It is finally time for Jennie and I to meet in Tampa for our Cuba cruise. Since we planned it, there have been many questions if we would get to go. First was political obstacles and then there was hurricane Irma that ravaged the area. But we were lucky and seemed to pick the right week to go. We met up in Tampa the night before we were schedule to leave.
Boarding the ship in Tampa was one of the easiest experiences I've had yet. I had warned Jennie how crowded and awful it was. We came to the port terminal at 11:00. We dropped our bag with the porter and went to check in. Walked right to the counter and checked right in. I asked if they were boarding and indeed they were. We walked out the doors and right to the ramp to board. Easy as pie! We had made lunch reservations at Chops, the onboard steakhouse so we avoided the crowds at the buffet. We enjoyed a fantastic meal. Jumbo shrimp cocktails. I had filet mignon. Jennie had salmon. While eating lunch, they told us our cabins were ready. As we walked to our room, we saw our luggage was already here! That was so quick! So we unpacked before venturing out. We went up to the pool deck for a cocktail and the sail away party. We got a great table right by the dance floor. Jennie even got up and danced one of the line dances. I so miss dancing...so so much. Before we knew it, it was time for dinner.
We have a lovely table that is in the middle of the room with a view out the windows at the back of the ship. We are eating with a lovely couple from Florida. The man is a retired police officer and she is a pharmacy tech. They moved from Michigan when the husband retired. The guy really took a liking to teasing Jennie. Jennie is a great sport about it. He called her a bird eater because she only orders 1 appetizer and 1 entree. Plus she eats slower than him (which is like he is getting paid to finish fast) so he says she pecks at her plate like a bird. They were surprised and impressed she was a chemical engineer. It is impressive!
Our first stop was Key West the next day. We arrived in Key West in the afternoon. We were about an hour late due to head winds at sea. We had planned to do the hop on hop off tram tour of Key West. We docked right off Mallory Square. It was beautiful weather and sunny. Humid as hell and hot. But we were very thankful for a breeze. We made our way to the tram and were greeted by Bob, our tram driver. He was fun and said he would respond to sponge bob if we preferred. He warned us that Hurricane Irma had hit the island petty bad. We knew that as we had been watching the weather and even told at one point, we could not stop in Key West. Then a few days before we sailed, they said we could go. We were the second ship to come to Key West after Irma.
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| Irma clean up piles all over |
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| Key West Coast |
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| Hemingway's House (now a museum) |
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| Famous Sloppy Joe's where Hemingway wrote and visited |
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| Ladies on the Conch train |
You could see evidence of Irma. They felt blessed as Irma changed course suddenly so they only had 100 mile winds instead of 120. (20 mph doesn't seem that different but what do I know!! Haha.) There were pools of standing water, clean up crews, and people still repairing. We saw a house that a tree fell on and the clean up of a huge 100 year old tree that fell over. Houses were still boarded up.
Our tour went around the island where we saw Hemingways house, the light house, the most southern point bouy (which was battered and paint missing) and Sloppy Joes. We stopped half way through and enjoyed a piece of frozen key lime pie on a stick. It was fantastic. We had thought we would have a mojito at sloppy joes and photos at the bouy but the tram was not as hop on and off as we thought. When given the chance, we both agreed we were okay without going back for another look. We would have had to walk far or get a cab and that seemed to hard. We did go to a cute place and got able classic Key West drinks, mojito for Jennie and a key lime lemonade for me. It was excellent.
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| Frozen Key Lime Pie on a Stick |
Then we decided to go to the aquarium since we had a ticket. We didn't see anyone there and no one took a ticket. We walked in and looked around. They had a petting tank and lots of fun fish. Suddenly an employee came in and was surprised to see us. She had explained that they had closed and we must leave. Oh okay! Haha. We had seen enough anyway. A few photos by the ship and then we got back on board.
