Category: Ports of Call

Other Cruises, Ports of Call

Cuban Rum, Cigars, and Art Havana Shore Excursion

by BillLeave a Comment on Cuban Rum, Cigars, and Art Havana Shore Excursion
Most cars on the road in Havana are much more recent, but you will absolutely see some American classic cars on your Havana shore excursion.
Most cars on the road in Havana are much more recent, but you will absolutely see some American classic cars on your Havana shore excursion.

My cruise on the Norwegian Sky was amazing. The ship was beautiful, and it was a great getaway. However, the real reason I booked this particular cruise was that I wanted an opportunity to see Havana before it changed too much. This left me in a quandry. I very much respect American Treasury regulations, and I didn’t know that country. That suggested booking a Havana shore excursion through the ship. However, I speak Spanish, have an adventurous soul, and have vacationed in places like Nicaragua and Indonesia. That suggested striking out on my own. I wound up booking the Cuban Rum Cigars, and Art tour. I later found dinner on my own. This combination worked very well. Continue reading “Cuban Rum, Cigars, and Art Havana Shore Excursion” →

Other Cruises, Ports of Call

Eating dinner in Communist Cuba

by Bill1 Comment on Eating dinner in Communist Cuba
Conde de Villanueva was a lovely restaurant in the beautiful Hotel del Habano… even if they were out of several dishes.

Sometimes, travel is meant to be an adventure. One day in 2006, for example, I went back to my apartment in Mexico City and told my wife we were moving to Abuja, Nigeria. Good times! In December 2016, I went on a bar crawl in Jakarta that involved a place which had been bombed by terrorists. It was bombed because, well, it was a bar. I got lost once in Japan, and I spent 11 days in Nicaragua once before I had learned enough Spanish. Anyway, I considered myself a seasoned traveler. That caused me to become arrogant, and being arrogant meant I quit listening. When I went to Cuba in July 2018, that meant that I didn’t listen to what restaurants were telling me about their menu. One of those places was the Conde de Villanueva in the Hotel del Habano. Continue reading “Eating dinner in Communist Cuba” →

Carnival, Ports of Call

San Juan Embarkation Port and pre-cruise stay

by John Brawley TophatLeave a Comment on San Juan Embarkation Port and pre-cruise stay

So, overall, San Juan embarkation is smooth and it is an excellent port to embark from.  After landing, we went and picked up our luggage, and, as we flew first class, we got it fairly quickly.  We then headed for the taxi line.  Uber is not allowed to pick up passengers at the airport, so this was the only option.  But, it was set up very well.  A uniformed women took our destination when we reached the front of the fast moving line, told us our fare, and directed us to our taxi.  A taxi ride from the airport to Old San Juan, the best place to stay when leaving for a cruise as the pier is right there, takes about 30 minutes.  The streets can be quite narrow at times, so be prepared to stop a lot.  But, the scenery of the old forts and buildings makes for a pleasant drive. Continue reading “San Juan Embarkation Port and pre-cruise stay” →

Carnival, Ports of Call

Carnival Fascination Penthouse Suite Southern Caribbean Cruise Experience – Planning the Cruise

by John Brawley Tophat3 Comments on Carnival Fascination Penthouse Suite Southern Caribbean Cruise Experience – Planning the Cruise
Mr. and Mrs. John Brawley Tophat in United first class on their flight to San Juan.

Hello all.  Mrs. Tophat and I just got back from an excellent Carnival Fascination Penthouse Suite cruise adventure to the Southern Caribbean.  Over the next few weeks we are going to share with you our entire cruise experience.  We sailed on May 20th from San Juan to St. Thomas, Barbados, St. Lucia, St. Kitts, and St. Marteen.  This cruise was about the ports of call.  We are gold cruisers with Carnival, having sailed with them many times out of New Orleans and Miami, so we were familiar with the Carnival experience.  We booked this cruise online via Carnival about a month before the sail date, so we had few options of cabins, and thus we ended up booking an extended grand suite on deck 6.  But, a few weeks before we sailed, the upgrade fairy called and offered us a Owners Penthouse Suite on deck 12. Continue reading “Carnival Fascination Penthouse Suite Southern Caribbean Cruise Experience – Planning the Cruise” →

Ports of Call

Rony’s Tours Roatan, Honduras

by Bill4 Comments on Rony’s Tours Roatan, Honduras
Where we waited for Rony’s Tours in Roatan, Honduras.

We were on the June 25, 2017 sailing of the Royal Caribbean Liberty of the Seas out of Galveston. One of the reasons we booked this trip was so we could stop in Roatan, Honduras. We were there two years ago and booked a trip to Maya Key, and we had a great time. This time, however, we wanted to get a little bit more adventurous and see the island itself. We contracted with Rony’s Tours Roatan to do ziplining and snuba diving in Gumbalimba Park. I will review the activities themselves separately, but for now wanted to comment on the service and experience with the tour company. Continue reading “Rony’s Tours Roatan, Honduras” →