World Traveller 73 
Delta Airlines is aligned in the third global airline alliance of SkyTeam. Delta Airlines operates a hub in Minneapolis St Paul International Airport in the United States. It’s location offers a strategic connection hub in the mid west with connections available across the northern United States of America. Consistent with its position as a major hub for Delta Airlines, it operates two separate Delta Sky Clubs in Minneapolis St Paul International airport. As a flagship lounge location for Delta Sky Clubs, we were interested in checking out what Delta Airlines had to offer it’s travellers that passed through one of it’s major connection points. We would discover a reasonable lounge with free pour wine and spirits along with fireplaces and comfortable daylight windows.
This post is one chapter on our trip to New York City, New York, United States of America. This trip was enhanced through Marriott Bonvoy Elite Status and credited to Alaska Mileage Plan. For more information on how this trip was booked, please see our trip introduction here. For other parts of the trip, please see this index.
If you enjoyed this post, please follow us here or on social media through Facebook, Twitter or Instagram for more travel tips and hacks on how to “Upgrade Your Travels”.
Read More from This Trip
- Trip Introduction: Mileage Running to New York via Delta Airlines
- Delta Airlines First Class: Vancouver – Minneapolis St Paul
- The Delta Sky Club, Minneapolis St Paul – Concourse C
- Delta Airlines First Class: Minneapolis St Paul – La Guardia New York
- The W Union Square, New York, USA
- Shopping at the Holiday Market, Union Square, New York
- Viewing Christmas Lights on Fifth Avenue & at Rockefeller Square, New York
- Walking in SoHo, Balthazar and Flat Iron District, New York
- The Delta Sky Club, La Guardia Airport – Terminal C, New York
- Delta Airlines First Class: La Guardia New York – Minneapolis St Paul
- The Delta Sky Club, Minneapolis St Paul – Concourse F
- Delta Airlines First Class: Minneapolis St Paul – Vancouver
Review: The Delta Sky Club, Minneapolis St Paul International Airport – Terminal One, Concourse C Near Gate C12, USA
This is a review of the The Delta Sky Club Minneapolis St Paul Terminal One C Concourse. For the other Delta Club, please see our review of The Delta Sky Club Minneapolis St Paul Terminal One F Concourse.
We had a ninety minute connection after arriving off Delta Airlines First Class Vancouver – Minneapolis St Paul. It was dumping snow down outside when we arrived to our assigned gate F2. Delta Airlines operates two Sky Clubs at Minneapolis St Paul International Airport. While we would end up trying both Sky Clubs, we ended up heading for the Sky Club near Gate C12, which was closest to our departing gate for our Delta Airlines First Class Minneapolis St Paul – La Guardia New York flight.
Locating the Delta Sky Club:
We wandered across the airport. The Minneapolis St Paul’s International Airport has a common sense layout to it consisting of a square with two concourses at “E” and “F” that make this particular airport a fairly easy one to navigate.
Map Courtesy of Minneapolis St Paul Airport
We wandered through the concourse to the Sky Club adjacent to gate C12 on Concourse “C”. The Minneapolis St Paul Airport is clearly marked and is in pretty good condition with spacious walkways with amenities that are well marked. Thanks to white wall painting, it’s also quite a bright place for an American airport.
Accessing the Delta Sky Club Lounge:
The Delta Sky Club offers access through a variety of ways.
As a Delta Sky Club Individual Member (an annual lounge membership), you would get access for yourself and two guests, or spouse / domestic partner and children under 21 (at $39 USD), with a confirmed same day boarding pass.
As a Delta One or Sky Team Premium Cabin Passenger, access is granted for passengers travelling in the flagship Delta One cabin on a Domestic Flight, or in a Delta One cabin on an international flight, or on a domestic flight connecting to an international flight. For Sky Team passengers (excluding Delta), customers need to be travelling on an international First Class or Business Class ticket. International Travel is considered to me almost anywhere outside of the United States, except Guam, Saipan, Palau and the Carribean. There are no guests permitted for premium cabin passengers.
If you are a a Skyteam Elite Plus member, including Delta Diamond, Platinum or Gold Medallion Members, you get access when travelling internationally, or connecting to and from an international flight. One guest is permitted.
If you happen to hold a variety of American Express cards, including the American Express Centurion or Platinum Cards, and the American Express Delta SkyMiles Reserve, you are given access with a confirmed same day boarding pass on a departing Delta Airlines flight. No guests are permitted.
Westjet Business Class Passengers and Westjet Rewards Gold and Platinum Members are provided access in conjunction with same day international travel on a flight operated by Westjet or Delta Airlines. No guests are permitted.
In our case, access was granted through travel on a confirmed international flight (from Canada) in a Delta First Class cabin.
Inside the Delta Sky Club at Gate C12 Minneapolis St Paul:
Once we were admitted access, we entered and familiarized ourself with the lounge. The clubs in Minneapolis St Paul appear to be going through a renovation of sorts and an update on the colouring and offerings. This club hadn’t been renovated and was decorated in darker earth tones reminiscent of the early 2000’s.
There were large windows and several seating areas, although the place as almost at capacity when we arrived. We would end up locating a seat next to the windows where we could watch the snow fall outside.
There were study carrels available in the back of the lounge that added an old school library touch.
Food and Beverage:
The lounge offered some light salty snacks and crackers. The snacks were pretty standard lounge fare and were dispensed from cookie containers.
In terms of food offerings, there were three choices of salads and two soups. There wasn’t much else available in the lounge. We would end up bypassing some lounge time in favour of eating a proper meal in the terminal on the way back. There was a convenient table and chairs area available for light dining.
The Delta Sky Club offered self pour drinks available at the end of the lounge. This was a first for me as most of the hub based lounges I’ve visited in the US usually have a bartender. The wines available were pretty consistent with most of the US lounges: not at all exciting Frontera among other discount labels.
The Delta Sky Club offered free wifi provided by AT & T. It worked fine and connected without issues.
The lounge offered a good view of out plane next to the lounge. It didn’t look like it was going anywhere with all the snow that was on top of it.
After enjoying our time in the lounge, we headed off to our connecting flight on Delta Airlines First Class Minneapolis St Paul – La Guardia New York.
