Ocean Cruises Archives - Unique Journeys LLC

CUBA – THE EXOTIC DESTINATION CLOSE TO HOME

May 24, 2018

RAISE YOUR HAND if you have been thinking about visiting CUBA – THE EXOTIC DESTINATION CLOSE TO HOME. In February of this year, I was lucky enough to join the ranks of Americans visiting Cuba for the first time. Until recently Cuba was this exotic and mysterious neighbor we weren’t allowed to see in person. Oh, the really adventurous could go there by flying to Mexico or Canada and flying to Cuba from there. I was not among that contingent.

So this past February I walked onto the Holland America Veendam to see for myself what the real Cuba is like. We sailed into Havana early the next morning to start our 18 hour odyssey. As we stood on the deck waiting to disembark, one of the first things you think is “It looks like a normal morning in any tropical city.” Going through customs to enter the city is quite strict. Not only do they take your picture and do x-rays, but they take your temperature. If you have any fever at all, you are not allowed entrance. Once through all the entrance lines and getting your Cuban money, you go downstairs to board your designated bus for your day out.

Trip down memory lane

I chose to ride in one of the “classic” cars of my past. These cars are being maintained and used as taxis in the city. I scored a hot pink convertible and a driver who spoke some English. The first thing you notice is there are no seat belts. After they start the car, the second thing you notice is they use leaded gas, so the fumes bring back memories.

Make no mistake this is a Communist country and all around you there buildings in various states of disrepair because there simply are no resources to fix them up. That is really a sad sight. However, all the Cuban people we met, were extremely friendly and outgoing. Our guide for the day in Havana invited us to ask her any questions about the government, the country or even their religion Santaria. We took her up on that as we rode around to various sites and learned a great deal about the culture and lives of the people of Cuba.

What would a trip to Cuba be without Cigars!

After lunch we went back to the heart of Havana and walked through the three major squares and an indoor flea market. In one of the squares we went into a shop for a little retail therapy. Since all pricing is government controlled, it doesn’t matter which shop you buy from. I got the requisite cigars and rum and also picked up some Cuban coffee.

Happily toting my purchases I climbed the gangway to the ship so that I could take a shower, eat a little dinner and get ready to head out again for my night at one of the nightclubs that were available for shore excursions. I picked the show at the Hotel Nationale de Cuba since I was interested in seeing the hotel. It was the hotel of choice for lots of American gangsters and mobsters. There is an entire room with pictures dedicated the various personalities who have stayed there.

The show itself was very colorful with lots of music and dancing and costume changes. It was very interesting and I’m glad I went, even though it started at 10pm and ended just shy of midnight. We had to hurry back to the ship since it was departing at 1:30am. For me, beginning my day at 6:00am to view our arrival into Havana and getting to bed around 12:30am after a full day of touring, was exhausting, but exhilarating just the same.

AT-SEA DAY – BUT KEEPING BUSY

The next day at sea, I attended two Microsoft workshops, an America’s Test Kitchen demonstration, a BBC show and had afternoon tea. I got my exercise jogging between the different venues as they were on different decks and in the front and back of the ship. While I was taking advantage of the activities onboard, we were steaming toward Cienfuegos, our next and last stop in Cuba.

Next stop – Cienfuegos

We arrived there early on Saturday morning, which was a market day. My pick for the shore excursion here was to a graphic arts studio and a concert of all flautists. (I’ve always wanted to use that word). They are an example of the emphasis on art and creativity of all kinds in this society. All of the graphic artists at the studio and the musicians are young people with great enthusiasm for their medium of choice.

After lunch at a very modern hotel, we went back to downtown Cienfuegos for a walk through the market and a visit to a lovely theater. Once again, you could see signs of deterioration in this beautiful building and you wish you could do something to bring it back to its glory days.

Now that the door has been opened, I hope to go back and be able to see more of this exotic neighbor of ours. The more Americans that take advantage of this opportunity, the better both cultures will be. Why don’t you join me in considering a vacation to CUBA. Contact me to schedule your next adventure.

Malt Shop Memories Cruise for all Bobby Soxers

May 23, 2013

Now is the time to get those poodle skirts out of moth balls, get those duck tails into shape and get ready to rock to the great tunes we grew up with on a Malt Shop Memories Cruise.

