Santiago de Cuba with Out of the Box Tours

[SteveGT3]

Prior to our cruise, I knew that since would be docked overnight in Santiago de Cuba, we would want to have a nice tour of Cuba’s 2nd largest city during our stay. After reading many internet forum postings and online reviews, I booked our tour with Out of the Box Tours. My initial contact was Jenny (Yenia en Espanol), who responded promptly to my first and all other emails, and was great with English.

Jenny provided all of the details of the tour and sent me the info needed so that we could easily meet our tour guide when we left the ship. Her instructions were flawless and we met Angela, our tour guide, without any difficulty in a small park that was a 2-3 minute walk from the ship terminal building. Angela spoke English fluently and was very easy to talk with.

The tour included being driven around in a red, very well-maintained  '57 Chevy that also had air-conditioning, in addition to walking around with Angela. Leo, our driver and the owner of the ‘57 Chevy, spoke limited English but we were all able to communicate with no problem.  All in all, it looked like it was going to be a great day....and it was!

We started our tour at a very nice cemetery where Fidel Castro, Jose Marti and many other Cuban luminaries are buried. We watched the Changing of the Guard ceremony which was very impressive. Following that, we did a brief stop to take photos at Revolution Square. From there we drove about 15 minutes outside the city and visited a beautiful church located in a nice, little town. When we returned to the Santiago de Cuba, we visited San Juan Hill, where Angela gave us a very good overview of what occurred there and the role that Teddy Roosevelt and his Rough Riders played in battling the Spanish.

After that, we went to a local restaurant had had a delicious lunch  (included in the tour cost) that included traditional Cuban chicken, pork, and shrimp dishes as well as two types of rice, salad and some wonderful Cuban deep-fried snacks, whose name I do not recall, but were wonderful. A nice flan was served for our dessert.

We then drove to the main part of the city where the cathedral and the city’s central plaza are located. Angela gave us great insight into the buildings surrounding the plaza, the history of this section of the city and lots of other interesting pieces of information. Her breadth of knowledge was impressive and she was easily able to keep our attention without overtalking. Leaving the plaza area, we walked through some of the narrow streets that spread out from the plaza and ended up in a small bar where we had the best mojito (also included in the tour cost) that I ever tasted, while being entertained by a local band.

Our tour of Santiago de Cuba was well worth doing, and doing it with Angela made it that much better. She (and Leo) did a fantastic job and our day in Santiago de Cuba with them was one of our trip’s highlights.

Booking a tour with Out of the Box tours when visiting Santiago de Cuba is highly recommended by us!

[Cienfuegos]

That's a great review, thank you.

 

I found the Central Plaza in Santiago de Cuba to have several aggressive panhandlers and beggars.  It was the only time in four days that I saw any at all.  Many of the Havantour buses use one side of the square as their pick up point, so the place was filled with tourists.

[SteveGT3]

We must have been at the Central Plaza on a slow day for panhandling, as we were not confronted once, other than for an old amputee who was sitting on the stairs leading up to the cathedral.

[Wyoming2010]

On ‎1‎/‎25‎/‎2019 at 9:47 AM, SteveGT3 said:

Prior to our cruise, I knew that since would be docked overnight in Santiago de Cuba, we would want to have a nice tour of Cuba’s 2nd largest city during our stay. After reading many internet forum postings and online reviews, I booked our tour with Out of the Box Tours. My initial contact was Jenny (Yenia en Espanol), who responded promptly to my first and all other emails, and was great with English.

Jenny provided all of the details of the tour and sent me the info needed so that we could easily meet our tour guide when we left the ship. Her instructions were flawless and we met Angela, our tour guide, without any difficulty in a small park that was a 2-3 minute walk from the ship terminal building. Angela spoke English fluently and was very easy to talk with.

The tour included being driven around in a red, very well-maintained  '57 Chevy that also had air-conditioning, in addition to walking around with Angela. Leo, our driver and the owner of the ‘57 Chevy, spoke limited English but we were all able to communicate with no problem.  All in all, it looked like it was going to be a great day....and it was!

