Captivating Cuba Reviews 252

1. Not enough time in Havana - part of tour was in the dark. Since there was only one day, time should have been better utilized.
2. Vintage car tour was too late in the day - literature should have been clear that tour was not in an open car.
3. Long hours on the bus that were not clearly communicated - travel times were routinely underestimated - too much was attempted for a two-week tour.
4. Guide and driver were outstanding - very considerate of group and very helpful when needed.
5. Hotel selection was excellent - better than anticipated.

We returned for a great 3 centre holiday on 12th March.
Everything went as planned - from being met at the airport (it was our first time in Cuba), all the transfers, the guides and the accommodation.
The customer service both from Sarah Mortimer in the UK office and from the representatives on the island were excellent.
Thanks so much - fully recommended

We are just back from the most incredible time on this glorious island and I cannot praise this company enough in making the trip what it was! From the initial planning stages, to advising on accommodation (all of which was brilliant) to the service we received on the ground - everything was tailored to our needs and fulfilled them beyond our wildest dreams. If they 'captivate' any other place we would book to go with them again in a heartbeat - the model of what a modern travel agency should be!

We were very impressed with the information provided by Captivating Cuba from booking through to departure. The Essential Cuba tour was well organised and less frenetic than other tours we have been on. The relaxed timekeeping made a pleasant change although on one occasion this meant we were half an hour late for the Tropicana show. Dennis our guide was a delight and the driver very good.
All accommodation in Casas and at the Blau Varadero were excellent with the exception of Lola in Trindad. Here we found the staff very indifferent and they also charged the party for the first round of drinks which should have been included.

Not a criticism but something maybe to consider is that we didn't always need such a substantial lunch provided as we also had a good breakfast and full evening meal.
All in all an exceptional holiday and we have no hesitation in recommending it.

From our first enquires to the end of the experience, Captivating Cuba proved to be a well organised and smoothly run operation. Nothing was too much trouble, they even advised that by travelling a day early, through Amsterdam, we could save a great deal of money on the airfares. The Cuban guide and driver were excellent and provided safe passage with a great deal of information about the recent and past culture of the country. The Casa’s and hotels, except one, although not up to European standards provided comfortable accommodation and a reasonable selection of food and drink. The exception being a version of ‘Faulty Towers’in Baracoa. I’m sure the company may wish to review this venue.
Overall an excellent, fascinating well organised tour.

Very professional,knowledgeable,efficient & informative people to deal with.This specialist company has the experience & extensive contacts within Cuba to offer you a tailor made holiday to meet your requirements at the best price.You don't need to look at anywhere else!

Very happy with the service received so far in booking our Cuba trip.
Staff have been very helpful and have answered all my questions in a very friendly and pleasant manor.
We are all looking forward to our trip.

Excellent casas, sightseeing transfers and staff who really know Cuba made this a most memorable holiday. We felt we really saw the real Cuba. We were able to meet and talk to local Cubans while staying with them in their homes (casas.) The suggestions made by Captivating Cuba for restaurants, excursions and sights were all excellent. We were very impressed and had much to talk about after many busy days out and about in Havana, Trinidad and Varadero.

Everything arranged by captivating Cuba ran like clockwork. All excursions were really good, well thought out and enjoyable.
Our beach resort, Jibacoa was amazing and I would thoroughly recommend it to anyone planning a trip. All Casa’s were lovely, although in one of them Casa Buenis Aires we didn’t have a window, which I didn’t really like. However the owners were lovely.
Overall I would definitely recommend using the company to book a memorable trip to Cuba, easpecially the Essential Cuba tour.

Our trip to Cuba was from the 28th -11th February 2019. The Ultimate Tour took us from Havana as far as Baracoa on the Eastern tip then driving back along the south east to Holguin, Camaguey and on to Havana.
The tour was comprehensive and informative and our guide and driver were personable and helpful. The guide concentrated on historical detail and the economy of each province, this became a little repetitive and needed placing more in the context of the every day lives of the Cuban people.
The tour becomes more arduous on the return journey as there isn't enough time to relax after the long journeys. Day 12 and13, which involve 13 hours travelling, have an itinerary that is not really achievable. I would suggest that the balance of the tour towards the end, needs to be reviewed.
The hotels and Casas we stayed in were interesting and the standard was good. The only one where I feel that sleep was impossible was in Sancti Spiritus, Hotel Rijo, where the rooms allocated were about 10 metres from a Salsa club. I noted that the driver and guide had rooms at the other side of the hotel.
The tour involves some lovely activities and where ever we went the local guides were welcoming and well informed. We loved the walk and visit to the mountain hide out of the revolutionaries, the stay in Las Terrazas and lovely Barracoa. In Barracoa we took part in a fantastic local salsa lesson.
The problem we encountered with the trip was that we had been sent an itinerary which was different to the one online. It took us a couple of days to establish this with our guide and other travellers and we arranged with our hotel for a photocopy of this itinerary to be done. The new itinerary had much more detailed information. This is partly our fault as we didn't download the on line itinerary ourselves However it did mean that the timetable for the trip was different and we missed items like a visit to the Bueno Vista Social club. It also had a different travel timetable for the end of the tour. We had thought we were flying back but instead we endured, as described, exhausting long journeys on the last four days.