Holland America’s Eurodam is the place to be from 03-10 November 2013 if you want to dance to the likes of Neil Sedaka, The Four Tops, Lesley Gore, Gary U.S. Bonds, and many more. Not only will you see these legends on stage, but during the cruise there will be numerous opportunities to interact with your idols up close and personal.

You will also see the ports of Half Moon Cay, St. Maarten, Tortola and Nassau.

All this and Holland America’s legendary service, food and accommodations adds up to a once in a lifetime experience.

This is always a popular cruise and this year is no exception. You know you want to go, so what are you waiting for. Cabins are going really fast, so don’t delay in calling to reserve your space.

Click here for more information!

Balconies on Cruise Ships – Do you really need one?

Apr 10, 2013

In a recent article for USA Today Charisse Jones examines factors that go into whether or not you might want to get a balcony cabin for your next cruise.

Cruise ships are floating resorts, where passengers can get a massage, gamble through the night or check out a Vegas-style show without ever setting foot on land.

So with so much to do, do you really need a room with a balcony?

“I think it’s usually worth it,” says Mike Driscoll, editor of industry newsletter Cruise Week. “But that depends on the cruise itself, and why you’re going.”

Of course, seafarers have to figure out if a balcony is in the budget. But Driscoll says price may not be the deterrent it once was.

A few years ago, he says, “you’d be paying double to get a balcony.” Now, cabins with balconies on a standard, seven-day cruise generally cost $100 more than those with a window, and between $150 and $200 more than a stateroom inside the ship.

If you’re sailing in the Mediterranean or to another scenic destination, the view is definitely worth the money, Driscoll says.

“If you’re doing an Alaska cruise, it’s so nice out on the balcony, watching the glaciers,” he says. “You see all the people on their balconies watching the beauty go by.”

There are those vacationers who have little use for a private deck because they’re only in the cabin when it’s lights out. And a balcony may not matter much to them.

“They’ll be out in the casino and running about most of the time,” Driscoll says. “For them, it really isn’t as important.”

TRIP LENGTH A FACTOR

Marshall Jackson, a blogger for BoardingArea who lives in Atlanta, opts for a balcony depending on the length of the trip.

If it’s at least seven nights, he says, there’s more time to relax in your own outdoor space, particularly on days the ship is not in port.

But if the cruise lasts only three or four days, Jackson says, he rarely bothers to get one.

“(It) just seems like you spend so little time in your stateroom on shorter itineraries that a balcony is a waste of money,” he says.

Ellen Davis doesn’t go much for big cruise ships, preferring river cruises where balconies are the norm. And she’s not sure a balcony on a large cruise ship is worth the extra cash just to gaze out at an endless blue sea.

“Not that it’s lacking in its own beauty,” she says of the sea. “But it falls a little flat compared to watching castles float by on the Danube, or seeing children washing down their water buffalo on the Nile.”

Davis, who works in marketing and lives in Peachtree City, Ga., says, “I’d rather enjoy the ocean from the shore, watching the waves crashing, than pay extra on a big boat.”

THE BENEFITS

Others disagree and say that having more than a window to the sea has benefits beyond aesthetics.

Brian Matos, director of sales for a supply chain services company based in Frisco, Texas, is one, saying he enjoys having his own piece of the outdoors, away from the crowds.

“It really limits the claustrophobia that sometimes comes with small cabins on a cruise ship,” Matos says. “(It’s) great to be able to sit outside late at night with a glass of wine, looking at the sea and stars.”

William Rodgers, of Martinsburg, W.Va., couldn’t agree more.

“It’s usually said that the stateroom on a cruise matters little as one is never there,” he says. But he found out differently when he and his wife, Judy, decided to book a cabin with a balcony on a cruise to the western Caribbean, including Grand Cayman Island and Belize City.

“We spent more time in the stateroom than we ever expected,” Rodgers says.

While his wife slept in, Rodgers says, he would order from room service, then sit on the balcony “reading my book, drinking a cup of coffee and watching the sun rise.

“After we returned to the stateroom in the evening, my wife and I spent time together on the balcony. It was, in her words, a beautifully romantic moment each time we were there.”

Now they’re hooked, he says. “We will never cruise without a balcony again.”