In April 2019, we did a cruise to Cuba from Florida on Royal Caribbean’s Majesty of the Seas. One of my favorite ways to travel is on a cruise because it allows me to be able to explore without having to stay in a country. This was one of the last cruises that sailed to Cuba before cruise ships from the U.S. were stopped from sailing there. The ship sailed from Ft. Lauderdale Everglades port. We flew down the day before on Southwest Airlines and stayed at the Hilton Ft. Lauderdale Beach Resort. The next day, we had arranged for private transportation to pick us up from the hotel and take us to the port to board the ship.

We love staying in suites, so for this cruise, we had a Grand Suite. The Majesty is an older ship and all of the ships that were sailing to Cuba were smaller. This was a 5-night cruise. The room was spacious with a balcony. I always request a sweet treat to be inside of our room when we arrived so for this trip I requested chocolate-covered strawberries and a bottle of sparkling cider. It’s always refreshing to have a treat when you arrive at your room.

The ship was docked there for two days, which was plenty of time to explore. Once we got off of the ships, there was a short process through customs. There is a currency exchange location inside the cruise terminal. Once we exchanged currency, we were set to explore. Taxis are located right outside of the terminal. As soon as we walked out, there were plenty of taxis lined up waiting. The taxis are also classic cars so you get two for one!

We told the taxi driver all of the places we wanted to explore. He was game! We did a city tour which consisted of Parque Central, El Capitolio, Grand Teatro de la Habana, Chinatown, a cigar factory in Centro Habana, Plaza de la Revolution, Universidad de Habana, Parque John Lennon, Hotel Nacional, El Malecon and New Havana. Our first stop was at a Cuban cigar factory that sold cigars and Cuban coffee. This must have been the spot to buy these items from because there were a lot of people in there. The cigars were made fresh and rolled to perfection. Although I am not a cigar smoker, it was pretty cool to see the process.

We were so amazed at all of the sites we saw while riding around. The driver dropped us off at an area close to the ship that had plenty of entertainment, restaurants, and shopping. We were hungry and decided to stop at one of the many restaurants. We were pressed to try a Cuban sandwich in Cuba so that’s what we ordered. We even ordered mojitos and the total wasn’t even $20 USD. Now that’s a deal!

After our meal, we continued to walk around to explore the area. There is a lot of hustle game in Cuba so be prepared. We were ready! Negotiate everything! If something doesn’t sit right, walk away. We wind up seeing a group performing and our son loved the music. He started dancing and having a great time.

Before getting back on the ship we bought a few souvenirs and took a few more pictures. The ship was docked overnight but left early in the morning heading to Nassau, Bahamas. We had been to Nassau many times so we didn’t have any real plans while there. We decided to get off the ship and walk around near the pier. Nassau has a lot of activities as well. Check out this link for things to do with kids in Nassau, Bahamas. https://www.kidsonaplane.com/nassau-bahamas-kids-no-atlantis/ Ai highly recommends the waterpark.

Overall the cruise was awesome! Sadly when we returned an announcement was made that cruise ships from the U.S. will no longer be allowed in Cuba. Currently, you can only travel to Cuba by plane only from the United States. If you are thinking about going, it’s worth the trip.

Checkout our IG @drbrownadventures page for my pictures on this adventure.