Seeing Cuba was fantastic. It was a trip back in time, as if they were stuck in the 1950's. The ship is old and has very few things to do. The food was mediocre.
Embarkation
5 out of 5
Embarkation was fast and well organized.
Ship experiences
Food and Dining
3 out of 5
The food in WindJammer (buffet) was mediocre at best. It's a very small ship and the buffet is very small too. The dining room food was alright. I had a couple of good meals, but had several meals that were not that good. I did not do a specialty restaurant.
Onboard Activities
2 out of 5
This ship is old and very small and had very, very few activities. Nobody did the rock-climbing wall, the pool was small and not very inviting. The fitness center was very small too.
Entertainment
4 out of 5
I was pleasantly surprised by the quality and variety of the production shows, the entertainer/musicians.
Children's Programs
We didn't travel with children.
Service and Staff
4 out of 5
The service and staff were good and seemed happy and enthusiastic.
Ship Quality
3 out of 5
The Empress of the Seas is an old ship (1990) and has been in service with several cruise companies including RCCL as the original owner. It was bought back by RCCL in 2014(ish) specifically for the Cuba itineraries as it can get into the shallow waters for the Cuba ports. There are not a lot of bells & whistles or frills on this ship. Very few things to do on sea days. The ship is kept clean.
Cabin / Stateroom
2 out of 5
Pros: The bed was comfortable enough. The room was kept clean. The size of the room was small, but adequate.
Cons: The temperature of the water in the bathroom (sink and shower) fluctuated greatly and went from cold to scalding hot during any use. The shower is tiny and there was a broken shelp under the sink and to many plugs (to fill previous holes in the walls) to count. Caulk was used liberally in the bathroom to hold things together.
We went on an excursion to a park with water falls in the mountains. It was a 90 minute ride and I didn't think that it was worth that long of a car ride. That being said, it was fascinating to see how the rural population lived. There were oxen pulled carts on the road, as well as a lot of people walking and to many horse drawn vehicles to count. It was a trip back in time, as if they were stuck in the 1950's. I would recommend experiencing riding through the countryside.
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