My Thoughts on the Delta Airlines Sky Club on the “C” Concourse:
This Delta SkyClub near Gate C12 on the “C” Concourse was a reasonable place to park for a while. It didn’t have any outstanding or redeeming features; no green wall and no massive sweeping spaces. Just daylight windows and a place to park yourself and your bags between flights. It was an okay spot but I certainly wouldn’t route through here necessarily just to visit.
If you regularly fly Delta Airlines from Minneapolis St Paul, which Sky Club location is your favourite ?
Skyteam Member Delta Airlines services a few select destinations to their hub cities in Seattle, Salt Lake City, Los Angeles, Minneapolis St Paul and Atlanta, United States of America. As Skyteam doesn’t have a great presence in Canada, and a less aspirational airline alliance, as Canadians we don’t typically tend to use them. Today, we’d be flying them almost directly from our home on the west coast of Canada in Vancouver, to the East Coast of the United States; ending in New York City La Guardia.
This post is one chapter on our trip to New York City, New York, United States of America. This trip was enhanced through Marriott Bonvoy Elite Status and credited to Alaska Mileage Plan. For more information on how this trip was booked, please see our trip introduction here. For other parts of the trip, please see this index.
If you enjoyed this post, please follow us here or on social media through Facebook, Twitter or Instagram for more travel tips and hacks on how to “Upgrade Your Travels”.
Read More from This Trip
- Trip Introduction: Mileage Running to New York via Delta Airlines
- Delta Airlines First Class: Vancouver – Minneapolis St Paul
- The Delta Sky Club, Minneapolis St Paul – Concourse C
- Delta Airlines First Class: Minneapolis St Paul – La Guardia New York
- The W Union Square, New York, USA
- Shopping at the Holiday Market, Union Square, New York
- Viewing Christmas Lights on Fifth Avenue & at Rockefeller Square, New York
- Walking in SoHo, Balthazar and Flat Iron District, New York
- The Delta Sky Club, La Guardia Airport – Terminal C, New York
- Delta Airlines First Class: La Guardia New York – Minneapolis St Paul
- The Delta Sky Club, Minneapolis St Paul – Concourse F
- Delta Airlines First Class: Minneapolis St Paul – Vancouver
Review: Delta Airlines First Class E175, Vancouver International Airport – Minneapolis St Paul International Airport
After MrsWT73’s Christmas party the night before under a rarely snowy Vancouver, we self drove ourselves to the Vancouver International Airport.
Checking into Delta Airlines Business Class:
On arrival to the Vancouver International Airport, the Delta Airlines Sky Priority Check in was completely deserted today and we used the kiosks to get the boarding cards prior to having our bags tagged. We have been doing carry on only most of the time, but since this trip was designed as a shopping trip, we elected to check a mostly empty additional suitcase for items returning to Vancouver at the end of our shopping extravaganza.
The Vancouver International Airport had some festive decorations up which made the holiday mood a little more cheery. Unfortunately, for some reason, there was a terribly long line at the international departure with a lot of asian bound flights departing today.
The Vancouver International Airport has US Customs Pre-Clearance and with Global Entry and Nexus. By being set up with a US Pre-Clearance of US Customs and Border Protection examination in Vancouver, we were able to land in the United States without further examination. We bypassed a security line of about 75 passengers waiting for security screening and were through directly to the front of the queue. Unlike TSA Pre-Check, the Nexus line does not offer expedited (shoes on, laptops in the bag) screening, but rather just dumps you at the front of the line.
Delta First Class doesn’t get you into any lounges in Vancouver so we had some Tim Horton’s breakfast sandwiches prior to getting on the flight. While there is a Plaza Premium Lounge Vancouver Transborder, access isn’t provided complimentary for Delta Airlines passengers.
The inbound flight was delayed a little bit – only about 15 minutes. The ground staff did an excellent job to turn the aircraft around quickly.
Delta Airlines
Compass Airlines Operated as Delta Connection
First Class
YVR-MSP (Vancouver International Airport – Minneapolis St Paul)
DL 5718
December 10, 2016
Booked: Embraer RJ 175
Flown: Embraer RJ175
Departure: 12:48PM
Arrival: 6:08 PM
On Board Delta Airlines First Class:
When it came time to board, we boarded at the First Class call. Once on board, all the bin space was already gone so we had to store our rolling suitcase under the seat option. The Delta Airlines First Class cabin on the Embraer 175 is set up with a 1 – 2 configuration. Our seats were on the right hand side of the aircraft in the bank of two.
There is also no closet on this particular aircraft so I had our winter coats piled up on the arm rest next to the window.
While the Delta Airlines First Class seats were more comfortable than economy, the seats themselves are regional jet seats that are comfortable for shorter flights. I found them a little thinly padded compared to many of the competitors that offer a larger and more comfortable first class seat.
Pre Departure Services:
A pre-departure beverage of Dasani bottled water was offered with a polite announcement that the pre departure beverage bar service would start once airborne to ensure the on time departure of the aircraft. This is pretty standard although our bottles were actually cold as opposed to the room temperature offering on most aircraft.
We had a pleasant crew and the aircraft door closed only 8 minutes behind the posted schedule.
Getting Underway:
We departed Vancouver International Airport on runway 8L. This was unusual as it’s usually 8R as the assigned departure runway. This simple act saved us a twenty minute taxi across to the other side of the terminal. There were several aircraft a head of us in a very wet and damp Vancouver.
Once we got to altitude, a bar and beverage service was offered. I started with a Gin and Tonic.
A small towel service was offered with tongs from the tray. The towel was pretty small and a lot smaller than those received on international wide body first class. At least the towel service was over quickly.
The Meal: A Lunch “Snack”
Today’s meal was a soft version of a full lunch. I’m not quite sure what to make of the light lunch and whether it was enough food for a three hour and thirty minute flight. The lunch snack consisting of a cold Prawn and Orzo salad, or Chicken Bbq sliders with coleslaw and fruit. I had the Chicken BBQ sliders and they were remarkably tasty for a regional service. It was much better tasting, and a lot less bizarre, than the Alaska Airlines meals we’ve had lately.
Despite the Chicken BBQ Sliders being tasty, it wasn’t all that plentiful in quantity. As a result, I was still pretty hungry when the flight ended.