After another bumpy night cruising, we arrived in the area of Cuba. Sadly we were delayed again as they only allow 1 ship at a time in port and the NCL Sky was late leaving. We were excited and anxious to get off the ship and go explore Cuba. It is a little sappy but I felt a little emotional and super excited to get off the ship and start this part of our adventure. We had arranged to take a ship shore excursion in classic American cars. But first, we need to clear customs and have our visa processed. There was a long line. It was a little intimidating. My agent asked me questions and stares me down. They take your photo. Make a bunch of stamping noises, and off you go. Then we went to exchange money. Cubans do not usually accept American money. There is a 3% exchange rate for Cuban money (called cuc) but for Americans, there is another 10% charge. So for $100, you get $87 cucs. Although the economy in Cuba is much less then America so it feels like the 13% fee all works out. We boarded a bus and drove along he malecon which is a sea wall hat extends many miles. The sea with waves that crash over the wall on a regular basis on one side, and interesting buildings of various stages of destruction are on the other. It is safe to assume some of the destruction is from Hurricane Irma but it seems more than that since the destruction and repairs seem to be everywhere. We have docked right outside of Old Havana. The buildings are old but beautiful and if repaired, colorful. Cuban people love color and vibrancy! The old cars are everywhere. The cars are impeccably clean showing incredible pride. We drove about 20 minutes and came to a parking lot where our cars await.
We selected a classic Chevrolet that was mint green and white. I am sorry to say, I couldn't figure out the model but the driver said it was a 1956. Our driver was an older man with a nice smile and exotic look but confessed he didn't speak English at all. We were promised the tour guides would rotate through the cars so we all had a chance to learn what we were seeing but alas, we never got that. So we drove along smiling and trying to communicate the the driver the best we could. Hospital, park, ballet, revolution, baseball, football, beautiful. Seriously that was about all we learned. Si and no, mucho, and of course grasias was about all we could muster. No problem as we saw beautiful things and enjoyed the experience. We were dropped off at the Hotel National which is a very fancy hotel from the 1930s that has hosted many famous people. We enjoyed a mojito as we looked at the gorgeous sea. Jennie and I decided to abandon our tour and get dinner at the hotel along with our souvenirs of rum and cigars.
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| Waiting onboard the ship to go into Cuba |
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| Our boat in port |
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| Cuba across the water |
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| Statue of Mother Mary |
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| Waves crashing over the Malecon wall |
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| Our car and driver for the afternoon |
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| Guy fishing on the Malecon wall. |
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| Statue...not sure what it is because we didn't speak Spanish |
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| Street Graffiti |
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| Cuban people after work |
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| A park we drove by |
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| More park |
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| Us at Revolution Square |
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| Photo credit to Jennie |
We checked out the area around the hotel and I admit felt disorienting to me. It was tough for me to get around and everything was in Spanish. We did find a gorgeous Cuban restaurant outside and had a cute table with a view of the ocean. Perfect! We ordered more mojitos, bottled water, and dinner. I got a vegetable salad and bread and butter ($3 and $2) and then got sliced pork for dinner. Jennie ordered fish. My salad was a bowl of red cabbage and fresh green beans (yuck!!!). The bread was small oblong balls of sweet goodness. Soon came a bowl of frijoles negros, blanco rice, and rice and beans. My meal was 1/2 a small plate of sliced pork in a sauce with onions and a 1/2 a potato. It was delicious but Jennie and I agreed the frijoles negros and blanco rice were excellent and we cleaned those bowls. Frankly I didn't really see Jennie's fish because I was too busy shoveling my food in my face and marveling at the gorgeous scenery awe struck that we were sitting on Cuban soil enjoying a fabulous meal looking over the spectacular ocean. Dinner and drinks with tip was $38 cucs but was gave $40 because we didn't have small bills. After we ate, Jennie walked down to the water for a few photos. I started the difficult walk back to the main hotel building. We brought rum and cigars and caught a cab back to the ship.
