupancy rate

Take forward elevator asap to get off ship first

No problem

 

Bring aboard booze

Take booze to beach as well

 

Tip in small amounts frequently for best service

 

Cheers

 

David22

[ONT-CA]

...Take anti diaheia pills before trip as advised from other people as its bad dirty place... David22

 

I trust David22, that you are not referring to the Cristal which we and most others have found spick-and-span in it's maintenance. Yes there are problems ashore especially with the drinking water which has no ill effects on the locals but can be problematic for we tourists. Caution is the key word. But "bad" is hardly a good adjective for such a safe place to be, in comparison to most other tourist destinations don't you think?.

[Liz54]

I trust David22, that you are not referring to the Cristal which we and most others have found spick-and-span in it's maintenance. Yes there are problems ashore especially with the drinking water which has no ill effects on the locals but can be problematic for we tourists. Caution is the key word. But "bad" is hardly a good adjective for such a safe place to be, in comparison to most other tourist destinations don't you think?.

 

I agree the ship was in perfect condition. The food was very good given the supply problems in Cuba due to the US Embargo.

We found nothing "bad". The whole experience was good to excellent!

We did not tip till the last day and found all staff absolutely first rate!!!

[manueljose]

HI

 

Here sun and cold, I hope that nobody has problems with snow and you are enjoying holiday.:)

 

CHACAS88, welcome to the reading, and i enjoy preparing each trip.

 

DAVID22, Thanks for your opinion, agree with our expectations 3stars. You went to Steak house ?, and you had health problems? : Eek:

 

ONT-CA, How good video and pretty lyrics, snow 4 letters; good the cannon ceremony stay on the second level. Chimo.: D

 

RETIRING SOON, Goody it does not mosquitos.

 

LIZ-54, cheer you up, seems that in March only go us, jeje. The tip is 8$ per day?: Cool:

 

Greetings from sunny carnival.

[retiring soon]

Hi all!

 

David22 ~ thanks for your review of your cruise.:D Did they say how many passengers were actually on board?

 

Liz54 ~ is that beautiful house in your signature what you're putting for sale? It looks lovely so best wishes for a quick sale at top dollar! & another Cuba cruise.

 

I wonder what our friends who boarded yesterday are doing. Guess they're probably exploring the ship since it's a sea day, oh I think this is the day they're meeting up. Sure hope they're loving Cristal as much as a lot of us did & had a good time in Havana.

 

Got all our water problems fixed so am glad about that!

 

I'm thinking about phoning the woman from Town who went on Feb 2 to see how they enjoyed it but wonder if I should wait to see if she calls me first.

 

Have a nice day.

 

~ Jo ~ :)

[Liz54]

Clarification!!

We are selling our house in Ottawa and moving to that one in Nova Scotia! We love it, although it needs some work. It was built in 1770!!

 

A quick sale would be great as it is stressful being on the market!

[David22]

the ship is very clean and water is changed every day in the pool

 

Ship is not bad at all

 

Smaller older 3 star

 

Like cuba even the ship smells at times like toilet water

 

The ship asking to put toilet paper from butt in garbage can is really a turn off

I flushed it regardless

 

4 floor was perfectly ok and nice room

But slightly tight

 

Doable again for sure

 

Level five front is good view to see as ship moves

 

Wait for bridge viewing second time as they will give you 20$ off steak house

 

We did not bother with steak house

 

Watch out for high priced excursions

 

Local taxi much cheaper

 

Safari was more than a joke

But beach very very nice

 

Snorkle I g not great at all compared to bora bora etc

 

Talk to many cuba. Staff on the ship for advice for each port

 

Go to gala dinner night for free steak its a good one

 

Stay in old havana for few nights at least if you can

 

Pay extra money in Cuba for really nice food

 

Really nice fresh fish and pork ribs

 

Bring lots of small bills with you for tips

 

Bring toilet paper with you at all times

 

Candy and gum is nice to pre package for Cubans in mini zip bags

 

Feel good to give to Cubans

Some are really poor

 

Ask for no ice in Cuba

 

 

Cheers

Edited February 17, 2015 by David22

[ONT-CA]

I wrote the following while aboard the Cristal during the trans Atlantic voyage but never posted it. As the subject has now come up, I thought it timely.

 

*************

 

A somewhat earthy subject but it should be dealt with it…

 

The Louis Cristal is the only ship on which we have sailed where passengers are asked to dispose of used toilet tissue in a manner other than into the toilet. Printed instructions ask that it be deposited in the waste bin found in the washroom. Presumably the systems aboard may not be of sufficient capacity to handle paper disposal for a full complement of passengers. A septic system by any other name, time, natural and chemical processing are required to convert the sewage to a safe level for disposal into the open sea. Paper is the inhibitor.