We started our tour at a very nice cemetery where Fidel Castro, Jose Marti and many other Cuban luminaries are buried. We watched the Changing of the Guard ceremony which was very impressive. Following that, we did a brief stop to take photos at Revolution Square. From there we drove about 15 minutes outside the city and visited a beautiful church located in a nice, little town. When we returned to the Santiago de Cuba, we visited San Juan Hill, where Angela gave us a very good overview of what occurred there and the role that Teddy Roosevelt and his Rough Riders played in battling the Spanish.

After that, we went to a local restaurant had had a delicious lunch  (included in the tour cost) that included traditional Cuban chicken, pork, and shrimp dishes as well as two types of rice, salad and some wonderful Cuban deep-fried snacks, whose name I do not recall, but were wonderful. A nice flan was served for our dessert.

We then drove to the main part of the city where the cathedral and the city’s central plaza are located. Angela gave us great insight into the buildings surrounding the plaza, the history of this section of the city and lots of other interesting pieces of information. Her breadth of knowledge was impressive and she was easily able to keep our attention without overtalking. Leaving the plaza area, we walked through some of the narrow streets that spread out from the plaza and ended up in a small bar where we had the best mojito (also included in the tour cost) that I ever tasted, while being entertained by a local band.

Our tour of Santiago de Cuba was well worth doing, and doing it with Angela made it that much better. She (and Leo) did a fantastic job and our day in Santiago de Cuba with them was one of our trip’s highlights.

Booking a tour with Out of the Box tours when visiting Santiago de Cuba is highly recommended by us!

 

Wonderful review.  How long was the tour and, if you don't mind, what did it cost?  We would very much like to do this and have the ability to see what we want and spend time where we want. 

 

In reading about them on Trip Advisor, it appears that these are group tours and no individual.  Is that what you had?  Thank you much. 

Edited February 19, 2019 by Wyoming2010

[SteveGT3]

Wyoming2010,

The tour lasted approx 6 hours and we certainly felt as though it was money well spent compared to the much higher cost and large crowds that you face if you book a ship excursion. The total cost was $260CUCs which was higher than another option we chose but we were driven around for the entire time and had an enjoyable lunch at a local restaurant in a Santiago de Cuba neighborhood. The tour included only my wife and me, accompanied by our guide, Angela, who was fantastic and our driver, Leo, who owned the car. I do not remember seeing anything on their website about group tours but I could be wrong. I wasn't interested in a group tour anyway.

 

We really enjoyed our day in Santiago de Cuba and Angela and Leo were instrumental in making that happen, and working with Jenny via email before our arrival could not have been more enjoyable and easy. I would certainly take another tour with Out of the Box Tours on our next visit to Cuba. Have fun....Cuba and its people are wonderful!

[Wyoming2010]

5 hours ago, SteveGT3 said:

Wyoming2010,

The tour lasted approx 6 hours and we certainly felt as though it was money well spent compared to the much higher cost and large crowds that you face if you book a ship excursion. The total cost was $260CUCs which was higher than another option we chose but we were driven around for the entire time and had an enjoyable lunch at a local restaurant in a Santiago de Cuba neighborhood. The tour included only my wife and me, accompanied by our guide, Angela, who was fantastic and our driver, Leo, who owned the car. I do not remember seeing anything on their website about group tours but I could be wrong. I wasn't interested in a group tour anyway.

 

We really enjoyed our day in Santiago de Cuba and Angela and Leo were instrumental in making that happen, and working with Jenny via email before our arrival could not have been more enjoyable and easy. I would certainly take another tour with Out of the Box Tours on our next visit to Cuba. Have fun....Cuba and its people are wonderful!

 

Thank you so much.  I emailed them this morning and am still waiting for a reply. 

[SteveGT3]

Glad to be able to help you.

 

Beside Santiago de Cuba, our ship (Azamara Journey) also stopped overnight in Havana and Cienfuegos. We did private tours at all 3 stops and each was great. All 3 were very easy to work with prior to the cruise arranging our tour(s). We rarely do ship-sponsored excursions and have never had a bad tour with independent providers in the Caribbean, South America and Europe. There are lots of resources to get good info on providers including CruiseCritic and TripAdvisor. If I remember correctly, all 3 that I used in Cuba also had Facebook pages.

