Go see CUBA now! It's amazing!

Item: Empress of the Seas
Rating: 3.6
Author: trevinoim

Empress of the Seas Cruise Review to Cuba

trevinoim

Contributor Level: Purser

Cruises: 7+ cruises

Review: 1

Helpful Votes: 8

Overall rating:

3.6 out of 5

Verified Review

5 Night Havana Overnight & Cozumel (Miami Roundtrip)

Sail date: July 07, 2018

Ship: Empress of the Seas

Cabin number: 8523

Traveled as: Singles/Friends

Reviewed: 6 years ago

Review summary

This ship is small and dates from the 90s. While it is very clean, and the decor is tasteful, it really could use some updates. Havana is a must see destination but. Ozimel is a tourist trap that features dicey jewelry stores, a Margaritaville and a Senor Frog. Best skipped.

Embarkation

5 out of 5

Super small ship (2000 guests) means easy embarkation.

Ship experiences

Food and Dining

4 out of 5

I was led to believe that Royal was so much better than Carnival but this was about the same. The 7.95 fee plus gratuity for room service was a disappointing surprise.

Onboard Activities

3 out of 5

Fewer guests means fewer onboard activities. I missed having something to do at all hours although the events they did plan like a dance on our third night were beautifully planned and executed. I would have liked more of that.

Entertainment

4 out of 5

Service and Staff

5 out of 5

They literally can't do enough for you. Really fantastic service all around.

Ship Quality

3 out of 5

The Empress is a dowager! This is an old, smaller ship and it shows.

Cabin / Stateroom

3 out of 5

Ship tip

We had a teeny tiny interior cabin and the bathroom was ridiculously small.

Thumbs up

Ports of call

HAVANA, CUBA

4 out of 5

You GO SEE FOR YOURSELF! Don't believe any scary stories you might have heard. It was perfectly safe and the people were amazing. I can't recommend Cuba enough. Communist or no, we are so much more alike than different!

Thumbs Up 24

Cozumel, Mexico

2 out of 5

Tourist trap. Skip it and go to the spa instead.

Thumbs Up 5