The drinks were refreshed and I enjoyed another Gin and Tonic as the sun slowly set outside.
We arrived to a very dark and bleak Minneapolis; which was well covered in snow on the ground with full winter darkness outside.
My Thoughts on the Delta Airlines Transborder Experience:
In summary, it was a pretty straight forward Delta Airlines First Class flight. There wasn’t much available bin space and the Embraer aircraft was pretty compact for a longer and almost four hour flight. The bonuses were the reasonable fare from Vancouver, the tasty catering, and the fact that my glass was never empty.
If you regularly fly transborder between Canada and the United States, do you frequent Delta Airlines or do you go with United or American?
The city of New York is among one of the world’s greatest cities. It has world class neighbourhoods, hundred of tourist attractions and restaurants that fit among the best in the world. In terms of a travel destination, it has a number of airport access points spread across La Guardia, John F Kennedy International, and another major airport in neighbouring Newark New Jersey. Hotels are spread across Mid Town, Downtown and Times Square. With so many combinations, how does one approach and plan a trip to New York?
Trip Introduction: Mileage Running to New York City via Delta Airlines First Class for Alaska MVP Status.
Trip Background:
It’s been almost ten years since our last actual mileage run. After several paid trips this year to Hawaii, USA, and Germany, Alaska MVP status for 2017 was within our reach. We ended up taking this trip in December 2016 to round off the calendar year. You never know when elite airline status will come along handy and with Alaska’s distance based mileage chart and the past relationship with Delta, it was easy to earn enough miles for Alaska Airlines MVP status.
In addition to earning Alaska Airlines status for the year, it also offered the opportunity to take in some Christmas lights and shopping in New York City just in time for the holiday season. New York City is always a festive location at this time of the year. Provided you have the extra time,
Trip Planning and Constructing the Trip:
I happened to find some reasonably discounted First class fares on Delta Airlines from Vancouver to New York at around the $800 CAD ($645 USD) mark return. With these flights earning a generous 100% elite qualifying miles plus a 75% class of service bonus into Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan, what’s not to like? With the thoughts of Rockefeller Center’s Christmas Tree and 5th avenue shopping in MrsWT73’s mind, we booked ourselves a long weekend get away to stay in New York. We settled on Delta Airlines New York La Guardia airport option over John F Kennedy International Airport for the close proximity of La Guardia to Manhattan.
In terms of hotels, having previously stayed at the Westin Grand Central near mid town, and finding the neighbourhood a little lacklustre and business oriented, and with not much to do in the evening, we decided on the W Union Square. The area was much more engaging; it was a better neighbourhood that was more residential and it had interesting shopping. It was close to Designer Shoe Warehouse and had a Nordstrom Rack across the other side of Union Square. I also happened to find a rate that was discounted.
I hope you will enjoy a weekend of shopping in New York by following this trip report.
This post is one chapter on our trip to New York City, New York, United States of America. This trip was enhanced through Marriott Bonvoy Elite Status and credited to Alaska Mileage Plan. For more information on how this trip was booked, please see our trip introduction here. For other parts of the trip, please see this index.
If you enjoyed this post, please follow us here or on social media through Facebook, Twitter or Instagram for more travel tips and hacks on how to “Upgrade Your Travels”.
Read More from This Trip
- Trip Introduction: Mileage Running to New York via Delta Airlines
- Delta Airlines First Class: Vancouver – Minneapolis St Paul
- The Delta Sky Club, Minneapolis St Paul – Concourse C
- Delta Airlines First Class: Minneapolis St Paul – La Guardia New York
- The W Union Square, New York, USA
- Shopping at the Holiday Market, Union Square, New York
- Viewing Christmas Lights on Fifth Avenue & at Rockefeller Square, New York
- Walking in SoHo, Balthazar and Flat Iron District, New York
- The Delta Sky Club, La Guardia Airport – Terminal C, New York
- Delta Airlines First Class: La Guardia New York – Minneapolis St Paul
- The Delta Sky Club, Minneapolis St Paul – Concourse F
- Delta Airlines First Class: Minneapolis St Paul – Vancouver
We ended up having an interesting trip getting re-acquainted with one of the world’s greatest cities.
If you visit New York, how do you maximize value from your trip ?
From its primary strong hold base in Calgary – Alberta, Canada, Westjet Airlines developed into a formidable competitor to Star Alliance founding member Air Canada. While Westjet Airlines lacks a fulsome lounge network, an expansive frequent flier program and a large airline alliance, it offers home town charm and strong service levels. We’d get an opportunity to try out their short haul service after an international connection today.
This post is one chapter on our trip to the isolated country of Cuba. This trip was planned through Westjet Vacations. For more information on how this trip was booked, please see our trip introduction here. For other parts of the trip, please see this index.
If you enjoyed this post, please follow us here or on social media through Facebook, Twitter or Instagram for more travel tips and hacks on how to “Upgrade Your Travels”.
Read More from This Trip
- Trip Introduction: Havana and Varadero, Cuba via Westjet Airlines
- Westjet Airlines: Abbotsford – Calgary
- Westjet Airlines: Calgary – Varadero
- Ocean Varadero El Patriarca, Varadero, Cuba
- Commercial Shopping in Communist Cuba
- Overland Travel: Varadero to Havana, Cuba
- Landing into New Havana, Cuba
- Climbing on Havana’s Most Famous Fort and Stepping into Old Havana, Cuba
- Tackling the Four Squares of Old Havana, Cuba
- Westjet Airlines: Varadero – Calgary
- Westjet Airlines: Calgary – Abbotsford
Review: Westjet Airlines B737-6, Calgary International Airport – Abbotsford International Airport.
We arrived into Calgary International Airport off Westjet Airlines Varadero – Calgary and cleared Canada Customs at around 7 P.M. At this later hour, we wandered over to the domestic Westjet terminal. It was quite a walk and it seemed Westjet wasn’t really set up to deal with this many connecting passengers in the early evening.
After we collected our next boarding cards, we dropped the bags and headed through the mostly deserted departure halls.
We passed through Calgary’s officious CASTA security check points and into a surprisingly busy departure hall for 8 PM in the evening (on the secure side). It’s been a while since I’d been into the Westjet Terminal Wing, since I’m usually flying from the smaller Air Canada wing. The Westjet “A” Concourse was the nicer concourse between the other domestic “B” Concourse. Although, keeping expectations in check, it’s a pretty dated facility and is far from an aspirational place to be.
