Cruise to cuba??
 

I spend a few months in Florida in winter. I've long wanted to visit Cuba, flying from Miami. Now that option seems to have become more difficult due to certain political changes which will be beetter left undiscussed here.

. I just came across an article on cruising to Cuba:

https://www.travelandleisure.com/cru...abourn-sojourn

I am a novice cruiser, having taken one river cruise in Burma and one, long ago, around Hawaii on a work trip. WAs not ecstatic about either, feeling quite cooped up.

When I read this article, I come across prices ranges from $6,000 pp for 12 nights, on Seabourn, to Insight's 8 days for about $5000 pp, down to Holland America's $699, which includes other islands which are far less interesting to us.

Can anyone decipher the differences between the options in this article? Is Seabourn THAT fabulous that it is worth so much cash?

Anyone taken a Cuba tour /cruise with Insight? I like the idea of the 75 person ship; would not want to go on a huge cruiser=type ship.

I am confused here..if you have the time, please help this Cuba and cruise novice. I will say that I know many people from US who have just flown over and rented a car and gone around on their own. But when I asked about that here, I got overwhelmingly negative answers, and that is why I am looking at cruising. Also, partner would be happy taking a cruise which has long been on that wish list. So we could compromise. I could go to Cuba and partner could be satisfied by a cruise. Otherwise I would have to go it alone on land and not sure if I can do this now as US citizen. Anyway, a cruise might be fun, this one time!!!! We do have the time, and the general budget, so.....

My kids went to Cuba on their own 3 years ago. They loved it, but they said the travel industry is absolutely not ready: hotels, restaurants are mostly not up to US standards.

The article quoted looks like just a cruise promotion. I have never cruised with expensive companies like Seabourn, they may have everything included: land tours, alcohol, gratuity - everything that is additional charge on cruises like NCL or RCL. Just do your research on what is included.

Also the cruise price "starts from". Are they comparing apples to oranges - the price of an inside cabin is much lower than a balcony - so maybe NCL looks so cheap because an inside cabin is compared to a balcony on Seabourn?

I have friends who also went to Cuba a couple years ago on their own. They reserved B&Bs and found when they arrived, their accommodations were not available, all having been double-booked due to poor internet communications apparently. They also said the infrastructure for tourism is not ready. The food was sub par and in some cases it was hard to find places that could feed tourists.

That said, we are going to Cuba in December on an Oceania cruise. It will leave from Miami and go primarily to Cuba (one stop in Key West). We have completed US paperwork that should allow us to go on private tours with Cuban guides. We have already arranged two. We will have to bring cash dollars, as credit cards are not used.

Our ship is smaller than most mainstream cruise ships, but not as small as what you are describing.

Thanks! I am going nto check into this since we are so oclose, being near Miami in the winter. Looks as if the Cuba cruises sell out fast, though.

Cruise Critic and Vacations To Go websites for general cruise research

I would not book for a trip during hurricane season, if you see what folks experienced there this week.