Travel

[CoffeeNut]

@Happiness Is Inside JOB  Excellent trip report.  I loved reading about all the details.  Thanks for sharing.

[itsmagic]

Loved reading your trip report. Very interesting and informative. 

[kelshar]

Took a cruise December of last year that stopped in Key West and Cozumel, Mexico. It was Royal Caribbean. The port was in Miami.  We had a blast. 

However, it did not feel like December. Florida was so humid that whenever I went outside, I started sweating. I felt like I needed to be half naked to be comfortable.

[missy1]

So you can only visit Cuba with a tour guide or can you just walk around, until you have to get back on the ship?

[reiki604]

I was there last New Year's and we weron tours all day but were able to go out on our own in the evening. Havana was the only place with bars and restaurants nearby. The other cities we went to were quieter.

[Happiness Is Inside JOB]

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@missy1 wrote:

So you can only visit Cuba with a tour guide or can you just walk around, until you have to get back on the ship?

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Yes but for me, I think a tour is nice to see all the highights that you could not see on your own.  Even if a person budgeted for a ride in a older car for an hour or two.  For us, we cut back on other things months before the trip and set aside money for the tours in advance so we could really enjoy the experience.

[SANNA]

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@Happiness Is Inside JOB wrote:

Traveling Experience

Arrival day ahead

We fly from Baltimore and we left the day ahead so we were not rushed.We stayed at a Hampton Inn which was about 15 minutes from the cruise port.

Tampa Cruise Port

The tampa cruise port is a smaller port, but they have a lot of staff to help you along the way.  The process moved somewhat fast to register. 

Advance Purchases:

WE paid for our shore excursions in advance and we did book a roy carb. tour.  The tours are expense, along the lines of short excursions in alaska.  You do not need to do shore excursions through royal carb. BUT I knew my NEEDS.

The tours through royal carib. were in NEW BUSES which were air conditioned and had a bathroom on board.  Also the bus was not packed so hubby had his own two seat area (Big/TALL) and I had my own.

The weather was HOT, and humid.  I have learned with age, when traveling, you have ot KNOW your limitations.  We needed the comforts of air conditioning and bathroom.

RESEARCH

In Cuba, you have to pay to use restrooms and toilet paper is not provided. This is the TRUTH, and was discussed on the Roy Cab. Cuba Information Program on the ship.

HEAT/SUN

My hubby is a big man, let's not PRETEND, he get's HOT and SWEATS, so I did not want him to be uncomfortable. 

THE TOURS

WE did a 8 hour tour of Cuba which included lunch, museums, transportation to rum/cigar factory, and transportation and waiting to shopping, then back to the ship.

We enjoyed it, it fit our needs, there was a good amount of walking but you where then back on the cool BUS!!!

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Lack of toilet paper and  communism go together hand in hand. I lived in USSR so I remember. So buyers beware!

[Prius47]

Will be cruising to Cuba on Viking the beginning of Feb.. Nice to know about the toilet paper situation. I remember having to pay to use facilities in East Germany before the wall came down. I'll take a lot of quarters. Hope the weather isn't too humid or rainy at this time of the year.

[World Traveler]

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@Prius47 wrote:

Will be cruising to Cuba on Viking the beginning of Feb.. Nice to know about the toilet paper situation. I remember having to pay to use facilities in East Germany before the wall came down. I'll take a lot of quarters. Hope the weather isn't too humid or rainy at this time of the year.

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@Prius47 My sister and I were in Germany before the wall came down. What a difference between the two sections! The west side was all beautiful flowers; the east side was drab....no color or decorations.

But as to the toilet paper..........I remember the east side of Germany had very rough paper. It was drab in color......gray.....and had specks in it, like confetti. I recall it being like a paper towel in texture.

[homedecor1]

@Happiness Is Inside JOB

Thank you for the very good info & overview of the cruise.

This is the offering for our ladies group this year.  I have no desire to get off ship in Cuba.  I just wanted to go for the sun and relaxation for 5 days & good price.

I think I'll pass just came back from 4 days in Key West.  I'll save my $$ for a 7-14/day cruise in November.