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This is the second in a multi-part series covering our time in Cuba
As multi-time cruisers, we had not previously sought out an all-inclusive resort vacation.
"Too confining," I’d say, with more than a twinge of irony, as that’s what so many people seem to say about cruises. ‘Too limiting to one area, too beach-focused, and not diverse enough either in cuisine, fellow guests, or scenery.’
And yet it's next to impossible to find a cruise that calls on Havana – for now, anyway. So for us a visit to Cuba meant either a land vacation like we’d do in Europe, hotels and meals on our own; or staying at one of the all-inclusive resorts popular with so many Canadians and Europeans.
For the relaxation factor (and a bit of a bargain) we opted for the latter, and soon after embarked on our voyage with the best of intentions NOT to compare this to cruising.
Of course we all know what they say about good intentions.
Within hours of landing, we knew we weren’t on a cruise anymore, to paraphrase Dorothy. This doesn’t have to be a bad thing, it’s just that the comparisons and contrasts were always near the forefront.
First off, despite the hour of 3am checking into the resort – Breezes Jibacoa, in Havana province less than an hour from the city – I had my first mojito, and didn’t have to swipe my sea-pass or sign for anything. Drinks are included in the package, a refreshing departure from having to pay up front for each beverage (and add 15% gratuity), only to see a staggering bar bill at the end of the journey. In fact we didn’t even have to present a credit card upon check-in, as everything was already paid for – only excursions would be extra, and those are paid for in cold hard currency.
Our accommodations, however, would be a bit of a letdown. Yes, it was twice as large as any cruise-ship cabin we’d ever stayed in, but it had neither charm nor convenience. The air-conditioning could not keep up with the tropical heat and humidity of Cuba in July, making for somewhat sleepless nights. The bathroom was utilitarian, with a harsh fluorescent light and outdated amenities that went unreplenished during our stay. And the room itself was spartan in appearance, with cold white tile floors and minimally decorated walls, not ideal for more than sleeping.
Further disappointing, though, was the food.
Breakfast the first morning, we wrote off to coming in at the end, as the buffet was being taken down. By lunch, however, we began to get the impression that the food being put out was simply not of an acceptable quality. Hard rice, lukewarm beans, I mean these are the basics – if you can’t get rice and beans right, things aren’t looking good. On top of this, the buffet is indoors, but is open air with poor circulation (and flies), meaning that lunch time is like a sauna, while dinner is more of a steam bath. The outside patio is a bit better, IF a table is available, but at dinnertime the influx of mosquitoes makes the patio less than bearable.
(A bit of background: we don’t eat out so often, and when we do it’s usually nothing fancy; in the past we have enjoyed meals at basic buffet and family restaurant places – in fact we would have gladly paid extra to get that level of dining experience at the resort.)
It wasn’t a total loss, mind you. It’s simply that the comparisons with our cruises came early and often. On a cruise you don’t usually have to eat in the buffet, and generally one has a choice of indoor, climate-controlled seating or a table on the patio with a fresh breeze. So even the best of food would have been met with this challenge for us. We did, however, find a few items that we stuck with – the omelette station at breakfast was nice, and the mangoes were some of the best we’d ever had. And the pasta at lunch and dinner was cooked to order and usually acceptable. Some nights had themes such as "Asian," "Mexican," or "seafood," and these were pulled off with varying results. The seafood night was of particular disappointment, as the ingredients were fresh and of good quality – lobster, shrimp, scallops, and stone crab – but the preparation was mediocre. How disheartening to see a mountain of stone crab claws – prized 90 miles away in Florida and fetching top dollar – only to find them lacking in flavour and thoroughly overcooked.
We did have some decent meals, two of which would have been decent by international tourism standards; these, however, were off property and in Havana itself. The resort’s saving graces were the beach bar, where lunch is cooked to order and features passing hamburguesas and a nice grilled fillet of fish, with fries (chips for the Brit guests); and one of the two specialty restaurants.