Westjet
Economy Class
YYC-YXX (Calgary International Airport – Abbotsford International Airport)
WJ 105
November 12, 2016
Booked: Bombardier Q400
Flown: Boeing 737-6
Departure: 8:55 PM
Arrival: 9:20 PM
On Board Westjet Airlines:
There was prompt and on time boarding of the aircraft tonight. Since we were unable to get a seat assignment in Varadero (or via any form of online check in from Cuba) we were relegated to the last row of the aircraft in the seats that don’t recline. Ugh!
After drawing the short straw on the seat assignments, the seats themselves were comfortable and reasonable for the short one hour flight from Calgary to Abbotsford. Being the Westjet Airlines Boeing 737-600 series aircraft, the seats were heavily padded and plushy.
It was a pretty straight forward flight with the usual older in flight entertainment system. We had an easy after dark departure and a short flight down to Abbotsford.
We had a dark departure from Calgary.
During the flight, there was a brief drink service. Being at the back, we didn’t pay much attention to it as we were among the last to be served.
After our brief one hour flight, we landed at quiet Abbotsford airport and parked next to one of the Flair Air charter aircraft that is operating as New Leaf.
We landed at quiet Abbotsford airport and parked next to one of the Flair Air charter aircraft that is operating as New Leaf.
After we made it off the plane, we collected our checked bags from a quiet baggage claim area.
My Thoughts on the Westjet Airlines Regional Short Haul Service from Cuba:
Overall, Westjet is a fun quirky airline that still seems to appeal to a lot of leisure travellers. Like Alaska Airlines, the staff have lots of heart and soul in what they do. They would be a reasonable alternative from Air Canada if they only had a proper alliance affiliation and frequent flier program.
If you’ve flown with Westjet Airlines on short haul flights, did you find their services comparable to their main competitor Air Canada ?
In the realm of the few airlines carriers that fly from North America to the island communist nation of Cuba, our flight back home was on the Canadian carrier Westjet Airlines. As an oddball flight from Western Canada to Cuba, the Westjet Airlines flight allowed us a simple one connection stop back home and saved us connecting to the Caribbean through Toronto or Montreal in Eastern Canada.
This post is one chapter on our trip to the isolated country of Cuba. This trip was planned through Westjet Vacations. For more information on how this trip was booked, please see our trip introduction here. For other parts of the trip, please see this index.
If you enjoyed this post, please follow us here or on social media through Facebook, Twitter or Instagram for more travel tips and hacks on how to “Upgrade Your Travels”.
Read More from This Trip
- Trip Introduction: Havana and Varadero, Cuba via Westjet Airlines
- Westjet Airlines: Abbotsford – Calgary
- Westjet Airlines: Calgary – Varadero
- Ocean Varadero El Patriarca, Varadero, Cuba
- Commercial Shopping in Communist Cuba
- Overland Travel: Varadero to Havana, Cuba
- Landing into New Havana, Cuba
- Climbing on Havana’s Most Famous Fort and Stepping into Old Havana, Cuba
- Tackling the Four Squares of Old Havana, Cuba
- Westjet Airlines: Varadero – Calgary
- Westjet Airlines: Calgary – Abbotsford
Review: Westjet Airlines B737-8, Varadero Juan Gualberto Gómez International Airport – Calgary International Airport.
On the day of our departure, we had a last hour of morning sun on the beach at the Ocean Varadero El Patriarca. We went to check out for the bus at 11 AM, but it was late thirty minutes so MrsWT73 had the last of the all inclusive with some sparkling wine in the lobby while we were waiting.
There was a woman who was slightly intoxicated already who was bossing the Cuban’s around; asking for additional drinks and telling the staff that if they brought us a round of drinks, that we would tip them. I later saw her at the Varadero International Airport check in counter arguing with a check in agent when they were given a non Plus seat assignment. We had a 30 minute bus ride up to Varadero airport courtesy of the Westjet Holidays tour operator. While en route, there was a light grind for tips from the bus host and the driver.
We were dropped off and went into the terminal. It’s pretty much a bare bones affair here in the Varadero departures hall. Westjet was the only flight leaving at this time and there was no priority check in for plus. This meant a general queue for all travellers checking in.
Most of the flights today were again headed upwards destined for Canada, with a duo of European flights up to Milan and Frankfurt. Interestingly, there was also a Cubana flight destined for Toronto. Cubana is the national airline of Cuba and sometimes operate Soviet era aircraft.
The ground staff appeared to be viciously checking bag weight and several travelers had their bags open at the gate agent attempting to shift weight around between bags.
We got our boarding cards and our bags tagged through to YYX Abbotsford. Strangely, we were unable to get our boarding cards for the next Calgary – Abbotsford segment.
While we were completing check in procedures at the counter, we got propositioned from the check in agent in an attempt to change Canadian Money to Cuban Pesos Convertibles but the rate that he was offering “1 for 1” was not really competitive so we politely declined his offer. He happened to ask the same offer to our traveling companions who were right behind us. I suspect he got into possession of some money and had no real way of getting rid of it, or didn’t want to exchange it at the official exchange rate.
We proceeded immediately thereafter to the Cuban exit immigration check point where we were stamped out of Cuba and our tourist cards were surrendered.
We had purchased ECETSA wifi cards (national Cuban Wifi network) at the hotel and after several attempts, we were able to get onto the wifi network which was a little bit faster than the hotel. I tried to get us a seat assignment on the Westjet website for our second non paid seat assignment segment but it didn’t allow access to online check in from Cuba and our trip wouldn’t show in the airline website as it was already underway.
The terminal was much more fashionable on the secure side than the institutional departures hall. It had all the hallmarks of the cosmetic section of that small town department store that I grew up in
It also had one of the more entertaining airport signs that I’ve seen in a while; music is all around!
We had a sandwich in the only restaurant on the secure side. It was a cash affair, although bills and payments were offered in both Canadian and Cuban Pesos Convertibles. The cashier, who had her own table on the side, held all the cash in a used cigar box (instead of a cash register).
