Victory Cruise Lines is planning a series of 13- and 14-night circumnavigation cruises of Cuba on Victory I between January and April 2019, with a special spring weekend three-day cruise to close the winter cruise season.
Victory Cruise Lines offers special winter reduced pricing and early booking discounts on the Miami-Cuba sailings. For instance, all-inclusive fares for 13-night voyages start at $5,995 per person, double occupancy, including the early-booking discount. In addition, select value-season departures qualify for an overnight hotel or air credit of $500 per person.
All Cuba circumnavigation sailings are roundtrip from PortMiami, including five 13- or 14-night cruises departing January 29, 2019; February 15; and March 1, 15 and 29.
Every sailing includes a full-time schedule of educational exchange activities, including interactions with Cuban musicians, artists, naturalists and its new generation of entrepreneurs. Victory Cruise Lines follows all the guidelines and meets all requirements for Americans visiting Cuba established by the Office of Foreign Assets Control of the U.S. Treasury Department.
The Victory I has a crew of 84 and a capacity of 202 passengers.
Special Three-night Spring Cruise
A special three-night all-inclusive weekend roundtrip cruise from Miami to Havana departs April 15. The weekend cruise fare starts at $999 per person, all inclusive, with early-booking incentives available. The weekend getaway includes two days and a night in Havana.
On Every Cruise
Each circumnavigation cruise has onboard lecturers covering the cultural essence of Cuba, as well as Cuban historians who tell the story of the history and life of the country from the Cuban point of view.
Every voyage also includes cuisine with house wines, beer and spirits — showcasing local rums available only in Cuba — shore excursions, entertainment and dining, and a shipboard enrichment program.
Santiago de Cuba
In Santiago de Cuba in the eastern province of Oriente, guests will eat lunch at the El Morro Restaurant. Admission to El Morro Fortress is included.
While in Santiago de Cuba guests will visit Santa Ifigenia Cemetery, the resting place of such notable Cubans as Jose Marti and Fidel Castro. While at the cemetery guests will experience the changing of the guard ceremony. The tour includes Moncada Barracks, where young Fidel Castro and his brother Raul led a small group of revolutionaries in the opening action that marked the start of the Cuban Revolution in 1956.
The call at Santiago de Cuba will be capped with a private performance by the Ballet Folklórico Cutumba.
Trinidad/Casilda
The Manaca Iznaga Sugar Cane Plantation is the focal point of a tour of the Sugar Mills Valley, founded in 1750, where guests will learn about the history of sugar cane production in the area and its relationship to slave trafficking in the region. Visiting the workshop of the Santander family will enable guests to meet ceramicists who have been creating unique pottery for generations. A walking tour of Old Colonial Trinidad includes visits to artist studios and museums.
The second day of the Trinidad/Casilda call includes a trip to the Scambray Mountains for a “people to people” visit at a local coffee farm. Lunch will be at a local paladar, or family-run restaurant, for additional people to people interaction. The afternoon includes a visit to the local handicraft market.
Cienfuegos
Known as the “Pearl of the South,” Cienfuegos offers a collection of neoclassical structures on the Punta Gorda Peninsula. Activities include a walking tour of the UNESCO World Heritage Site, a visit to the Cuban Union of Artists and Writers followed by an exclusive musical performance by young members of that organization.
The second day in Cienfuegos begins with a morning excursion to the Cienfuegos Botanical Garden, where guests can view a variety of plants and trees and learn about the connection between the garden and Harvard University. Guests will meet teachers and students at the Benny More Art School. The afternoon includes an excursion to the Thomas Terry Theater for an exclusive orchestral performance.
Havana
The Havana port call begins with a walking tour of 16th-century Old Town Havana to visit its famous four squares, followed by a guided tour and overview of the Malecon, University of Havana and Vedado with a stop at Revolution Square for people to people activities. Guests also will attend a private rehearsal by the Malpaso Dance Company and have an opportunity to meet the dancers. A visit to the San Jose Craft Market will allow guests to shop for souvenirs and also interact with artisans. That night guests will experience Havana of the 1950s with an exclusive private performance by members of the Buena Vista Social Club and Afro-Cuban All Stars.
On the second day in Havana, guests will transfer by classic cars to Ernest Hemingway’s Cuban home, Finca Vigia, now a museum. Then it is on to the fishing village of Cojimar, an inspiration for Hemingway’s “The Old Man and the Sea.” Lunch will be at a paladar in Cojimar, where guests will meet the owner and learn about Cuba’s new private sector. Local fishermen will share stories about Ernest Hemingway during lunch.
Other immersive activities in Havana include guided tours of the Museum of the Revolution and Fine Arts Museum, as well as a visit to the Riera Studio, where the Art Brut Project Cuba features works by self-taught Cuban artists.
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