 

If you are interested in private tours of Havana and Trinidad, I have also posted reviews on CruiseCritic of the tour providers that I used. I will be glad to help you with either if needed.

 

Trinidad is about 1 hour from Cienfuegos, where you would most likely dock. There is not much to see there compared to Trinidad which is a UNESCO World Heritage site. Trinidad is about an hour or so ride from Cienfuegos through very nice Cuban landscape. 

 

Since we docked overnight in Cienfuegos, we went to Trinidad on the 2nd day. On day 1, my wife and I spent 5 hours touring in a bici-taxi, a bicycle-powered rickshaw that you will see all over Cuba. In a small city like Cienfuegos, it was a great way to see the city, but be sure that your driver/pedaler is fluent in English. Ours was, and we had a great time in a city that doesn't have a lot to see but he did a great job. We paid him 25CUCs per hour with was well worth it.

[kibutzer]

Steve, what were the names of the tour used? Approximate cost. 

 

Thank you

[Wyoming2010]

1 hour ago, kibutzer said:

Steve, what were the names of the tour used? Approximate cost. 

 

Thank you

 

Yes, I'd also love to know.  Thanks. 

 

Also, Steve, did you tip driver and guide?  And if so, how much? 

Edited February 21, 2019 by Wyoming2010

[SteveGT3]

Kitbutzer

 

I will list the 3 companies we used and other info that I think may be helpful. Prior to our cruise (Jan 5th on Azamara Journey), I initiated contact with all 3 using the contact info on their website(s). Each was very responsive and all of my pre-cruise contacts and guides were excellent communicating in English. In Cuba, virtually everything is paid in cash (CUCs, Cuban Convertible Pesos....more on this below)

 

Havana: Cubaoutings (https://www.cubaoutings.com/en/home/).

Pre-cruise contact: Gloria Machado

Guide: Julio (met him at the fountain in the small plaza directly across from the terminal exit, very easy)

Cost:160 CUC

6 hour tour of which 2 were in a vintage car (it was a light green convertible, don't remember the driver's name)

 

Cienfuegos: Gio's Cuba Photo Tours (https://gioscubaphototours.com/)

Pre-cruise contact & Guide: Gio Guerra

Cost: 160 CUC

Approximately 6 hours using a relatively new, air-conditioned taxi (the yellow ones that you see all over Cuba) driven by the owner who often works on tours with Gio. As my earlier post said, there is a lot more to see in Trinidad, a UNESCO World Heritage site, than in Cienfuegos. Trinidad is a little over an hour ride from Cienfuegos but it was a very enjoyable ride through pretty country with Gio providing interesting tidbits on what we were passing and a fascinating story of his life.

 

We met Gio at the meeting place that all tours meet their clients. It is about 2 blocks up the street from the gate to the ship dock. The meeting place is just an intersection of that street an another. You will see lots of people holding signs with clients' names. Gio asks you to send him a photo so he can easily spot you. Worked well....he recolonized and called me out the day before we were to tour with him as my wife and I walked by!

 

See my earlier posting about touring Cienfuegos. Well worth it if you are in port for an overnight. Do Cienfuegos one day and Trinidad on the other.

 

Santiago de Cuba: Out of the Box Tours (http://www.outofthebox.zone/)

Pre-cruise contact: Yenia (Jenny in English)

Guide: Angela (met her in a large parking lot to the right (about a 2 min walk) the ship terminal gate. Jeny will give you directions....very easy to meet up)

Cost: 260 CUC 

This tour, while costing more than the others includes 6 hours being driven around by Leo, who owns a well-kept, air-conditioned '57 Chevy, lunch at a very nice local restaurant and a late stop to have the best mojito I ever had! See my comments about this tour in my earlier postings in this thread. If you contact Jenny, please let her know that Steve from Boston referred you.

 

Other comments:

Virtually everything in Cuba is paid in cash. Cuba uses 2 type of currency - the Cuban Peso (CUP) which is used by the locals and is only worth .04US. and the Cuban Convertible Peso (CUC) which is used by tourists and most larger businesses and hotels. Taxis, bars, souvenir shops and virtually anyplace you will go will deal in CUCs. The CUC and US Dollar are equal.

