Empress of the Seas Review

3.0 / 5.0
0 reviews

Exceeded our Expectations!

Review for Cuba Cruise on Empress of the Seas
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cruisedintoDiamondPlus
10+ Cruises • Age 60s

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Additional details

Sail Date: Jan 2019
Cabin: Owner's Suite with Balcony
Hemingway’s Floridita Bar
Cienfuegos at El Nicho Waterfall
Shopping stalls in downtown Cienfuegos
Scenery in downtown Cienfuegos
Empress of the Seas
At El Nicho Waterfall, Cienfuegos
At El Nicho Waterfall, Cienfuegos
View from our balcony entering Havana Harbor
Empress of the Seas in Grand Cayman
Empress of the Seas in Grand Cayman
Policeman in Georgetown, Grand Cayman
Galley Empress of the Seas
Bridge Tour Empress of the Seas
View pulling into Havana
Viking Crown Lounge
Viking Crown Lounge

We are seasoned cruisers, are used to the mega ships, but we wanted a little getaway cruise to break up the time, and I’ve been wanting to go to Cuba. In researching, I found that this 6-Night cruise in January, which was the month we wanted to travel, was an excellent value, so we went with the Owners Suite. After booking, I realized that Empress of the Seas used to be Nordic Empress, which we sailed on in 1997! Now I had become quite skeptical, but kept an open mind. Thankfully, the weather held out for us, because prior to our departure week, there were several itinerary diversions due to weather. It’s been ages since I’ve cruised out of Miami, but it was so smooth and organized. And luckily for us, because there was damage to a pier in Key West, we were informed several weeks earlier that we were now stopping in Havana, replacing Key West. I was absolutely thrilled! What a bonus that was! We have been on several sailings where the tables were turned, and we missed a stop we really wanted, and this just made the cruise that much more special. Upon boarding the ship, I was pleasantly surprised at how clean it was! I couldn’t understand why it has gotten so many terrible reviews, other than some guests may not have ever sailed the smaller ships, and could only compare Empress to the mega ships. The service was exceptional! Everyone in every area was so welcoming towards us. The ship is the oldest and smallest, but it was a breath of fresh air. It was wonderful not waiting in lines for any activity, show, or at a bar. Our suite steward went above and beyond, as did our dinner servers, each and every night. The Owners Suite was wonderful, with a delightfully large balcony overlooking the front of the ship, it was amazing! The suite itself was not huge, but certainly large and spacious enough for two people.The Loyalty Ambassador onboard made sure everything was taken care of, not only for us, but for everyone. I thoroughly enjoyed our three ports of call: Havana, Cienfuegos, and Grand Cayman. We did two shore excursions in the Cuba ports being novices there, but now that we’ve gone, our next cruise to Cuba, we will venture out on our own. It was so easy getting around and conversing with the locals, we have mapped out what we will do next time. Back to the locals, I found them to be so engaging, easy to talk to, and friendly. Havana is such colorful a city, I highly recommend it. Cienfuegos is a bit more primitive, but the tours will take you out to the beautiful countrysides. The shopping there is limited, but I found the little stalls near the ship had the best little remembrances at better prices! In Grand Cayman, we just walked around, shopped, stopped at the Paradise Grill overlooking the water, it was wonderful, and one of the best days just hanging out, relaxing with a beverage, enjoying the scenery. The shows on the ship were okay, we went to more than we usually do, as we aren’t real show goers. We also went on the Bottomless Galley Brunch which was by far, a highlight of the week, and I highly recommend it. This cruise was one of the best trips ever, I can’t stop thinking about it and how much we enjoyed it!

Cabin Review

Owner's Suite with Balcony

Cabin OS

Lovely! Only one sink to share, but plenty of shelf space and drawers. Has a jetted bathtub with a shower.

Port Reviews

Cienfuegos

Cienfuegos is more primitive and in the past. It appears to be quite poor. Many people use a horse and cart as their means of transportation. The tour was to El Nicho Waterfall, which was about an hour and a half drive from the pier. Our tour guide was wonderful, she answered all questions, and I learned a lot from her. The Waterfalls were stunning, but there were several large buses there which made for long waits climbing the falls. A family style lunch was provided with the tour at the Waterfall Property, and if you wanted vegetarian, they provided that too. It was a delicious meal, I chose vegetarian, but the other had Cuban pork that smelled amazing, the vegetables to share, rice, fruit plates to share, and soft drinks or water included. Some of us went to the bar for a beer and a wine, which cost 4.50 CUCS for both! There were two musicians playing guitar and singing in the dining area, it was so delightful and really added to the memory I have of that day! After leaving the Waterfall Park, we went to a “Cultural Project,” where students performed local dance, and there were several items for sale there. By the time we got back to downtown Cienfuegos, there was virtually 10 minutes to shop or look around. I managed to find a few pair of earrings I liked at one of the stands, and was able to look in a few shops, before we headed back. Then I found a set of 3 at the stall by the pier, earrings, bracelet, necklace-his prices were lower!

Grand Cayman (Georgetown)

It’s a lovely town with great shops and restaurants, very relaxing and uncrowded early on, but by afternoon, the jewelry shops were jammed!

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