We chose this cruise because it offered us Americans the chance to see Cuba. We departed from Montego Bay, Jamaica and because we had been to Jamaica before and didn't care for it we didn't do any exploring.
The check-in process to get on the ship was very efficient and easy and our stateroom was ready for us as soon as we got on board. In fact when we reached our stateroom our luggage was ...
The first part of this was posted on the message boards. I've added many more details here (scroll down to "more observations")
Well unfortunately for us, Fidel died the night before we arrived in Cuba, which totally altered the tone of the entire trip. All the music was cancelled on shore, and numerous restaurants and bars were shuttered. The country was in mourning for 9 days so our shore ...
This was my first-ever cruise. It was the annual full-charter Welcome to Jamrock reggae cruise featuring several of the Marleys as well as an all-star cast of reggae stars past, present and future.
I had a great time but found it to be a mixed experience. The performances were spectacular. Every artist did a lengthy set backed by their own band (which is often not the case at land-based reggae ...
We booked this cruise in order to see Cuba - an economical and convenient to see 4 ports. The cities we visited were very interesting, especially Havana, and we were not disappointed in any way. The tours we booked from the ship were excellent, and allowed us to learn about the Cuban culture. Unfortunately, most of what we saw was in pretty bad shape, with buildings and roads crumbling and ...
Took this cruise to go to Cuba as part of the People2People program.
The boat is very small compared to other cruise ships I've experienced. Not good for children...the empty the pool everyday...during deck activities (very intrusive and disruptive)
The food was just nourishment..though the Exec Chef Charles and Dwayne at the carving station were friendly and listened to our ...
I read various cruise reviews and sometimes wonder how perceptions can be so different. Having made 250+ cruises over the past 50 years, and now in retirement spending 6 mo a year "at sea", I wonder how other passengers can get so upset about very little things and let them affect their entire perspective of the trip.
Celelstyal Crystal is one of three older ships in the Celestyal fleet, a ...
I took this cruise as an opportunity to see Cuba without paying the high prices of P2P groups from the US. The trip met my expectations.
The ship is small, older, and has its issues. The food was adequate at best. The entertainment was basic. But I wasn't on this ship for the cruising.
I SAW CUBA!! I saw more than friends I know who went on other P2P trips. I did it for about a third of ...
There are pros and cons to this cruise and line
Pros:
People to People lecturers from Univ of Havana onboard ship were very informative
Troupe of 12 entertainers were all high quality, as were were their nightly shows
Cruise Director Danny was great
Most crew members nice and helpful
Cons:
cabins basic, ours an XE
food mediocre...mystery fish at lunch and dinner, all meats ...
We chose this cruise for a number of reasons. One, we could board at Montego Bay and return to Montego Bay, and since we were already in Jamaica on vacation, it made for very simple logistics. Two, we knew American cruise ships were just at the point of making Cuba a destination, and we really wanted to visit Cuba before it was overrun with Americans. Three, the cruise was very reasonable, and ...
We are first time cruisers so read with appropriate caution. I thought this was a great way to see Cuba. We sailed on January 1st. from Montego Bay with a "People to People" educational program. The ship and food were deemed "below expectations" by the experienced cruise passengers we sailed with but both were perfectly adequate in our opinion. You take this cruise for the destination, not the ...