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The National Hotel built in 1930 |
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| Us in the lobby. |
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| Mojitos |
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| Ocean view from the hotel |
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| My Cuban dinner |
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| Cool sign. |
I had a little surprise at customs coming back in. Apparently, my passport didn't get stamped when exiting and of course, my visa was turned in earlier. That was lots of excitement while they took my passport and asked me to step out of the booth. I didn't go far away as they had my passport and that is my life line. Boy I wish I knew more Spanish! She finally smiled and said "sorry". She went to yet another booth and stamped my passport and let me through....thank god! We had about 30 minutes before we had to be changed and back out for our night tour which we had planned to go to the Tropicana night club!
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| Us out late night "clubbin" at the Tropicana |
I will admit it was Jennie's enthusiasm that encouraged me to pay the $179 per person to see the show at the Tropicana. It is a classic night show of Cuban dancing and singing. We were able to get VIP tickets to the early show which started at 10:00 pm. In typical cruise ship logic, we met at 7:45 for the 20 minute ride to the Tropicana. Once there, we paid the $5 for the privilege of taking photos. We were sat at a table literally next to the stage. We were given champagne and enjoyed a violin show while we waited for the other 900 (not an exaggeration) guests. At 10:00 on the dot, the show started. Ladies with 2+ foot high head pieces, little bra tops and g string costumes with a large bow on the butt (of course), danced and jumped around. It was colorful and exciting. They had singers singing in Spanish. About an hour in, it started to rain. The dancing stopped but they encouraged us to stay seated. It wasn't a heavy rain and actually wasn't a problem. Frankly it was a little refreshing. In about 3 minutes, it stopped and they dried the stage and picked up where they left off. During the show, we were given peanuts, a bottle of rum, and a cuban cola. I drank the rum straight as I can't drink caffeine in the evening or I will never sleep. Jennie had a rum and cola (sans ice of course....because foreign country). At 11:30, the show was done and we went back to the bus and back to the ship. We were back through customs and on the ship about 1:00 am. I was sweaty and so tired.
On the second day in Cuba, Jennie signed up for a walking tour. I planned to stay on ship but decied to wander off and relax on the pier and do a bit more shopping. I sat in the pier in Cuba writing for this blog. Here is what I wrote:
I am sitting on the pier and the breeze is gently blowing. Yesterday we had a full day of exploring Cuba. Cuban music plays everywhere. I have no idea what they are singing but it seems to either be some sweet ballad or melodic cardio music that is almost impossible to not feel your hips move involuntarily and your head bob. The Cuban people know how to dance.....
Uno momento por favor.....
This is a great spot to talk about the questions everyone wants to know since the ability to travel to Cuba is recent. While I was lost in my writing, I was stopped by the police. Apparently writing on a tablet on the pier is not okay. I was politely approached with stern but not overly aggressive officer and asked to put my tablet away and leave the pier. I was asked to either head back to the ship or move into the city. The military presence in Cuba is significant. Security at the dock is very strict. You visit a customs agent both leaving the ship and when returning. You go through security very much like at the airport but add customs to that process. Most Cubans don't speak any English even if they say they do. It makes for lots of guessing, pointing, and loud and insistent speaking. I am back on board listening to American music with ship employees that speak English well. I am listening to a blend of American music with a little blend of Cuban heart thumping beats.
Interesting to note is crime rate in Cuba is about 4%. It just doesn't happen because the penalties for committing a crime is high. The last thing I wanted to do is end up in a cuban jail! Even littering is a crime. Taking a photo of a police officer? Yep...a crime. Good thing I am a law abiding tourist!!
