Cruise Diary page 2 of 5
Thursday 8th October 2009
by Steve Read
Take me to Cuba...
THOMSON will be sending their new cruise ship to the most fascinating destination in the Caribbean next year ... CUBA.
The THOMSON DREAM will be calling at the capital Havana during a series of two-week cruises between December and March.
Although land-based holidays in Cuba are popular, this is the first time Thomson Cruises have put the island on their itineraries.
The only other cruise ship calling there regularly is Fred Olsen's BRAEMAR, but she will only visit the island six times between now and February 2011, with just four calls next year.
The 1,506-passenger Thomson Dream - currently sailing as the COSTA EUROPA before moving to Thomson in April - will overnight in Havana, giving passengers at least one night there.
The cruises start from Havana, Barbados or Montego Bay on Jamaica. The ship will in fact be sailing a 21-night circuit, divided into overlapping 14-night itineraries.
They include two other ports which are new to Thomson - Roatan, Honduras, and Santa Marta, Columbia - plus Aruba, Curacao, Grand Cayman and Cozumel.
The two-week cruises are from Barbados to Havana on December 23 2010, January 13, February 3 and 24; from Havana to Montego Bay on January 6 and 27 and February 17; and from Montego Bay to Barbados on December 30, January 20, February 10 and March 3.
The Montego Bay - Barbados run gives passengers the most time in Cuba, three days and two nights.
That's plenty of time to have a ride in a taxi made in the 1950s, and stock up on cigars which we Brits can bring home perfectly legally ... unlike Americans, who haven't been allowed a Cuban smoke for 50 years.
Despite what you may think, Americans are not actually banned from visiting Cuba, as long as they go via another country first.
But they break American laws if they spend any money ashore in Cuba and there are massive penalties for trying to bring cigars back into the US.
Those restrictions do not apply to Brits heading straight back to the UK as long as you stay within the HM Customs limit of 50.
President Obama has hinted that the trade embargo may be eased - if it is, the major cruise organisations like Carnival and RoyalCaribbean will be in there like a shot.
The Thomson Dream's Caribbean season will go on sale on November 5, and my friends here at the Sky Travel office will have all the details. Fares are likely to be around the £1,600 mark and will include £100 of onboard spending credit.
When she first joins the fleet next April she will be cruising the Mediterranean out of Palma, Majorca, before going into dry dock for a refurb ahead of her move to the Caribbean.
The ship will feature a large revolving stage in the Broadway show-lounge - perfect for the superb shows that Thomson stage. Their entertainment really is first class.
She has four dining venues including a 24 hour buffet, with the main restaurant following the open-seating style of THOMSON CELEBRATION and THOMSON SPIRIT at dinner with full waiter services and six courses every night.
Sister ship THOMSON DESTINY - formerly the Airtours SUNBIRD - will also be in the Caribbean next winter, but Cuba will not be on her schedule.
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