 

I for one could not comply with the TP disposal request as an open unsealed wastepaper basket is hardly hygienically suitable for the intended use regardless of its daily multiple pick-up and disposal. However, both this and our previous cruise involved a very small number of passengers and our non-compliance to the request would unlikely have created a problem. But, with the success of the Cuba Cruise venture, when passenger numbers multiply, the subject would have to be dealt with.

 

A few days closer to Christmas and our fellow passenger might be forgiven for thinking the box left at their cabin door was a gift. Each cabin has been issued with a new top sealed, foot operated metal disposal canister, one seen at any medical center for the disposal of used medical supplies. While not as yet pressed into full use, the intent is obvious and installation should be forthcoming. While it may take some time getting used to, I think it is something I can live with in maintaining reliable plumbing and hygienic disposal conditions aboard while promoting an environmentally acceptable effluent.

[dontworry]

We arrived home last night from a wonderful Cruise, Spent 7 days in Havana prior to the Cruise and wow!! what an incredible City. So many changes and yet so much the same as well from our last trip 5 years ago. I havn't looked at recent comments here so hope I do not duplicate things. We got on Feb 9th with a perfect transfer from the Parque Central, All transfers in our package were timely and efficient(Air Transat package). There were only 12 people transferring and in fact we were the only ones getting on at that time. It took all of 5 minutes to go through the various stages of boarding. Everyone was so friendly and efficient which was the pattern throughout the Cruise. Because of being in Havana so long we decided to stay on the Ship and explore and do some relaxing. A very small Ship from what we are used to and very easy to know where you are going at all times. There were a number of bars open and it great to see a huge Earnest Hemingway at the aft pool side bar. Drinks were a little more expensive than other places but still reasonable. We ate in the dining room and loved that crew were of so many nationalities as were the passengers. The joking around and getting to know the dining staff was awesome, great service and good selections of wines to choose from. I would describe the food as the least delicious of other cruise line foods but not bad as all. Our experience along with others was that the food got better each day, especially dinners. The breakfasts at the dining room were ok but the eggs were king of fake looking but there was good selection and good service. The best kept secret on the ship in my mind was the eggs cooked to order in a small corner by the inside pool on the Leda deck. Only place where the eggs were cooked to order and not many wandered up to that area, I highly recommend them. There was always lots of fruit, mostly fresh, two bins of bacon-some really cooked crisp and another bin for not so cooked. Coffee not so great but like the food got better with time. The entertainment was incredible. The music and the dancing and the acrobats were stunning. Best I have seen on over 15 cruises. I have to mention Danny, the cruise director. He can speak up to 12 languages and when he introduces the shows or makes public announcements he in fact speaks in all those languages. An introduction to a show can take a long time...quite funny and he is as friendly as they come. On day 2 we woke up to no water on the ship. This was around 6-8 am so a lot of people didn't even know that it happened. We ate our breakfast and the issue was corrected by the time we finished. I spoke to the reception manager about the problem when we discovered it and I asked about how many passengers were on board. I was shocked to hear that only 550 were on board. Helped with the superb service I guess. We were in cabin 7011 and it was quite nice. Suitcases do not fit under the bed and there is nowhere in the closets for them. We just used them to place thing on. :) The room attendants were was super and we were very pleased with our ladies. They did a great job. We took a number of excursions and let me tell you we had very full days. Left at 9 and were back by around 5:30 or 6. Meals were included on our trips and we ate lunch at 2 one day and 3 the next. We really loved the Santiago de Cuba Special.Lots of sights to visit and a wonderful seafood lunch on an island.Highly recommend this one. The Holquin tour was supposed to be Alcala and Biran but rain from the week before washed out the road to Biran so we did Alcala and the city of Holquin. Lots of history and a very intensive day as well.Internet was down a lot of the time for those who wished to use it. Tons of pictures were taken of everyone and the photographers are very good at what they do. No doubt I have only touched the surface of our days at Sea on Cuba Cruise. It was a very enjoyable experience and we are very tired right now. :) Quite a number of Americans who got on in Jamaica. They seemed very pleased with their experiences in Cuba. I do hope this Cuba Cruise keeps going. It is a wonderful time with great crew. great excursions, great entertainment, close to delicious food. There are a number of smoking areas but are separate sides of the bars and the ventilation works great in the enclosed area. I am now going on and on so I will end now. Air Transat was great and al the tranfers and connections were bang on. We loved it and hope to hear from others on their experiences. Any questions and I will be happy to answer them. Cheers to all.

[ONT-CA]

Thank you dontworry for a very inclusive critique. I was pleased to hear that you too enjoyed the staff, for to us they were a most important part of our cruise. In a critique posted at another site a passenger referred to them as rude. How anyone could have found these delightful entertaining smiling employees rude is impossible for us to understand.

[wu687]

wu687: It sounds like it is about time for you to get out there and start the flower count. (LOL)

 

[chacas88]

Great review dontworry! As our cruise is approaching quickly, and the weather is still reading record lows in our area, it was nice to follow you through your week aboard ship. I appreciate your tip about the eggs cooked to order. We will definitely be looking for that area sooner than later! To us, the food has always been secondary when we are on vacation...if you want 'fine dining' - stay home and visit your favourite ritzy restaurant. Looking forward to experiencing a week similar to your review!

