6 Night Yucatan & Havana Overnight (Miami Roundtrip)
Sail date: April 28, 2018
Ship:
Empress of the Seas
Cabin type: Inside
Cabin number: 8183
Traveled as: Couple
Reviewed: 6 years ago
Review summary
Great cruise to Cuba. It’s a good ship for a short trip. 6 nights was possibly a little long for a small ship.
Embarkation
4 out of 5
Got there around 11am, With no wait really. However, they have you fill out a separate piece of paper declaring that you’re not sick, which caused a buildup of people around the entrance digging for pens and searching for writing surfaces.
Ship experiences
Food and Dining
4 out of 5
Windjammer was excellent, but the main dining room wasn’t anything special. The food there is basically the same in the windjammer. We were sat on deck 4 for dinner, and the vibration of the ship made me feel sick the two nights we ate there. They did have people coming around asking how they can improve the dining experience, which isn’t surprising since as the cruise went on the windjammer was packed with people for dinner. Also, skip the brunch on sea day - it wasn’t worth eating there just for one free mimosa.
Windjammer Café
5 out of 5
Food here was excellent. Every meal, including late night snacks, was fresh. People working there were really friendly and opened our brought-on wine and brought wine glasses.
Onboard Activities
3 out of 5
Pool deck gets pretty busy, but the pool was never full. The activities out on the pool deck were a lot of fun. Because it’s a small ship, there isn’t a lot to do a night but go to the shows, so we would sit out on the bow or aft of the ship on deck 6.
Entertainment
3 out of 5
We didn’t see any shows, but the live music was pretty good on the pool deck. We enjoyed watching movies out in the hot tub.
Service and Staff
5 out of 5
Literally everyone on board we encountered was so friendly and genuinely wanted to make your cruise the best possible.
Ship Quality
4 out of 5
It’s an old ship so there’s not a whole lot they can do about that. It’s been redone really well and the cabins and communal areas are better on this ship than the majesty of the seas. There was always soap in the dispensers, paper towels, fresh plates and silverware, and toilet paper.
Cabin / Stateroom
4 out of 5
It’s tiny, but we didn’t mind. Our three large suitcases fit under the bed, and there was more than enough storage space. Bed was really comfortable. I will say, however, our bed vibrated a lot with the ship and made me feel ill the first couple of nights. I ended up sleeping on a hammock on the sun deck :)
Ship tip
Eat all meals in the windjammer. Get your spot on the pool deck early - most people save deck chairs so you might as well too. Watch the sunrise from the aft of the ship on deck. Go into the windjammer from the pool on the left side - everyone goes in from the right but the left was always empty.
This port wasn’t the best - people were aggressively trying to get you to go into their stores, and the taxi drivers refused to take us to where we wanted to go because it would be a low fare - they kept trying to get us to go to Mr. Sanchos. Ended up at paradise beach, which was pretty nice.
This is what made the trip worth it. You don’t need an excursion to get off the boat. Get off and go explore - we had several mojitos, food, and walked all over the city. It’s a really safe city and it’s like no where I’ve ever been in the world.
Getting off the ship was easy because we had our bags with us. The people who left their bags outside were stuck for awhile because the room holding the luggage was inaccessible due to the door not working. Also the port of Miami’s computer system went down so no one could be processed for about a half an hour.
They include medical insurance for Cuba as part of the cruise. As for shore excursions, you’ll declare to RC that you’re taking a tour, whether by them or third party, but it isn’t something Cuba or the US border/ customs checks. In fact, RC encourages you to get off the ship to get your passport stamped, exchange money, and take photos on your own. There is a cigar/ coffee/ rum shop at the port terminal that is the same price as other govt run stores, however that establishment didn’t have a humidor/ controlled climate for their cigars like other cigar stores in Cuba.
Hi we are leaving soon to Cuba on Royal , did you have to purchase medical / Travel insurance ?
Royal makes it look like we have to purchase a shore excursion to get off the ship , thanks for your info .
Are there Cigar shops on the Port ?
Thanks again .
*Cruiseline.com is not a booking agent or travel agency,
and does not charge any service fees to users of our site. Our partners
(travel agencies and cruise lines) provide prices, which we list for our
users' convenience. Cruiseline.com does not guarantee any specific rates or
prices. While prices are updated daily, please check with the booking site
for the exact amount. Cruiseline.com is not responsible for content on
external web sites.
Contact us
Submitting...
Need help from a personal vacation planner?
Loading...
Find the perfect cruise with weekly tips and cruise deals for as little as $30/night!
Sign up for weekly cruise deals
Join other subscribers and get the best
cruise deals of the week in your inbox every Thursday.
