Vacation Hunter Diaries

Tours in Cuba include trips to Revolution Square where you will hear the praise for Fidel and Raul Castro and Che Guevara.   Buildings are covered with their pictures and whether they believe it or not, tour guides gush over the stories of how these men ousted Batista.   Yes the government does give the people free education and free medical care, but the government also requires community service of the governments choosing for those college graduates.  Plus even though you have an impressive college degree, the pay is so bad that giving up your career and working for tourism is your best way to put food on your table.   PLEASE tip those tour guides as the government takes all the money from the tours and your guide and bus driver get nothing but your tips as there salary!!!

After visiting Cuba and talking to lots of Cubans, they are very proud that their education and medical care are free.   However they must give community service back to the government for the free education and what they do is determined by what the government wants them to do.   Our old car driver was a chemical engineer who made more money driving an old car than working in his field.   Our farm tour guide was an English Professor assigned to be a tour guide.   On our farm tour the man who made the cheese and sausage for the farm was a veterinarian.   So much for a college education!

Cuba has started to have some organic farms pop up and are understanding the importance of slow food and farm to table restaurants.  I visited an organic farm which also produces cheeses and sausages, grew fruits and vegetables, and raised livestock.  I found out that the farm has to produce a quota for the government.   The farm also supplies cheese, sausage, fruits and vegetables for a farm to table restaurant.  The rest of the food is used for personal use and if there is still food left over they can sell it.   The government does help subsidize the farm also.   The farmer was so proud of his farm as he should be.   It was beautiful.    They still do most things by hand on the farm and it is not easy work.

The Cuban people are warm and friendly.   In the area near the port most of the people have some form of basic English, but not as much as in other Caribbean islands.  Most tour guides have a good knowledge of English, but at times may stumble for a word or too.  It is not necessary to speak or understand Spanish to visit, but you may find it handy to know some basic Spanish.  Some signage especially around the port have signs in both languages.

In order to get into Cuba from a cruise ship you must purchase a Cuban Visa. (approx. $95)   If you don’t want to purchase it yourself,  most of the cruise lines will purchase it for you and give it to you when you check in for the cruise.  When you get off the cruise ship or back on the cruise ship you will have to pass through security and customs each time. The first time you get off they will TAKE your Visa, stamp your passport and take your picture.   Each subsequent time they will just check your passport to make sure it is stamped.

Having cruised twice recently with Celebrity,  I really like the Solstice Class ships.  They are modern and sleek.   The lounges are warm and inviting.   My favorite spaces are the Sky Lounge, (fantastic ocean views), the coffee bar (a great place to chill and have a specialty coffee or tea along with a dessert or read a book), and the lawn club (great place to relax or watch the glass blowing show)  The food is good to great depending on what you order (last night was Beef Wellington and lobster YUM!).   The crew is friendly and attentive.   We were in a Sky Suite last cruise and well worth the price if you could afford it, this trip we are in an aqua class veranda and personally I don’t think for ME it was worth the extra money.  I would book a veranda next time and save some money.  The lawn club is awesome.   The only complaint I have is some to the spaces they use for Bingo and trivia are not large enough to comfortably hold everyone that wants to participate.   Entertainment has also been good.

It’s time for my annual review of Epcot.   We had Fastpasses for Soarin and loved the new simulated hang gliding adventure over world landmarks.  It was quite a thrill.  Norway was busy with it’s new Frozen adventures, but sadly Frozen merchandise had taken away from the great Helly Hansen merchandise they used to carry. (Hey Disney! Adults make adult purchases too!)  Also lines for the Frozen ride are way too long!  Still love touring the world, the Moroccan band was great, the German band needs to show some emotion and can you believe we got to see the Pointer Sisters play their old songs and other Motown artist songs?   The Flower and Garden Show was fabulous as always.   Love seeing the vignette’s of the Disney characters.

We really enjoyed eating here, as it has been a while since we have eaten here and we weren’t disappointed.   We started with some excellent onion soup with a nice flavor and not heavily salted.  Then I had the boeuf Bourguignon it was delicious.  My daughter who is vegan, gluten free had a lovely ratatouille presented in a pepper with some tasty potatoes on the side.   My husband had the Fruit de mer à la provençale,  but he thought Olive Garden’s was better!  We finished our dinner with raspberry and mango sorbet and it was wonderful!  The service was great as well as the ambiance.  We’ll be eating here on our next visit too!

Animal Kingdom Lodge is a bit out of the way and I would recommend a car if you chose to stay at this resort.    If you love animals this is the resort for you, if you get a Savannah view.   Some of the best restaurants in Disney are here.   We stayed in a one bedroom suite with a wonderful savannah view at the Jambo building.  We had a small kitchen with a large refrigerator, a separate bedroom with a kingbed and a living room with a sofa bed.   The lobby made you think you were in Africa and if you go behind the lodge you can also see the savannah from behind the pool area which is also very nice.

I decided to try all the specialty restaurants before we came on the ship.  Murano is a french inspired restaurant.  I split a Chateaubriand with my niece we ordered it medium, but it came closer to rare!  Just a bit of advice order it a bit more cooked in all the restaurants and you will get it prepared correctly.  The sauce was tasty.  Service was fantastic!  The desserts were excellent.  We tried the strawberry crepes prepared tableside and the flourless chocolate cake served on Rice Krispies with salted caramel ice cream on a toffee brittle.