NCL "Fabrica de Arte Cubano Deluxe" worth it?

[Knighton]

NCL added a new shore excursion-"Fabrica de Arte Cubano Deluxe". It's an 8 hour tour.

 

Norwegian Cruise Lines has the exclusive rights for your private visit of the F.A.C., Fabrica de Arte Cubano outside of the general operating hours. Fabrica de Arte Cubano is a unique art and photographic gallery & cultural center, dance space and cinema. View the galleries and other areas with your FAC specialized guide. You will have an opportunity to meet and chat with one of their currently showcased artists.

 

 

Enjoy a panoramic tour of the new & old Havana on your way to visit 2 of Havana’s local art galleries. You will then have lunch in a traditional Cuban restaurant.

Has anyone been on this one? Is it a good tour? I'm already booked on Ultimate Highlights of Havana New and Old, but I'm thinking of changing to this.

[VidaNaPraia]

The restaurant is probably El Cocinero, nearby the gallery. It's decent.

http://www.lahabana.com/guide/el-cocinero/

 

Here is info about the gallery, with video:

http://www.lahabana.com/content/fabrica-de-arte-cubano-f-a-c/

http://www.fac.cu/

Entry fee is 2 CUC.

 

(At night there is music and dancing --mostly tourists though-- and drinks, which a lot of people combine with dinner at El Cocinero.)

 

Do you usually go around museums and galleries with a docent or on your own? Do you usually go to museums with modern art? Do you appreciate modern art? Do you know who Wilfredo Lam is, for example?

 

For your tour price, you get a "FAC specialized guide" whatever that is (probably someone who speaks English and can talk intelligently about the art, if that is important to you, and maybe about Cuban art as a movement) and "have an opportunity to meet and chat with one of their currently showcased artists", which could be interesting if you are heavily into art and have intelligent questions to ask about his/hers that you see there.

 

The tour description mentions "2 Havana galleries" but does not say what the other one might be.

 

 

If it were me, I'd just take a taxi over to FAC and "enjoy a panoramic tour of the new & old Havana" on my way in that manner for 5 CUC, spend 2 CUC on entry, and appreciate the art on my own (which is exactly what I did).

 

I can't imagine spending more than a few hours at FAC without visual overload (and I'm very into art and learning about Cuban art in particular), at most an hour and a half eating lunch, so the rest of the 8 hours must be driving around town in a bus (and visiting the mysterious 'other' gallery).

Edited June 30, 2017 by VidaNaPraia