Empress to Havana 20th May sailing

[UKWLDCruise]

This is my short review of the 20th May Empress of the Seas sailing, short because there have been a few recently but I thought being a solo D+ Brit I might have a different outlook to offer.

While I know that in theory I could have visited Cuba before now but I have always had doubts, social conscience prickling. When the RCI cruises finally came up I had a casino voucher in hand to tip the balance so I booked.

 

 

The nine hour flight from London was long but ok and the Holiday Inn Westshore was a safe choice offering a free hotel shuttle and a $20 port shuttle.

 

 

The cruise started with the odd situation of a segregated check in for Cuban’s, some people travelling on the ship supposedly were not able to get off at Havana for fear of arrest. After completing the usual health form check in was very quick and boarding took place shortly after, the announcer running through pinnacles, suites and Ds in about 15 minutes.

 

 

Empress to Cuba the good and the bad

 

 

Good

 

 

In general term the MDR and windjammer food showed an improvement on recent trips, it was claimed at the repeaters do that more money was being spent.

 

 

A non smoking casino if only because the air con doesn't work properly.

 

 

Shore excursions, I was one of the majority that took an RCI tour in Cuba and the six hour tour of Havana was pretty good. It was pretty clear though that the C word had been banned, socialist being used instead. The single Tampa offering wasn’t bad either for killing time before a flight.

 

 

The crew seem pretty happy and the service was generally good, entertainment is perhaps a bit more basic than the bigger ships.

 

 

Robe etc appeared without having to be asked and the missing TV remote was replaced within hours.

 

 

I know some people reported connection and speed problems but I always managed to get on and for basic social media, web searches and messenger it was fine, even checked in for the flight home ok.

 

 

Bad

 

 

They might have spent a lot of money on the old girl but there are still lots of visible rough edges nothing broken but lots of cracks.

 

 

My room 3621 in particular was a bit run down, cracks in the shower plastic, cig burn on the sink, bedside light coming off the wall, a shower you had to turn full cold to get hot water, and I really hated the yellow main lights but it was clean and you don’t spend much time init.

 

 

I was amazed that the Casino doors were closed when it was shut effectively blocking you from moving indoors from one end of the ship to the other on that deck.

 

 

Even when we were arriving late at a port, Key West for example, the shops, casino etc didn’t open until we left at the end of the day.

 

 

The noise level of the poolside band was ear splitting at times and could be heard even several decks away from the pool deck.

 

 

To note

 

 

They say as you board that it is all about Cuba and that seems to be perfectly true on the Empress now.

 

The muster was quite long, several people were late attending and it was very hot.

 

 

If you can make sure you are on bus one on the six hou rHavana tour and about the first one off the ship you can change money before the tour otherwise Qs will have formed and you need to go straight to the bus. The next opportunity will be at the market stop and the order of the tour will vary, it may be last. On the other hand several people I spoke to didn’t change money at all and survived.

 

 

People with breathing difficulties should beware; the airquality in Havana was on a par with summer in Jakarta - my eyes were wateringand me a London boy.

 

 

Deck six is a pretty good and quiet seating area, unusually the seats are stationed at the railings, but the smoking side is pretty much a no go area being the main smoking point on the ship with the casino being non smoking.

 

 

Talking about smells I didn’t really have a problem with the known sewage situation. If anything there was an occasional smell of drains on deck six rather than in the corridors.

 

 

To sum up my social conscience is still prickling and I doubt I will go to Cuba again while the situation is the same but happy to answer any questions you think a non-drinking, non-smoking Brit can answer.

[Clarea]

... People with breathing difficulties should beware; the airquality in Havana was on a par with summer in Jakarta - my eyes were wateringand me a London boy. ... .

Interesting report, thanks. I had not known about the poor air quality in Havana.

[jimmyzwei]

Thanks for your report -- was on EM in May and ship condition was as you report -- seems most refurbishment was done to common areas rather than individual cabins. All in all still a wonderful cruise on a ship that is nostalgic to a time past.

[island lady]

RCI went way...way over budget trying to refurb Empress ...and probably would have made out better spending

for a new small ship. ;)

[Clarea]

RCI went way...way over budget trying to refurb Empress ...and probably would have made out better spending

for a new small ship. ;)

I think they paid significantly less than $100 million for the Empress refurb. I don't think that buys much of a ship, plus it might not have even started to be built yet.

[island lady]

I think they paid significantly less than $100 million for the Empress refurb. I don't think that buys much of a ship, plus it might not have even started to be built yet.

 

I can't remember what the exact figure was, but the HD (John Denton) on MJ told me they went 3 times over budget

and are still having to spend money on it. Yeah, agree...would not get a new ship even for what they probably spent....but Empress will never be a new one either...no matter how much $$ they throw at it. Like a classic car?? ;)

 

Or like botox?? ;p