We hit up the Duty Free, which thankfully offered something other than Havana Club Rum. There were the regular international brands – some with inflated prices. The Havana Club is offered at the Duty Free at the same price point as the streets of Cuba – presumably because there is no actual tax on the alcohol in Cuba. We managed to come away with Gordon’s Gin for 19 CUC ($19 USD) and Stoli Vodka for $15 CAD. They were selling Dom Perignon champagne for over 468 CUC ($468 USD).
We had a massive boarding call today- no segregated boarding in this country. Somehow ,there were no zone descriptors on the boarding cards so we went for the scramble to get on board.
Westjet
Economy Class
VRA-YYC (Varadero Cuba International Airport – Calgary International Airport)
WJ 2391
November 12, 2016
Booked: Boeing 737-800
Flown: Boeing 737-800
Departure: 2:25 PM
Arrival: 6:45 PM
On Board Westjet Airlines:
Our Boeing 737-800 narrow body plane was of the same 3 – 3 configuration as we had on the way down. We had a a view of Plus “business light”seating on the way by.
I had pre-booked emergency exit rows for us today at the cost of $30 CAD ($24.20 USD) per seat for this five hour segment. It offered much more leg room than the regular seats.
There were lots of cackling from the grannies on the plane with the demonstrated in flight safety demonstration. There was no real new content here, but I don’t think many that have flown Westjet are used to hearing the jokes that come along with the announcements.
Departing Cuba:
We had a take off over the absolutely deserted rural country side of Cuba.
The Meal: Buy on Board
I was pretty hungry despite breakfast and the small man lunch at the airport so I ended up perusing the buy on board menu.
They had a special section featuring the Plus seating of the aircraft, that featured the same buy on board menu. It’s a bit disappointing that Westjet has chosen to go with assembling the buy on board materials and presenting them all at once as a business class meal.
I ended up with a ham and cheese croissant, sour cream Pringles chips, and a ginger ale.
There was bright sun on the left side of the aircraft so it was window shades closed for most of the flight. We had some nice sunset views over the wing as the flight drew to a close.
There wasn’t much for entertainment so I watched National Lampoon Christmas Vacation on the Westjet App online, and caught up on some old newspapers that I had brought with me that I didn’t get the chance to read.
Returning to Canada:
We landed at the new Calgary international airport. The arrivals hall was less impressive than the twin totem poles of Vancouver, and less large than the entry halls in Toronto Pearson International Airport and Montreal Pierre Elliott Trudeau International Airport.
Okay, it’s obvious that at the time of our visit, the Calgary Airport Authority hadn’t gotten their mojo quite right with the opening of the Calgary International Airport terminal. Since Westjet uses the airport as a connecting hub, most of their passengers are connecting flights. Unfortunately, there were only 3 primary inspection lines at customs open today for connecting passengers, which are separated from arriving passengers. This meant a line across the entire arrivals hall, blocking up pretty much every lane. It didn’t seem like a lot of happy travellers here today.
We eventually made it through to the arrivals side. The bags took about 45 minutes tp be put out. I suspect that CBSA was x-raying the bags since they seemed to take forever. At the very least, the new Calgary International Airport Arrivals hall is a nice state of the art facility that’s clean and functional.
Then, in a last design flaw, the Calgary International Airport has extended a ramp up towards the exit so that the new terminal can connect with the level surface of the old terminal. The only problem is that all the exiting customers have to stop on the ramp to turn in their customs card, causing the bags to roll down the ramp resulting in tip overs in some cases.
Still, there were some nice features and appearances at the new airport. This one was on the public side, where we had an extra long walk over to the domestic terminal since they hadn’t gotten their act together to open the Westjet Connections desk in the International Arrivals area.
We were able to head over to the Calgary Domestic airline check in counters for a connecting Westjet Airlines Calgary – Abbotsford flight home.
My Thoughts on the Westjet Airlines International Service from Cuba:
In summary, Westjet Airlines International service from Cuba to Canada was a reasonable flight. No one will be mixing it up for Lufthansa First Class but it was a reasonable way to get around. I was happy I had a snack before boarding as the food supplies were quite limited. It doesn’t seem worthwhile springing for “Plus” business class light as the food offerings were drawn from economy and the seat wasn’t much different than the regular economy offering.
If you’ve flown with Westjet Airlines on Westjet Vacations, did you find their services to be reasonable and as promised ?
Our exploration around Old Havana would have us exploring several of the cities four squares in this historic region. We’d explore these grand places with something to see around every turn. The surprise of such a European City in an island in the tropical Caribbean was a surprise to us all as we discovered something new.
This post is one chapter on our trip to the isolated country of Cuba. This trip was planned through Westjet Vacations. For more information on how this trip was booked, please see our trip introduction here. For other parts of the trip, please see this index.
If you enjoyed this post, please follow us here or on social media through Facebook, Twitter or Instagram for more travel tips and hacks on how to “Upgrade Your Travels”.
Read More from This Trip
- Trip Introduction: Havana and Varadero, Cuba via Westjet Airlines
- Westjet Airlines: Abbotsford – Calgary
- Westjet Airlines: Calgary – Varadero
- Ocean Varadero El Patriarca, Varadero, Cuba
- Commercial Shopping in Communist Cuba
- Overland Travel: Varadero to Havana, Cuba
- Landing into New Havana, Cuba
- Climbing on Havana’s Most Famous Fort and Stepping into Old Havana, Cuba
- Tackling the Four Squares of Old Havana, Cuba
- Westjet Airlines: Varadero – Calgary
- Westjet Airlines: Calgary – Abbotsford
Activity: Tackling the Four Squares of Old Havana, Cuba.
We then wandered down past Hotel Los Frailes (The Friars) The property used to be a monastery, which has now been converted to a hotel. The property has an excellent location within Veija Havana and a stone’s throw from everything. It seems you can even book basic rooms ans suites on line for less than $200 USD in the summer. It’s not the Four Seasons, but I would easily make this a place to check into if I was wanting to stay in this immediate area on a freestyle trip. It won’t be at this price point for long.
The property has a resident quartet of instrument playing band members in the swish bar set on a backdrop of historic rooms.