 

Exchanging your money into CUCs can only be done in Cuba. All the ship terminals have windows (Cadecas) where the exchange can be made and the line moves fast, especially in Havana, where there are about 20 cadecas. The cadecas are run by the state so the exchange rate is the same everywhere. You can also go to a Cuban bank but the exchange your money into CUCs but it's a lot easier/faster to use the cadecas in the terminals. The are in all 3 ports that we stopped at.

 

If you exchange US dollars into CUCs, there is a 10% surcharge on these exchanges. It is cheaper to change your US money into Canadian dollars or Euros before you leave the US (I assume you are in the US) and exchange the $Cdn or Euros in Cuba for CUCs to not get charged the extra 10% for using $US.

 

CUCs are worthless outside of Cuba. On your last day in a Cuban port, go back to a cadeca before boarding the shipand exchange your CUCs back to $US, which were readily available.

 

The websites for 2 of the places that I mentioned make it sound like they are geared toward serious photographers. That is not the case because of a strange issue with the Cuban state bureaucracy. All businesses in Cuba have to fall into a state-defined category and none exists for "tour guide" but there is one for "photo tours" or something similar. 

 

I would take another tour with any/all of the companies I listed. If you contact the ones I listed please tell them that Steve A. from Boston says hello! They were all great and worth the cost but there are others also that I am sure others would highly recommend. Have fun! 

 

[Wyoming2010]

Terrific information!  

 

Steve -- two questions (and yay Red Sox!):

 

Did you tip any of the guides and/or drivers?  If so, how much?

And by taking private tours, do we have to fill out some sort of form to satisfy the States' requirements?

 

Thanks

[SteveGT3]

Wyoming2010, 

Here in Boston, we have been very lucky with our sports teams, and we are looking for another big season for the Red Sox. BTW, I assume you live or have a tie-in with Wyoming. While I never lived there, I did live in UT for 9 years, and spent many great times hiking and camping in the High Uintas. 

 

I did offer a tip to both Angela (our Guide) 25 CUCs and Leo (the driver) 10CUCs. Tipping in Cuba, like most places, is not required but certainly well deserved for a job done well. 

 

When you are checking in for your cruise at the ship terminal, you (and everyone else in your party) will be given a form to fill out for your Cuban visa. On the 2nd side of the application, it asks you the reason for your visit to Cuba and gives you many choices. Most, including my wife and me, selected "Support for the Cuban people" which is a very generalized, catch-all category. The visa costs $75 per person and most cruise lines add this charge to your shipboard account. You will be given your visa and shipboard card immediately after giving your paperwork to the person that you are checking in with.

 

Anytime that you leave the ship, take your passport and visa with you. In Havana, it was checked but we were never asked any questions about what we would be doing onshore.. In Cienfuegos and Santiago de Cuba things are looser. I suspect that is because the authorities know that you entered Cuba in Havana and your passport & visa are ok,  but that is just my feeling. Returning to the ship at all ports is easy. All you need to do is show the guard your shipboard card, passport and visa....again, no questions asked.

 

At your last Cuban port, the Cuban authorities will take your visa from you before you get on the ship to depart Cuba.   All in all, the entire process of getting a visa, carrying your passport/visa with you and departing Cuba is stress-free. I had many of the same anxieties you had before I went, but they were erased after leaving the ship and going out 1-2 times. Oftentimes, when my wife was tired and returned to the ship, I walked around each port alone and never felt threatened, bothered and uneasy. We enjoyed Cuba very much and I hope you do also.

[Cienfuegos]

Yes, going for a walk outside the tourist approved areas was a great experience.

 

Things that would never be on a tour. I wandered into a Cuban mortuary in Cienfuegos. Chapels alongside an open air courtyard. Mourners, chanting, soulful music. Watching the old cars and a few old buses outside the main bus terminal. Listening to music emerging from so many Windows.

[Wyoming2010]

Steve:  Thanks for all the tremendously useful information and tips.  I downloaded a form from the Oceania site but not sure if it is the one you refer to.  