Once per week, at each of the two specialty venues, guests can sit down in an air-conditioned (aaaaaaah) dining room and have a proper, cooked-to-order meal. One of the restaurants is Cuban, or at least Cuban-esque, though it cannot hold a candle to the Cuban restaurants we’ve enjoyed in Miami and elsewhere (perhaps an unfair comparison, but so be it). The other is the Italian eatery, which offers a passable Spanish wine as well as antipasti and entrees that were pleasing. Would that we could have dined here more often, but alas, it was limited to once per week.
Back to the positive side, lest you should think that we had a horrible vacation – we most definitely did not. The resort grounds were well maintained and provided a lush tropical ambience. The pool was more than adequate in size for this resort, and although some complained about not having a swim-up-bar, this was a nice spot in which to cool off. Occasionally the bartenders would come around to take orders, but we certainly didn’t mind the short walk to the bar where decent mojitos, fresh pina coladas and daiquiris, and other tropical drinks were skilfully prepared. The booze was flowing at Breezes, and alcohol was never skimped. Quality rums such as Havana Club, Santero, Caney, and Santiago were always available at the various bars on the property, as were other spirits. For those who drink – and unfortunately my wife does not – this aspect of the all-inclusive resort means a good value can be had overall.
The staff were generally friendly, especially those in the restaurants and bars. Speaking Spanish helped, and more than one employee went above and beyond in trying to make our stay a pleasant one. The front desk and management were mainly indifferent, something that came out early when we had a petty theft incident at the beach – in the end we were not charged for the towels that had been stolen from the hotel’s beach chairs, but it took some negotiating to get to this point. We gave gifts to the housekeeping staff, as well as to some in the restaurant, as despite the no-tipping policy at the resort, we knew that basic items – toiletries, t-shirts, school supplies, baseball gear, etc, common place to you and me but scarce in Cuba – would be welcome.
While cruises offer theatrical productions, cabaret revues, and varying musical lounge acts, the entertainment at an all-inclusive resort is low key. Breezes’ entertainment and animation team comprise but a handful of members, and shows are smaller in scale, more home-grown, and a bit reminiscent of camp.
In fact, for those who enjoy camping, the resort may be a better alternative, as it offers a connection with nature, whereas cruise ships are more urbane and indoor in their offerings. Much of the time we felt as if we were "roughing it" and that the resort simply lacked the feeling of elegance or refinement that we get from the ships. Though I must emphasise, this is a highly subjective point. Fellow guests, many of whom were repeat visitors to Breezes Jibacoa and mainly spent their holidays at all-inclusive resorts, largely said they did not care for the cruising experience. To each his or her own.
It was nice not having to trek to the beach – open the door, walk 30 seconds, and voila, there it is. The snorkelling offshore was pretty good, I might add, a nice reef just meters from the hotel’s beach. But for the attention-deficit traveller, accustomed to getting variety of locales on a cruise or land holiday, the resort felt limiting at times. The stifling heat and humidity may not have helped, either, as it was a disincentive to wandering very far. We did spend two days and one evening in the city of La Habana, an amazing place, and all that is featured in a different review (Click to see the trip photos)
Back to the AI. Was our experience a viable reflection of all-inclusive resorts overall? Maybe not. Friends, colleagues, and fellow travellers have noted that this may be typical of the resorts in Cuba, but that other holidays in Jamaica, the Dominican Republic, and elsewhere could be more our thing. They used to say that you couldn’t get good Chinese food in China – this was due to ingredient quality issues, as well as a lack of experience in the service industry (much different today). Cuba seems to be in that phase, opening the door to tourism but not quite capable of handling it all, at least on the culinary side.
Would we go back to Cuba? Most definitely. It’s an amazing place, and I have so many thoughts that will be posted shortly on our blogs. We would simply do standalone hotels – or better yet, B&Bs – and dine in more local establishments.
Would we consider another all-inclusive resort as a holiday? Yes, perhaps someplace like Costa Rica where cruises don’t really cover the best the country has to offer, and whose resorts get favourable reviews from even seasoned travellers.
Our next holiday? No brainer, really. As I said to my wife, "we’ve gotta get our cruise back."
(author's note: One diminutive line, the family-owned Fred. Olsen Cruises of the UK, does have a few calls at Santiago de Cuba in its upcoming season, and plans a one-time stop in Havana)