The Second Square: Plaza de San Francisco de Asis
We continued our walking tour to Plaza de San Francisco de Asis. The square initially contained a market in the 1500’s. It’s had a full restoration in the 1990’s. It featured the prominent Lonja de Commercio; a commodities market built in 1909 designed to house the foreign companies wishing to conduct business in Havana.
Our first visit in the square was to another statue, El Callabero de Paris; a well known street person who roamed through Havana in the 1950’s. The thing to do here is touch his arm and shoe based on all the wear marks.
We left Plaza de San Franciso de Asis and wandered up along the harbor towards the Plaza de Armas. Sadly, or fortunately depending on your perspective, the cruise ships had started to arrive in Havana, changing the visiting landscape forever.
The Third Square: The Plaza de Armas
The Plaza de Armas is Havana’s oldest square. It was laid out in the 1520’s. The site was initially used to conduct military exercises. Today’s plaza contains buildings from the 1700’s. It’s the home of the semi famous daily second hand book market, containing mostly writings about Che Guerra and other communist intellectual ideologies. I can’t think of any other second hand book markets that are of this size anywhere else.
The Fourth Square: Plaza de la Catherdral
We wandered over to the last square of the day; Plaza de la Catherdral. There were several charming cafes on the walk over, with many of them playing life music. There were several quaint alleyways that enhanced the ambience of this old part of Havana.
The Plaza de la Cathedral is home to the Catherdral de San Cristobal de Habana and dates from the 1700’s. It’s the newest of the four squares at about 300 years old.
I took a look inside the Catherdral de San Cristobal de Habana. It was Italian designed and built between 1748 and 1767. The church became a cathedral which was one of the oldest in the Americas
A Last Stop at La Bodeguita del Medio:
From the cathedral, we wandered up the street to the famous La Bodeguita del Medio. It is one of the most famous bar’s in Havana and has been frequented by Fidel Castro, Nat King Cole and Ernest Hemingway. It is reported to be the home of the mojito. There is even a signed inscription by Ernest Hemingway from his two favourite Havana bars. It’s a massive tourist spot now, but can you blame people for wanting the world’s most famous mojito?
We headed over to the waterfront, to get into our ride back to Varadero.
We headed straight back to the Ocean Varadero El Patriarca hotel after the day. It was exactly a two hour drive by van from Havana to Varadero with 130 km covered. The day of our Havana tour happened to be election day in the United States. We were a bit surprised, as was many, to see the results. It was interesting to see that there was CNN coverage in Cuba of the results. There wasn’t a lot of local public commentary on the results or open discussion about the matter among the Cuban’s that we interacted with on this trip. I suspect they were hopeful towards an opening of the borders to increase tourism but I would guess that the Trump Administration won’t be as quick to make this happen.
My Impressions of Walking in Old Havana:
Wow – there was much more to see in Havana than I initially expected. The city has yet to be discovered by tourists and there are many discoveries to be had around every corner. The city maintains a european feel to it which is a start contrast from the United States a short distance away.
If you’ve travelled to Havana’s squares, did you find it an enriching travel experience?
Our travel took us into one of Cuban’s most famous fortresses that was designed to keep enemies out. We would also get our first impressions into Old Havana. We would discover European styled public squares that are in the process of being restored to a world class squares and gathering spaces.
This post is one chapter on our trip to the isolated country of Cuba. This trip was planned through Westjet Vacations. For more information on how this trip was booked, please see our trip introduction here. For other parts of the trip, please see this index.
If you enjoyed this post, please follow us here or on social media through Facebook, Twitter or Instagram for more travel tips and hacks on how to “Upgrade Your Travels”.
Read More from This Trip
- Trip Introduction: Havana and Varadero, Cuba via Westjet Airlines
- Westjet Airlines: Abbotsford – Calgary
- Westjet Airlines: Calgary – Varadero
- Ocean Varadero El Patriarca, Varadero, Cuba
- Commercial Shopping in Communist Cuba
- Overland Travel: Varadero to Havana, Cuba
- Landing into New Havana, Cuba
- Climbing on Havana’s Most Famous Fort and Stepping into Old Havana, Cuba
- Tackling the Four Squares of Old Havana, Cuba
- Westjet Airlines: Varadero – Calgary
- Westjet Airlines: Calgary – Abbotsford
Activity: Climbing on Castillo de Los Tres Santos Reyes Magnos del Morro and Stepping into Old Havana, Cuba.
Our driver picked us up and we headed over to Castillo de Los Tres Santos Reyes Magnos del Morro. It was situated on the other side of the bay overlooking Havana as a fort that was designed to protect the harbour from foreign invaders. It was built between 1589 and 1630.
There were stunning views over the water towards the Malecon that runs the length of the waterfront in Havana, and the Hotel Nacionale.
After we took in the fort, we attempted to go for lunch in area. Unfortunately, the whole area was under a power cut so our guide had us return to the city.
A Quick Meal at Tablao de Pancho:
We ended up having a lunch near the Havana train station at Tablao de Pancho. I’d provide an internet web link to the restaurant, but most of the locations appear to be so off the grid that no web address exists outside of a basic trip advisor entry. The area was slightly run down but the food was edible. There were a few pro-Castro graffiti markings on the walls as we walked to the restaurant entrance.
The restaurant itself was gaucho western themed. The restaurant was packed with tourists so it must have been on the circuit. The lunch was quite expensive which was consistent with other reports that I had read. I don’t think there are many Cuban’s eating chicken for $15 CUC ($15 USD) for lunch.
I had pollo fritas (fried chicken) and rice with black beans along with a local cerveza, served in a goblet wine glass.
All in pretty tasty and I didn’t have to order any international pizza or pasta but got to try something reasonably “Cuban”.
Our First Steps into Old Havana:
After lunch, our guide took us through Old Havana. The area intimately packed with history and is known for its four plazas or squares. The zone has received a UNESCO heritage designation and contains about 900 buildings of historical significance. It was easily one of the highlights of the whole trip and easily the highlight of our day trip to Havana. If you’re planning a visit, and can find suitable accommodation, I’d highly recommend staying in this area.
We started our walk at Coche Mambi, a train car in the middle of Old Havana.
We wandered down thin streets to Plaza Veija. We passed an urban school where many parents were picking up their children for the day.
