Excellent cruise to visit Cuba!!!

Item: Empress of the Seas
Rating: 4
Author: PRTraveler

Empress of the Seas Cruise Review to Cuba

PRTraveler

Contributor Level: Second Mate

8 Days Till Next Cruise

Cruises: 7+ cruises

Reviews: 4

Helpful Votes: 77

Overall rating:

4 out of 5

5 Night Key West & Havana Overnight (Miami Roundtrip)

Sail date: August 27, 2018

Ship: Empress of the Seas

Cabin type: Inside

Traveled as: Family (older children)

Reviewed: 6 years ago

Review summary

The Empress of the Seas is a small old ship. Although it was very clean, the rooms are very small and the bathrooms are rusty. This is a destination cruise, don't expect a lot of onboard activities.

Embarkation

4 out of 5

The staff was not very friendly.

Ship experiences

Food and Dining

2 out of 5

The food at the main dining room was not as good as other RC ships. In the second sitting, some items in the menu were not availlable. The buffet at the Wyndjammer was pretty good, specially the breakfast (Jason prepared awesome Omelettes).

Onboard Activities

2 out of 5

Entertainment

2 out of 5

Some activities as the Wedding Game, the Belly Contest and the Quest need to change. For veteran cruisers like us, the questions and formats are the same for the last ten years!!!

Service and Staff

4 out of 5

Our room stewart was among the best that we have had in over 20 cruises (Fernando from Costa Rica). The lady wellcoming guests at the Wyndjammer was awesome ("washy washy").

Ship Quality

4 out of 5

Although the ship is very old, it was extremely clean.

Cabin / Stateroom

5 out of 5

Although the cabin was very clean and the room stewart (Fernando) was awesome, the cabin was the smallest I have ever seen and need inmediate remodeling. The bathroom tiles and cabinets are old and rusty.

Ship tip

The ship excursions in Cuba are extremely expensive. We took a private two day tour that included two full days and one night for less than a four hour tour with Royal Caribbean. We booked our premium tour with the local tour company Fertours. We were a group of 8 family members and Fertours gave us a private tour during the two days. Lorena was our tour guide and she was awesome. You can bring to the ship two bottles (750ml) of wine or champagne. Also you may bring bottled water and sodas.

Thumbs up

Ports of call

Key West, Florida

5 out of 5

HAVANA, CUBA

5 out of 5

In addition of a two day tour with Fertours, during the nigth we went to the show Parisien at the Hotel Nacional. The show and ambience was excellent. Rember to buy the tickets as soon as you arrive to Habana, the price is 35 CUC per person (includes one Mojito). Several cubans told me that this show is much better than Tropicana.

Thumbs Up 4

Disembarkation

5 out of 5

Traveler Photos

2 Comments

agfstamps 6 years ago

Everyone’s experience is different. We love the Empress, staff has always been great and the ship clean. Love the coffee bar and seating in the theater with the little tables. Would sail her again in a heartbeat

Thumbs Up 2

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moodussnare 6 years ago

Agreed. We sailed the Empress in 2017 and won’t sail another small ship again. The ship was clean and it could have been a nice cruise except for the way it was handled. They kept one lounge open and closed all the rest throughout the trip. Then they ran every activity through it so that it became a contest of who could yell the loudest. The ship had just been return to the fleet the and the crew wanted nothing to do with it. Lesson learned, if it doesn’t have a promenade I avoid it.

Thumbs Up 1

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Other reviews of this sailing

Mixed feeling.

Two days in Cuba!

Oh those Cuban nights!