 

I grew up in Providence and have been a Red Sox since 1967.  I waited a long time to see them win the World Series and it was such a thrill -- but never experienced a year like the one they had last year, breaking so many records and stats.  It was thrilling.  Only saw one game at Fenway, where they lost to the Oakland A's 21 to 7, but we did take a wonderful Fenway Park tour a couple of years ago.

 

My Wyoming name comes from the fact that in 2010 and 2011 we rented an RV and covered the rest of the United States -- completing all 50 states.  Wyoming was our favorite state in the 48.  

[SteveGT3]

Wyoming2010,

 

I suspect that the Cuban visa application is a standard form.

 

I am happy to help and hope that you found some of my comments useful. Do not hesitate to post again if you have additional questions.

 

Have you done many cruises on Oceania? If so, how do you like them and how to they compare against other cruise lines that you have used?

[Wyoming2010]

1 hour ago, SteveGT3 said:

Wyoming2010,

 

I suspect that the Cuban visa application is a standard form.

 

I am happy to help and hope that you found some of my comments useful. Do not hesitate to post again if you have additional questions.

 

Have you done many cruises on Oceania? If so, how do you like them and how to they compare against other cruise lines that you have used?

No, this is our first Oceania cruise.  We have done 17 cruises on Disney, Princess, HAL, Carnival and NCL.  We're done with NCL -- too many problems on each of our three cruises.  Unfortunately, they own Oceania but I hope we have a higher end experience on Oceania, plus we love the size of the ship.  Until this cruise, the smallest ship we have been on is the Disney Magic.  I love the smaller ships.  I'm excited to see what the experience is like and hope it meets the expectations of most of the good reviews I have read.  

[SteveGT3]

We, too, like smaller ships. We have been on Oceania's mailing list for a few years and have thought of trying them but the cruise lines instill loyalty by offering more & more perqs to loyal cruisers, which is why we stay with Celebrity/Azamara and Seabourn.

 

I called Oceania today to ask them a few questions about their OLIfe Choice program as we are interested in their 10-night Cuba cruise early next year. We have friends who are long-time Oceania cruisers and continue to like them a lot. Hopefully, you will also enjoy them.

 

Other smaller ships you may enjoy are the Azamara and Seabourn fleets. We love them both but find ourselves booking more with Seabourn lately than with Celebrity since reaching Zenith level with Celebrity is a long way off. Seabourn is outstanding in every way and we are close to reaching the next level in status with them.

[Wyoming2010]

Those are good suggestions for future research -- I love cruising and trying new lines.

 

Apparently from a report on our Insignia roll call, an Azamara ship came into Havana on Oceania's second day and they were asked to leave to make room for the bigger ship.  We have a ship arriving on our first day in Havana - but not staying overnight like we are -- and I hope we don't get bumped.  

[SteveGT3]

Staying overnights in the ports is a nice way to visit new places. You get a much better sense of the port than if you only have a few hectic hours there.

 

Did you end up booking any independent tours while you will be in Cuba? 

[Wyoming2010]

On 2/25/2019 at 8:01 PM, SteveGT3 said:

Staying overnights in the ports is a nice way to visit new places. You get a much better sense of the port than if you only have a few hectic hours there.

 

Did you end up booking any independent tours while you will be in Cuba? 

 

Yes, two in Santiago with Out-of-the-Box Tours -- which you recommended on another thread.  We're doing a custom tour the first day and the Natural Wonders tour the second.  And one in Havana with Blexie for a custom tour, also recommended on this board.  We are also doing Tropicana, the Art of Cuba walking tour and the Colonial Havana evening tour as excursions.  In Cienfuegos, we are doing ship excursions (we got three free each).   

[SteveGT3]

Wow....you are going to be quite busy. Have a great time and I look forward to reading any comments that you may post on your experience with Oceania..... 

[Cienfuegos]

That's an aggressive tour schedule, but it should be wonderful.

 

FWIW, I found the need for hydration / lots of water to be very constant in Cuba. Even in November, it was humid. 

 

(Brought several bottles of water from the ship on each tour.)