Ravissant Dream Travel offers a truly historic opportunity to explore one of the most fascinating cultures of our times. After more than 50 years of complete isolation, Cuba opens its gates to the world and together we will take full advantage of this unique experience.
We’ve spent a long time preparing this one-week cruise. The 704 passenger Adonia has been refurbished in 2011 and will serve as your comfortable luxury home for the whole week. It includes restaurants, lounges, bars, pools, a spa, a state-of-the-art gym and all the modern amenities you expect from a 21st century passenger ship.
You'll enjoy thoughtfully prepared Cuban-inspired meals, Cuban music and the amazing view of Cuba while we cruise around it. The Adonia was purposely chosen for this venture because it's big enough for perfect accommodation and small enough to enable you to get acquainted with your fellow travelers.
The locally guided tours have been designed to stimulate all your senses by combining the scenic views, the versatile tastes of the regional cuisine and the rich cultural heritage into one exciting experience. With the assistance of specifically chosen local experts, you will learn about the fabulous architecture, local traditions and the region's rich history.
Make your reservation now to seal your place and departure date. Hurry up, because this highly demanded tour is filling up very quickly! Call Presleith McPhee at Ravissant Dream Travel at (954) 674 8435 and guarantee an experience of a life time.
Havana
During a walking tour of Old Havana you will meet business owners and workers and see firsthand why current restoration efforts in this UNESCO World Heritage site are crucial to both the city's cultural pride and its economic future.
After lunch at a local restaurant, your afternoon will continue with visits to the artists' neighborhood of Muraleando, the fishing village of Cojimar (setting for Hemingway's The Old Man and the Sea), and the district of Alamar, a 1970s social housing project of Soviet style concrete. In the evening you'll listen to live Afro-Cuban music and a chance to meet the musicians one on one.
On the second day, a short trip from Havana will bring us to Las Terrazas, a self-sustaining community in the forested hills of Sierra Del Rosario. Over coffee at a small cafe, you will be welcomed by the owner's family as you learn more about the role of coffee in Cuban culture.
Back in Havana, you'll meet with independent book sellers, pay a visit to a famed contemporary Cuban artist and sit down with Cuban professionals and entrepreneurs for discussions on education, economics, the role of government and how the Cuban economy has been changing in the post-Soviet era.
Cienfuegos/Trinidad
You'll take part in the morning lessons at a local primary school. Immerse yourself in the French Colonial architecture of Cienfuegos' UNESCO World Heritage site. Enjoy a private choral performance by the world renowned a capella Choir of Cienfuegos.
After lunch at one of the privately owned restaurants or private homes known as paladares, you'll explore the nearby city of Trinidad with a restoration expert. You'll visit a family-owned pottery house and learn about traditional Cuban ceramic techniques and meet with local professionals and entrepreneurs to learn more about the country's economic challenges and its emerging opportunities.
Santiago De Cuba
Your final port is Santiago de Cuba, capital of the Spanish colony of Cuba from 1522 until 1589 and still the island's most important city after Havana.
The heritage here is Spanish, French and Afro-Cuban and today you find yourself exploring it all. But you also learn, much more, about modern-day Cuba and its influence on the world.
You'll meet the musicians who work to keep Cuba's diverse and globally renowned music traditions alive and vital. You'll explore the ruins of French coffee plantations, tour a local distillery for a taste of genuine Cuban rum and get a first-hand look at the production of the island's arguably most famous export - the fabled Cuban cigar.
Cultural Immersion Days at Sea
Even at sea your Cuban cultural experience travels with you, helping you to deepen your connection to the country and its people. You'll practice your Spanish, take part in interactive workshops and discussions, dine from Cuban-inspired menus, and enjoy evenings of Cuban music and dance.
Cuban films and expert speakers will help you deepen your understanding of the country's history, its culture and its contribution to the world. On the retun journey, as you reflect with wonder on the past week you will also look towards the future with a workshop that focuses on continuing the impact journey in your own home community. Because this journey isn't really over. As a matter of fact, it has only begun.