Plaza Veija: Spacious Cuban Squares
We came to the first square; Plaza Veija. Similar to many European cities, the squares in Cuba were wonderful impressive spaces meant for gathering.
Our guide was excited to announce that we would see a naked woman on a cock in the square as we rounded the corner. He didn’t mislead us as it was a piece of sculpture that was in the corner of the square.
There was lots of building refurbishment in the area. The squares were full of life and a stark design difference for a city with the United States only 90 miles away from Cuba’s shores. Old Havana had an intimately European feel.
We found some street vendors selling coconut ice cream, in a coconut.
My First Impressions of Walking in New Havana:
The first sights of Old Havana were easily the most interesting parts of Havana worth seeing. The stark contrast between architecture between Miami and Havana couldn’t be more prevalent between two major cities that are so close together. Old Havana is highly recommended for a walking tour if you happen to find yourself travelling through Havana.
If you’ve travelled to Havana, was New or Old Havana your favourite part?
The city of Havana is split into several areas. The city is the country’s capital and primary trading port. It spans a large area of over 782 sq kilometers, making it a challeging area to explore without transportation. We’d start exploring the city by travelling through Revolution Square, the Capitolo Nacionale, calling in a El Floridita Bar, and walking the Paseo del Marti (Prado).
This post is one chapter on our trip to the isolated country of Cuba. This trip was planned through Westjet Vacations. For more information on how this trip was booked, please see our trip introduction here. For other parts of the trip, please see this index.
If you enjoyed this post, please follow us here or on social media through Facebook, Twitter or Instagram for more travel tips and hacks on how to “Upgrade Your Travels”.
Read More from This Trip
- Trip Introduction: Havana and Varadero, Cuba via Westjet Airlines
- Westjet Airlines: Abbotsford – Calgary
- Westjet Airlines: Calgary – Varadero
- Ocean Varadero El Patriarca, Varadero, Cuba
- Commercial Shopping in Communist Cuba
- Overland Travel: Varadero to Havana, Cuba
- Landing into New Havana, Cuba
- Climbing on Havana’s Most Famous Fort and Stepping into Old Havana, Cuba
- Tackling the Four Squares of Old Havana, Cuba
- Westjet Airlines: Varadero – Calgary
- Westjet Airlines: Calgary – Abbotsford
Activity: Landing into New Havana, Cuba.
After travelling up from Varadero, we drove down the Malecon, up past the North Korean Embassy and over to Revolution Square. Revolution Square is among the most famous squares in Havana and Cuba. It was the site of where the Pope addressed the nation and also recently the sight of Fidel Castro’s funeral.
Revolution Square:
Revolution Square contained some rather odd metal sculptures of Che Guerrera and other sayings on the sides of the government buildings that faced the square.
As always in Cuba, there were those on the private car circuit. All the rides were lined up for all too see and like super models, the subjects of hundreds of photographs. These cars appear in terrific condition and it’s hard not to be captivated by what they represent.
Our group left Plaza de la Revolution and headed through Havana Centro and over to the Capitolo Nacionacle. Our travels took us through the locals’ area of Havana with some décor and architecture of years past.
Capitolo Nacionale:
When we got to the Capitolo Nacionale, we got out on foot and started a guided walking tour through Havana Centro. The Capitolo Nacionale was oddly designed much like the US Capitol Building, a surprising feature for a country that has been at odds with the United States for almost sixty years.
The area around Capitalo Nacionale was quite interesting and it looked like an engaging place to stay. We started at Parque Centrale, which contained the first statute to be erected in Cuba in 1905. The area around the Parque is reported to be the home of the new Starwood Luxury Collection Hotel Angleterra when it opens later in 2017.
Stopping at El Floridita:
We walked the short block over to El Floridita. El Floridita is the “cradle of the daiquiri”. It was reportedly created shortly after WWI, but popularized after Ernest Hemmingway visited in the 1930’s. There is a statute representation of him in the bar in the back.
We left El Floridita and walked over to the Paseo de Marti (Prado). The street was one of the first constructed outside of Havana’s walls and was intended to be as beautiful as the streets of Paris or Barcelona. It was a beautiful day for a walk. The building architecture down the street was simply stunning; a combination of old and aged world full of stories from an era past.
We wandered over towards Pavillion Granna. It’s an odd display of items of military importance to Cuba, including some of the missiles used to shoot down American spy planes.
Since there are no new American cars in Cuba, occasionally you can see an oddity such as this Chinese Geeley. These are all imported with over the top fees. Embassy car maybe?
My First Impressions of Walking in New Havana:
There was a lot to see in new Havana; much more than I initially anticipated. The history surrounding the buildings and structures was best appreciated with a guide, and we were led places of interest without having to worry much about planning or searching.
If you’ve travelled to Havana, did you use a guide to get around ?
Cuba can be a challenging country to get around in. With limited tourist accessible public transportation networks, much of the available transport is through private vehicle rentals with a car and driver. In this post, I outline our experience getting from Varadero to Havana, Cuba along the coastal highway. We had some interesting sights and stops along the way as we made our way to Havana.
This post is one chapter on our trip to the isolated country of Cuba. This trip was planned through Westjet Vacations. For more information on how this trip was booked, please see our trip introduction here. For other parts of the trip, please see this index.
If you enjoyed this post, please follow us here or on social media through Facebook, Twitter or Instagram for more travel tips and hacks on how to “Upgrade Your Travels”.
Read More from This Trip
- Trip Introduction: Havana and Varadero, Cuba via Westjet Airlines
- Westjet Airlines: Abbotsford – Calgary
- Westjet Airlines: Calgary – Varadero
- Ocean Varadero El Patriarca, Varadero, Cuba
- Commercial Shopping in Communist Cuba
- Overland Travel: Varadero to Havana, Cuba
- Landing into New Havana, Cuba
- Climbing on Havana’s Most Famous Fort and Stepping into Old Havana, Cuba
- Tackling the Four Squares of Old Havana, Cuba
- Westjet Airlines: Varadero – Calgary
- Westjet Airlines: Calgary – Abbotsford
Activity: Overland Travel – Varadero to Havana, Cuba.
