Cuba opened up to American cruise ships in 2016 for the first time in more than 50 years. Since then it has become increasingly popular with Americans for good reason. Later we’ll address some common concerns.

But first, what did it feel like to approach Cuba?

It’s difficult to describe the excitement of sailing into Havana. The skyline isn’t New York, Istanbul or San Francisco, but it is beautiful in its own way. There is a mixture of 20th century high rise buildings outside the city near the shore, and the historic city center with a Spanish colonial flavor comes into view especially as you enter the port.

Morro Castle at the entrance to Havana Harbor.

Havana boasts a narrow harbor opening lined with fortifications from the 16th to the 19th centuries opening into an expansive, protected bay. It is abundantly clear why the port of Havana was so important to the Spanish (and other) colonialists.

Not our experience. The tourist dollar is one of the few bright spots in Cuba’s troubled economy. Our Cuban guides explained that Cubanos don’t want to jeopardize the tourism that lifts up so many. As long as you practice common sense, walking around Havana anytime during the day or evening is safe.  

Again, not what we observed. True, facilities aren’t what you’d find in wealthy parts of the world, but when we were in Havana there were absolutely no problems. The sewer system can’t process toilet paper, so as in much of the developing world there were always covered receptacles available for afterwards. For some reason a toilet seat is a rarity, but even so a couple of the bathrooms we used were impeccably clean. Don’t let minor inconveniences keep you away from this enchanting city. What the heck, bring your own toilet paper, some wipes, and use the waste can like millions of others!

Even though it was spring break week in the U.S., Havana wasn’t overrun by visitors like many tourist cities. In port with the 685-passenger Azamara Journey , we docked next to the Norwegian Sky which can carry up to 2,450 passengers. Even with both ships there was no delay clearing Cuban immigration, only a passport stamp and each of us posing for a photograph. There was no wait time for the currency exchange, and coming back on board was a breeze, especially for the cruisers on our small ship.

Havana’s streets were virbrant with children playing and live music streaming from bars and restaurants. With the exception of a tourist hot spot or two boasting a Hemingway connection, bars and restaurants had plenty of room where we didn’t have to wait for a table and we never waited in a line to enter museums.

Yes, that’s true for the vast majority, especially compared to North American standards. They are also warm, welcoming, polite, helpful, and seem to be able to find happiness despite great hardship. They are beautiful people in so many ways, and carry themselves with dignity.

The American embargo and later loss of Soviet support have been devastating. Currently Cuba depends almost entirely on unstable Venezuela for anything petroleum-related and for what little financial help they receive. Our guide expressed concern about the crisis in Venezuela and what the response of the United States might be. He hopes that the hours-long power blackouts of years ago don’t materialize again.

In Old Havana we saw several “mercados,” all of which had just a few items for sale, perhaps two or three of each. There were never more than a few items total, with the only light coming in through the open side of the room facing the street.

This mercado has an unusually large selection of fruits and vegetables.

Some parts of the old city’s narrow streets have a bit of congestion, but the high price of gasoline means that many of the vehicles are used only for tourist activities. Are you old enough to remember Fidel Castro’s hours-long speeches to the people of Havana? In Revolutionary Square where he would speak, the hub of what should be Havana’s traffic pattern is so devoid of activity there were no traffic lights visible and very few cars.

Part of our LGBTQ tour group in Revolutionary Square with guide Andy in Red and Che Guevera in the background!

When asked “How do you repair your car?” the driver smiled and said: “We make it work.”  

Andy and our guides explained life in Cuba, answering questions truthfully and completely. It was clear that a great deal of time and energy goes into affording and obtaining food. During parts of the 1990’s after the Soviet pull-out, hunger was an especially serious issue. In fact, Andy explained that it wasn’t uncommon during this period for people to put worn-out old rags between two slices of bread to make a sandwich. 

Cubans do have free healthcare, of which they are proud. Nobody is turned away from housing because of the inability to pay rent, though they may share with multiple family members from 3 or 4 generations. This housing is often substandard by our metrics, and yet homelessness wasn’t visible on the streets.

Each table of four shared a bottle of excellent Cuban rum, soft drinks, peanuts, chocolate, and optional special cocktails. There is a dinner show available as well, but this evening was all about the show. The beautiful young dancers got even more attractive with each costume change. One set of showgirl costumes consisted of about a square foot of fabric along with a three-foot lighted chandelier headdress. Every muscle in their flexible bodies was in motion except their heads. The biggest ovation of the night was for the chorus boys tap dancing. In flip flops! No shortage of eye candy on this ship excursion !

Plan on a full night at the Tropicana. We gathered on the ship for the bus at 8:30 or so and came back on board about midnight, still pumped up from the performance. Over even more drinks, our group members who saw the show couldn’t stop talking about it. I was relieved that Azamara Journey didn’t have any crystal chandeliers on board.

Would we visit Havana again? At the drop of a Cuban fedora!

Let us know if you think we should plan another MMOB cruise to Cuba.