If you want to visit Cuba and are looking for a safe and culturally immersive experience, a cruise to Cuba is a perfect solution.
One of the best ways to explore Cuba is on an Azamara Club Cruises voyage. Their intensive cruises feature extended overnights in Havana and ports of call in Cienfuegos and Santiago de Cuba, so you can experience the vibrant, complex, and eclectic sides of this dynamic island.
Through their people-to-people travel program, you’ll enjoy meaningful interactions with the people of Cuba – from organic farmers to artists to bodega owners.
Cuba is the largest of the Caribbean islands and is nothing short of extraordinary. It is a stunning tropical paradise that is as interesting as it is beautiful. It’s complex history, rich culture, and welcoming people will fascinate and delight you.
Click here to view upcoming cruises to Cuba on Azamara Club Cruises.
Cuba Ports of Call
An Azamara Cuba itinerary includes three ports of call in Cuba. Their smaller, boutique-style ships, were made to dock in these exclusive ports.
Havana
Cuba is on the cusp of change, and Havana, the crux of the transformation. Rich in culture, history, sunny skies, and sandy shores, Havana is full of artists, designers, and musicians. It’s a vibrant place full of life and a complex mix of contrasts between old and modern. Walk the famous Malecón strip, one of Havana’s most legendary thoroughfares, and discover colorful buildings, urban plazas, and eclectic architecture.
Havana Highlights:
- Enjoy an authentic Cuban lunch at a local paladar.
- Meet local producers and artisans and shop for souvenirs at the Almacenes San José Artisans’ Market.
- Visit the Havana Club Museum of Rum for a tour and tasting.
- Explore a local organic farm and meet with local farmers.
- Follow in Ernest Hemingway’s footsteps with a visit to his residence, Finca Vigía.
Cienfuegos
Cienfuegos is a place whose elegant French charm meets Caribbean spirit. Many of the streets in the old town are named for Cienfuegos’s first settlers from Bordeaux and Louisiana. Clean and laid-back, Cienfuegos is known as La Perla del Sur (Pearl of the South), and is located on the south-central coast of Cuba. Cienfuegos literally translates to “one hundred fires.”
Cienfuegos Highlights:
- Discover the neoclassical, art nouveau and art deco styles the town has to offer on a walking tour.
- Visit the Palacio de Valle and the Arco de Triunfo, dedicated to the Cuban independence.
- Take a short boat ride and explore Castillo de Jagua, a 17th-century Spanish fortress.
- View the spectacular collection of tropical plants in the Jardín Botánico de Cienfuegos botanical gardens.
- Relax to the sounds of Caribbean music on the sandy shores of Playa Rancho Luna beach
Santiago de Cuba
Cuba’s second largest city is located on the Caribbean Sea southeast of Havana. A bustling and diverse city, Santiago de Cuba was the launching pad of Castro’s revolution and the home of Don Facundo Bacardí’s first rum factory. Known as Cuba’s cultural capital, it is the birthplace of nearly every Cuban music genre, an eclectic mix of influences with a distinct Caribbean spirit and Afro-Cuban culture.
Santiago de Cuba Highlights:
- Take in the views from Castillo de San Pedro de la Roca del Morro, a legendary 16th-century fort.
- Visit Parque Nacional Alejandro de Humboldt, declared by UNESCO as “one of the most biologically diverse tropical island sites on earth.”
- Take a horse-drawn carriage ride and explore the rich colonial heritage like the imposing but beautiful Basilica de la Caridad del Cobre.
- Discover the vibrant nightlife and music scene while enjoying a Cuba Libre or Mojito.
Havana Shore Excursions
Azamara delivers authentic people-to-people connections through their Cruise Global, Connect LocalSM shore excursions. They offer everything from an immersive Havana discovery tour, a cruise through the famous Malecón in classic American cars, a walking tour through Old Havana, and a chance to follow in Hemingway’s footsteps.
Below is a few of Azamara’s shore excursions in Havana.
Best of Havana
This daylong adventure delivers a comprehensive overview of Cuba’s capital city — and is a great way for first-time travelers to explore Havana. During the all-encompassing trip, you’ll visit Havana’s sprawling cemetery, notable square, artsy neighborhoods, artisan market, literary connections and authentic cuisine.
Havana by Classic American Car
Venture back to 1950’s Cuba as you hop in a vintage American automobile for a panoramic ride to the historic luxury Havana hotel, Hotel Nacional de Cuba, where you can enjoy views of the bay and glimpse photos of the hotel’s famous guests – Frank Sinatra, Ernest Hemingway, and Winston Churchill included – and sip an authentic Cuban cocktail.
Then it’s cruising in classic style along the famous Malecón and through the upscale Miramar neighborhood before arriving at the Plaza de la Revolución, where Cuba’s most important political rallies have occurred.
Hemingway’s Havana
This four-hour tour introduces you to the literary connections between Cuba and the late American novelist Ernest Hemingway. A short coach ride takes you to his farm, the Finca Vigia. Hemingway lived and worked here for 20 years, where he penned some of his most famous works, including For Whom the Bell Tolls and Old Man and the Sea.
Back in Havana, you’ll visit La Floridita, a former hangout of the writer. The tour ends with a walk by Obispo Street to Hotel Ambos Mundos, where Hemingway lived for seven years in the 1930s.
If you love to travel and love authentic experiences, a cruise to Cuba would be a perfect addition to your travel list. Please contact us if you would like more information.
Updated 5/3/2018.