I can definitely recommend Captivating Cuba. After spending a long time researching trips to Cuba with the big international tour operators, I stumbled on Captivating Cuba and was convinced by the overwhelmingly positive reviews that this agency was just right for me. I went on the 7 night Essential Cuba Tour, along with 4 very friendly couples. I was particularly impressed by the choice of casas particuliars, which were all very comfortable, and by all but one of the restaurants. Cuba is not renowned for its cuisine but on the whole the meals were excellent and the service very good.

Our guide and driver were courteous, patient and informative and the mini bus super-comfortable. One warning though - this trip involves a lot of driving. This is inevitable because of the long distances between the major towns and the packed itinerary, which required numerous diversions away from the main roads. All in all, however, this was a memorable trip!

The process of buying the tour and the airline tickets went smoothly.
The rep (Dennis) in Cuba was very attentive and very knowledgeable. i would highly recommend him.
The casas we stayed in were very nice, the owners were very pleasant. The first casa we stayed in (Casa San Ignacio y Sol) owner Barbara was extremely nice but may i pass a suggestion on to her, as she only have two rooms it would be much more cost effective for her if she was to ask the guest when they arrive as to what they would like for breakfast. If she could give a list of what was available then the guest would choose. She did an excellent breakfast for us but we only ate a very small portion of it, all the rest was far too much and she ended up with a lot of wastage.

The following is not a criticism but a suggestion

When transporting clients in a big bus it would be very advantageous if we were advised that the bus cannot drive you to the doors of the casas as the roads are too narrow, this would help people of a mature ages as we had to walk quite a bit through the streets which were cobbled and dark as we arrive late. The rep was really good at walking through with us. If any of the guests were hard of walking or lifting bags then they would have struggled. Also to advise that casas can be on 2nd or 3rd floors which also means dragging your cases up steps. In this way guests might think harder of how much luggage they take or maybe use smaller cases to make it easier to handle.

The cigar factory was interesting but i would suggest that guests wanting to buy lots of cigars wait till they get to the organic tobacco farm were they are more naturally organically made, but they do not have the gold plastic seal as the ones in Havanna.

Overall the tour was excellent and i would highly recommend Captivating Cuba for their excellent tour which captured most of all the things we wanted to do and see.

A really enjoyable trip with lots of laughs.

Really excellent experience with Captivating Cuba, from the initial inquiry to the booking process to receiving the documents right through to the actual holiday! Everything was done professionally, the team in Cuba were excellent, Adrian in Havana/Viñales and Juan Carlos (Charlie) in Trinidad/Cayo Santa Maria. They couldn’t do enough for you. The accommodation recommended by the team in the UK was also excellent, with friendly hosts and well appointed property.
I can’t recommend this company highly enough if you’re planning a trip to Cuba, they were great.

Very helpful, full of helpful advice, we had a lovely trip and would thoroughly recommend Xaptivating Cuba

Captivating Cuba arranged a 12-day trip to Havana, Cienfuegos, Trinidad and Santa Clara. All the arrangements went as planned and we had a wonderful time. Gemma (CC rep in UK) was very patient as we changed our minds several times as to how many days to spend in each place. We did all the arrangements with them by email.
My only niggle was that the trips themselves were rather inflexible. For example we wanted to visit Hemingway's house just outside Havana, but all the private tours CC offered included trips to bars which we didn't want (and did by ourselves). Also the Havana rep insisted we started one transfer at 7.30am which was unnecessarily early. Despite us pointing out that we were not visiting one part of the tour, he refused to change the start time. As it was we ended up at the hotel far too early.
I had tried to arrange a similar tour with another Cuba specialist but gave up when they hassled me for payment too much. CC didn't even want a deposit until after they had booked flights and hotels for us. Their price was better too.
I can recommend CC for a great holiday.

What can I say that hasn't been said before?!
A truly trip of a lifetime with excellent friendly guides,namely Adrian, Augustin, Ida and Carlos.
Everything just perfect.
All make so by a very efficient team of Sarah and Nikki in English office.
Well done all and have been recommending you already !!!!

Captivating Cuba organised a fantastic honeymoon for us staying in the Casa Particulars in 4 cities, Havana, Vinales, Cienfuago and Trinidad and back to Havana. The Casas were well chosen, friendly and good quality. All transfers and tours were faultless. Great drivers and tour guides with good English. Our reps, Adrian and Juan Carlos were welcoming and nothing was too much trouble. There is no hard sell on trips and excursions with this company, they genuinely want you to enjoy this fabulous country.
We will be returning
Ali and Jeff Harrison

Excellent value for money and excellent way of seeing the real Cuba

I spent a lot of time researching different tours as I’m travelling solo and found the best itinerary with CaptivatingCuba as really interesting trips and fully inclusive .The service I’ve received so far has been exceptional,Matthew and Sarah are both extremely helpful and knowledgeable and even called me back after hours on a Friday,to reserve my flights for me(without any obligation on my part).Sarah even took the time to let me know which Casa Particulares I’ll be staying at ,to reassure me of the quality of them.
Exceptional old fashioned service which you don’t get much now,they seem to really care about their clients ,nothings too much trouble and they want you to have a fantastic holiday,am so looking forward to this trip and thanks again Sarah you’re a star !

Incredibly knowledgable and helpful in booking the holiday and trips