Cuba is the largest island in the Caribbean, located in the north Caribbean Sea where the Gulf of Mexico meets the Atlantic Ocean. Cuba has a complicated history and until 2010 Americans were prohibited from traveling to Cuba. Unfortunately, travel to Cuba might be restricted again but details of the changes are not available yet, so we recommend visiting sooner rather than later. You can stay on land and take cars between the cities but the best way to see this island is on a cruise.
Itinerary
There are many itinerary options available, which can include visiting 1, 2, or 3 ports in Cuba, and which combine your Cuba visit with other Caribbean islands. Additionally, many cruise lines stay in Havana overnight so that you can explore Havana at night by visiting Club Tropicana or having dinner or cocktails onshore. We did a more intensive Cuba itinerary and visited 3 ports in Cuba. Our cruise started in San Juan, Puerto Rico. We visited Santiago de Cuba (2 days), Cienfuegos, Grand Cayman, Havana (2 days), and Bimini (Bahamas) before ending in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.
One of the main reasons to go on a cruise is to that you can visit multiple places on one vacation without having to worry about how you are getting there or where you are going to stay. Cruises also maximize how you spend your days because you sail overnight to your next destination. You can discover the destination during the day and avoid losing any days to transiting between cities.
Accommodation
There are not many 5-star hotel options in Cuba. If you choose to cruise, your hotel conveniently follows you wherever you go! The Silversea cruise had amazing accommodations and all staterooms are suites. The lowest suite category, the Vista suite, is 240 sq. ft. and the suites only get bigger. This was more than enough room for the two of us. Our suite had a sitting area, queen sized bed, marble bathroom, walk-in wardrobe, vanity table, and writing desk.
Visa and Mandatory Insurance
We recently went on a Silversea cruise to Cuba and we did not have to worry about obtaining a visa as Silversea took care of everything. The cost of the visa and the mandatory insurance (required by the Cuban government) during our visit was already included in our cruise fare. However, we recommend separate travel insurance to cover any medical emergency or if you need to cancel due to a covered reason.
The whole process was seamless. When we checked-in, we gave Silversea our passports. Before going ashore in Cuba we were given our passports back with the visa.
Virtuoso Voyages
Virtuoso Voyages provides extra amenities for you on certain sailings if booked through LBL Travel. These amenities include a Virtuoso on-board host, a private hosted reception, and either an exclusive full-day shore event or shipboard credit. Contact us today to plan your visit to Cuba!
