5 Night Key West & Havana Overnight (Tampa Roundtrip)
Sail date: October 02, 2017
Ship:
Empress of the Seas
Cabin type: Oceanview
Cabin number: 7160
Traveled as: Large Group
Reviewed: 7 years ago
Review summary
The cruise was packed with fun and entertainment. There was always something to do. The heat in Key West was oppressive and we only went a little ways in, had a drink, bought a few things and rushed back to the ship. Havana was exciting, full of new experiences and very nice people. The heat and humidity on the second day was unbearable, we stayed on the ship and had a lot of fun! Overall, it was an experience that I'll never forget!
Embarkation
5 out of 5
AA flights were on time, easy transfer to ship terminal via Uber. Fast and efficient service thru terminal and onto ship. Left carry-on in stateroom and went up to buffet for lunch. Easy!
Ship experiences
Food and Dining
5 out of 5
All the food and drink was very good. But the mojitos from the Boleros bar were the best! And the thin crust pizza in the Windjammer buffet late night was excellent.
Onboard Activities
5 out of 5
Our activity was limited to dancing in Boleros and it was excellent. The band, Clave, from Colombia was impressive, playing music from all over the Americas, including Cuba.
Entertainment
5 out of 5
We went to 2 shows in the Royal Theater. Both were very entertaining, especially the comedian who we heard sing with the jazz band in Boleros. Multi-talented entertainers! Our Muster Station guide, Jimmy, was also a dancer in the Royal Theater productions.
Children's Programs
we had no children with us.
Service and Staff
5 out of 5
Henry, our room steward was very helpful and always made sure we had plenty of ice. Rosa, the guest service manager was everywhere making sure people were being taking care of properly. Our waiters, Memino and Indra were both fantastic and anxious to do their very best. Ignacio, the photographer not only took nice pictures, but was very entertaining. Carlos, our head waiter, aside from his hilarious jokes, was kind and considerate of his waiters. It was our waiter's birthday and Carlos made sure that he sat down with a piece of cake and we all sang Happy Birthday to him. And kudos to Mr. Loreto who was everywhere there was food, making sure we were getting good service, food and drink.
Ship Quality
5 out of 5
The ship is a part of RCCL so the layout is comfortable for us because we've cruised many times with them. It is a small ship compared to other RCCL ships, but that is a necessity in order to enter the Havana harbor. The whole ship was clean and well maintained. I did notice peeling paint on the outside of the window frames in the Windjammer Buffet, but I wouldn't hold that against them, it isn't easy to refurbish a ship to accommodate one port.
Cabin / Stateroom
5 out of 5
The cabin was small, but it's a small ship. Everything was clean and tidy. There was plenty of closet space. Our view was only partially obstructed so we could see most of what there was to see. The bed was comfortable and the tv had our favorites: CNN and ESPN.
Ship tip
Check out the Centrum on Deck 5. Different activities are happening all the time.
We went out on our own and had a 3 hour tour of the city in an old Chevy convertible. Excellent tour, very informative. The guide took us to Rosalia de Castro theater to make reservations for the evening. We are grateful for the guide's help, it was the best dinner show! We saw members of the Buena Vista Social Club perform, one was 96 years old and still singing! The dinner and drinks were not good, but we went for the music and were not disappointed at all.
This did not run smoothly and it was not RCCL's fault. The port of Tampa was not adequately prepared to handle the passengers. Everything was backed up at immigration. This was a small ship and should not have taken so long.
This is an excellent review to read for someone who might just happen to be sailing on her November 4th. Thank you. Did you happen to notice if CNBC and fox news were available?
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