The Cuban people are friendly and love American culture. They are excited about the possibility of reconnecting with the United States. They want a country to partner with and encourage American tourists and American dollars to flow through their country and help their economy. Our tour guide yesterday was a cute and fun young man that explained travel out of Cuba is financially unavailable to most Cubans. I heard the average income for Cubans is $20 a month. A doctor makes $50 a month. As a communist country, medical care and other daily living is covered. They also have subsidies such as food etc if needed. So they learn about other cultures through visitor interactions. He spoke very carefully and briefly about the political relationship between Cuba and America. I got the sense that regardless what our governments are doing or feeling, the people want us here and accept us with open arms. The culture is amazing here but the people are what makes it really special. Some people felt the Cubans were somber and unfriendly. That has not been my experience. I think our cultures are different. If you've ever traveled out of the states, it doesn't take long to realize Americans can be loud, obnoxious and rude. We ran into a few Americans that were that way.
I found Cuba very difficult to get around. The Tropicana was absolutely a no go. There is no way I could have done it without Jennie's help. There were lots of uneven pavement and steps with no handrail. There were times I had to have a stranger help me too. When they showed us to our table at the Tropicana, there was a 1.5 foot step. Even with help, I wouldn't have been able to do it. So we were sat at a table next to the stage (which was a little close) with other people that couldn't do steps. I felt bad Jennie couldn't sit at one of the better tables but hopefully she was okay. The entire day in Cuba, Jennie was there to help me get around. She was great to look out for me and emphasize that I needed help or a different solution. Even with my cane, Cuba would have been impossible to me without her help. I thanked her profusely over and over. It was so hard and my body was exhausted after our big day. But it was well worth the effort to see Cuba. I so appreciate Jennie's patience and assistance. She even carried my 3 heavy bottles of rum back to the ship for me. She is my hero.
Our final day of the cruise was our first sea day. For me, sea days are a great time to rest and relax. Jennie and I signed up to do sushi making class I was shocked how the boat was rocking which meant poor Jennie had to be my personal walker helping me around everywhere I went....and that was with my cane! We met in the Viking lounge with 12 other eager sushi learners to follow direction of a lead sushi chef on staff. We made a shrimp tempura roll, spicy tuna roll, shrimp rice ball thingy, and a crab sushi cone. After we made it, they cut it up and presented it for each of us to enjoy. It was lots of sushi. I don't like tuna but seems I ate it all except the krab (with a k) cone. I guess I was hungry. We decided to stay for the pamper party from the spa which ended up being a 45 minute talk about how we come from the sea and should use sea products. We got creams and cleanser samples to try out. Then they offered a free individual skin consultation....which we left before we got roped into. We did a game show and enjoyed some cocktails. Went to pack and at night had a super fancy chef's table dinner with wine paring. By far the best meal we had onboard. And 6 glasses of wine and a finish with a chocolate martini. We shared the experience with 2 other couples. After 3 courses, we were lead by the chef to tour the galley kitchen. Fascinating!! Back to finish up 3 more courses, which were great but we all started getting quite tipsy. The other couples became fairly rowdy. It turned out to be a 3 hour dinner. Jennie and I totaled back to our cabins to try to sleep before our big adventure home.
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| Ready to make Sushi |
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Our finished sushi. It was great fun and tasty!
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| Our first course of our Chef's Table dinner |
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| Split pea soup with bacon and poached quail egg |
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| Chocolate Martinis for dessert |
This boat is very small from a cruise ship perspective. It makes it very easy to get front to back and side to side. Literally holds 1900 passengers but lots of people cancelled for fear of hurricanes or some political reason we can't get into Cuba. I heard 800 cancelled. Someone else said 600 cancelled. Makes it a light load of passengers regardless. We can find seats anywhere. Elevators are easy to get. There are always chairs around the pool, and the buffet is never terribly crowded. What is bad about a small and old ship is the rooms are tired and plain. And the boat has amazingly lack of stabilizers which made it very rocky.
We got off the ship bright and early Saturday and each made our way to the airport to catch our flights. Jennie had an early flight so she left before me but we happened to meet up in the airport which was fun. We had a great time and look forward to traveling together again soon.