[ONT-CA]

... I appreciate your tip about the eggs cooked to order. We will definitely be looking for that area sooner than later!...

 

What amazed me was when I would order 2 four-minute boiled eggs from the kitchen. Two minutes later they appeared before me cooked to perfection. "How" I asked "can you make a four minute egg in two minutes?" The reply was, "That's a secret!"

[David22]

What amazed me was when I would order 2 four-minute boiled eggs from the kitchen. Two minutes later they appeared before me cooked to perfection. "How" I asked "can you make a four minute egg in two minutes?" The reply was, "That's a secret!"

 

 

I asked for a pork chop from the dinning room to sent down to buffet but they said no

 

No big deal

 

But all food is basically the same at all times

 

As all places share same cooking place

 

So main dinning menu is same as buffet

 

Everyday younwill,see same choice in breakfast as exmple

 

Putting toilet paper in garbge can is totally sick regardless of receptaccle

 

But even best 5 star ships have poor smell at times as you walk down halls

 

Oceana as example was great but at times smelly

So goes to show this ship,is not bad

But putting butt wipes in garbge can imho in 100 percent unacceptable

 

Get used to this as in cuba they have no toilet seats:eek:

And paper is comodity galor

 

Bring sanitary gell big time

 

Water must be hard or soft or whatever but hard to shave

So bring shave cream

 

If you buy art get receipt and papers or else they charge you

At customs

 

Food is not available all the time like other ships

 

To buy food its not that great but available 24 7

Food is like 7 /11 food

 

Muster starion saftey thing is not regulated and they dont take role call

So you can skip,it

Kind of stupid and if ship went down it would be disaster

 

I read that some people only say good things but think they are representarives of this ship

 

So neware of people who only say good things

 

Its obvious they have an agenda

[David22]

Thank you dontworry for a very inclusive critique. I was pleased to hear that you too enjoyed the staff, for to us they were a most important part of our cruise. In a critique posted at another site a passenger referred to them as rude. How anyone could have found these delightful entertaining smiling employees rude is impossible for us to understand.

 

Casino staff were kind of cold

 

But 90 percent or better were great staff/crew

 

Entertainment imho was better than tropicanaa havana

Or other places

 

Entertainment one of the best ever on any cruise

Maybe because all,ost all are cuban and well trained

Communist entertainers and servers seem to work best and hardest of all the world

No joke

 

I give kudos and praise to staff and crew

They make cruise so so so great

 

We had dinner one night with danny the pr dirrector as example and he was best guy

Very smart guy

 

Bar tenders how ever all have broken arms and dont pour doubles

Bar selection is poor

One white, one red only vhoice wine as example

 

They have bad all inclusive drink choice

Edited February 18, 2015 by David22

[ONT-CA]

...So neware of people who only say good things

Its obvious they have an agenda

 

Well David22, that works two ways...

[David22]

Well David22, that works two ways...

Take off your pink sunglasses

 

Do you have any negative opinions about this cruise:)

 

i dont suspect you to be a cuban patriot and is scared to ay anything negative

 

:eek:

 

Truth is cuba is poor run down place that is interesting to see and cruise is best way to see it

 

I cruise lots and this ship fit well in cuba enviroment

 

Its the only choice

 

Cuba cruise is 3 stars

But 5 star crew and entertainment

 

Wipeing your butt and putting paper into garbage can is just gross

Edited February 18, 2015 by David22

[jxsAUS]

Muster starion saftey thing is not regulated and they dont take role call

So you can skip,it Kind of stupid and if ship went down it would be disaster

 

I read that some people only say good things but think they are representarives of this ship. So neware of people who only say good things. Its obvious they have an agenda

 

Firstly the muster station system works and cannot be "skipped" since whilst you are at the muster they check all the cabins of the people who boarded at the last stop and make sure that the lifejackets have been removed from the cabin and that there are no people remaining in the cabin (which they explained at the muster, if you had been paying attention!). It is a small ship and not many places to hide, but remember half the passengers would have embarked 3 days earlier (Montego Bay or Havana) so not everyone required to attend each muster.

 

Secondly, not sure what YOUR problem is (apart from not being able to type or spell!!) but I and many others are totally independent (definitely not representatives) and have no personal interest in the ship or its charterer. Your comment is somewhat offensive given that different people can enjoy and expect different things. If I do not like something I will not go out of my way to do it and then spend a whole lot of time bagging it. If you think it is not for you, do not go. For example I had the drink package and it suited me perfectly, others might not have the same drinking patterns. With it we got the best spirits and could ask for doubles, no problems. It was definitely not "a bad all inclusive drink choice" for my tastes! Maybe you should be taking your "dark" glasses off.

Edited February 18, 2015 by jxsAUS