Empress of the Seas Review

3.0 / 5.0
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A good way to see Cuba

Review for Cuba Cruise on Empress of the Seas
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JCPchicago
6-10 Cruises • Age 60s

Rating by category

Cabin
Value for Money
Embarkation
Dining
Public Rooms
Entertainment
Fitness & Recreation
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Additional details

Sail Date: Sep 2017

Like many Americans, I've been curious to see Cuba for years. I've sailed past it on previous cruises, so when it became possible to visit, I was excited to plan this trip. Royal Caribbean offered one of the longer stays in Havana compared to others, so I booked it. The itinerary was good, departing from Tampa instead of the more chaotic South Florida ports, and it included a half day in Key West, as well.

The ship was older than I'd expected and while it has clearly had some updating, it was also showing it's age in some areas, but I understood that this older ship is more desirable for Cuba because it is smaller and able to navigate the harbor and port better than the newer, larger ships. The other advantage of the smaller ship is fewer passengers and therefore less logistical issues with moving thousands of people on and off the ship in ports, as well as enjoying board activities without a constant mob scene.

Our cruise was affected by hurricane Irma, so we lost our second day in Havana and my shore excursions had to be canceled. This was a disappointment but in no way caused by the cruise line. There was some delay in letting us know what was going to happen once we departed early, as the captain and corporate offices were deciding what to do. I was very pleased that they decided to let passengers remain on board after we returned to Tampa early and about two thirds of the passengers departed the ship. We then headed out to sea to wait out the storm. Eventually they decided to disembark the remaining passengers in Galveston, which was a good decision and far safer than returning to Florida after the hurricane left massive destruction and utility outages.

Cabin Review

Cabin superior ocean view stateroom

The cabin was clean and in good repair (considering the age of the ship) but nothing special. Beds were pretty comfortable and there were a few different kinds of pillows, so that was a nice feature. Bathrooms are pretty tight but they did have some handy little shelves in one corner. Stateroom drawer space was pretty limited, but hanging space in the closets was decent (tho I hate those hangers where you have to detach it from the plastic slider). Reading lights for each bed were handy, though a night light in the bathroom would be a nice feature, especially since the power outlet in the bathroom would not work with my own travel nightlight. Flat screen TV was nice though most programming was RC sales and marketing with a few reruns of TV shows and live news limited to CNN and Fox.

Port Reviews

Tampa

We embarked in Tampa. Cruise port is pretty close to downtown and Ybor City area of Tampa. I've been there many times before so there was nothing in particular that I opted to do while in Tampa on this trip.

Key West

Key West is fun to visit for a day while on a cruise, but not a high point for this trip.

Havana

My shore excursions were booked with a non-cruise line provider but both were canceled due to hurricane activity that was expected. The variety of excursions was pretty limited, probably because the destination is still very new. City tours in vintage cars are very popular, especially if you like old cars, and the rates were pretty reasonable.

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