One of the places that I wanted to see on this trip was Havana. I have to chuckle a bit at some of the other travellers out there that visit Havana, Cuba for 24 – 36 hours and have a rough time during their visit. There is usually a complaint of how difficult is it to see everything, and that things didn’t run at the pace of North America. The challenge of Cuba is that it can be tough to get around on your own without the usual transportation networks. You really need to get your self a guide and a driver in order to make the most out of your visit.
The Route to Havana:
Our traveling partners booked a van through a contact that they had identified on Trip Advisor. We each chipped in $50 USD a day for the van and the driver (6 of us total). For that we got a 12 hour trip, all gas and a day full of stops and guiding, along with an English speaking guide. This price point appeared to be a bit cheaper than what was offered through the resort tour desk.
Our travels would take us on a two hour drive toward Havana at 150+ km each way. We left the Ocean Varadero El Patriarca hotel at a reasonable 8:15 AM in the morning. The trip was along the scenic Northern coast and took us away from the tourist zoned area of Varadero.
I was in the back row of the van today. There aren’t very many luxury options in Cuba so I’d imagine it could be far worse than this. The scenery was interesting as we rolled along the highway with other older Vintage American cars all around us.
Travelling through Mantanas:
Our route took us through the city of Mantanas. The town has a railway bridge built from the year 1904 rail bridge right on the water.
A rest stop at Mirador del Bacunayagua:
Our first stop was at Mirador del Bacunayagua. It was a natural halfway point between Varadero and Havana. There is a massive natural canyon here with a high bridge, along with a concession and rest stop. When we stopped, there were heaps of private charters and relic cars near the gorge.
At Mirador del Bacunayagua, there was a live band playing. Many of the drivers actually took to dancing to some of the music. It was a neat place to stop and emphasized the effects of music and dancing on the local culture of Cubans.
Arriving to Havana, Cuba:
From Mirador del Bacunayagua, we continued on towards Havana. We eventually arrived after 1 hour, passing by the soccer stadium built for the Pan American Games held in Cuba in the year 1991. It was reportedly built for the games and never used again.
We eventually arrived into Havana, Cuba on the Malecon. The city of Havana had some impressive almost Soviet styled buildings as we approached the city limits.
A Summary of our Travel from Varadero to Havana:
Overland Travel in Cuba was a slow and cumbersome experience. Although the pace was slower than I was used to, it made for an interesting morning of our day. The Cuban towns and villages led a certain simple charm, and the pride in the ownership of their automobiles and spirit of the culture was warming to the heart.
If you’ve travelled overland in Cuba, how did you go about arranging and doing it ?
The town of Varadero, Cuba is home to many tourist resorts. Although an anchor for many visitors to Cuba, the experience is still Cuban and influenced by many of the geo-political factors that affect an impact Cuba as a country. I was interested to see what goods and items were for sale in the markets, given that the United States has maintained sanctions against this island national for dozens of years. Our trip to town would yield an example of this information.
This post is one chapter on our trip to the isolated country of Cuba. This trip was planned through Westjet Vacations. For more information on how this trip was booked, please see our trip introduction here. For other parts of the trip, please see this index.
If you enjoyed this post, please follow us here or on social media through Facebook, Twitter or Instagram for more travel tips and hacks on how to “Upgrade Your Travels”.
Read More from This Trip
- Trip Introduction: Havana and Varadero, Cuba via Westjet Airlines
- Westjet Airlines: Abbotsford – Calgary
- Westjet Airlines: Calgary – Varadero
- Ocean Varadero El Patriarca, Varadero, Cuba
- Commercial Shopping in Communist Cuba
- Overland Travel: Varadero to Havana, Cuba
- Landing into New Havana, Cuba
- Climbing on Havana’s Most Famous Fort and Stepping into Old Havana, Cuba
- Tackling the Four Squares of Old Havana, Cuba
- Westjet Airlines: Varadero – Calgary
- Westjet Airlines: Calgary – Abbotsford
Activity: Commercial Shopping in Communist Cuba, Varadero, Cuba.
Once we got our initial days of sun at the Ocean Varadero El Patriarca, and the weather stopped co-operating during hurricane season, we decided to do a little local exploring. We found a hop on hop off bus immediately in the Varadero tourist loop. We ended up taking the bus down the Varadero peninsula to the local mall. The mall was designed for tourists, and isn’t actually where the locals actually shop. Nevertheless, it’s was intriguing enough for a visit to see what types of goods were for sale in the commercial market.
The Centro de Convenciones Plaza America mall was built in the 1996 and is already looking really dated. The mall had some odd nationalistic signs of leaders in the past.
What’s for Sale in Cuba?
I was interested to see what products were for sale in commercial communist Cuba. It was a pretty interesting discovery.
Cuban Cigars
There were cigar stores doing a strong business as one of the main exports of Cuba. While I’d typically expect a small showcase, in many instances, there were stacks of inventory and supply.
Canned Goods
I left the girls at this point and took a good look at the supermarket inside the mall. I wanted to get the answer to what did a supermarket look like in communist Cuba; especially a supermarket that caters to tourists?
The supermarket was full of tinned food from a variety of brands that I had never heard of. The produce section was completely non-existent and it’s apparent that there is extremely limited access to fresh items. Most of the imports and tins appeared to be coming from Spain.
Locally Produced Rum at a Deep Discount:
One area where the market was selling a brisk amount of was alcohol. This didn’t really make much sense to me since most resorts in the area were all inclusive. However, Havana Club did end up being the souvenir gift to take home to family and friends as duty free allowance. A bottle of 750ml Havana Club rum was being offered at 5.20 CUC ($5.20 USD). Of note, there was no further discount at the airport duty free shops… there must not be a taxation scheme on the pricing of alcohol in Cuba.
Our First Sight of Relic Antique Cars
As many know, there have been years of crippling sanctions against Cuba, which had resulted in heaps of old cars running about the country. The mall had several examples of them running around in the parking lot.
Exploring the Streets of Varadero:
After the girls had completed their shopping at the mall, we left via the Hop on Hop off bus and headed down to Varadero town proper. The city is set up as a simple short grid that is about 70 blocks long and 4-5 blocks wide. We started at the eastern end near Calle 62, near the popular Calle 62 bar.
Varadero Centro is home to several older resort properties and other off resort souvenir stands.
It also has the Beatles Bar and Café. This place is reportedly popular with the party crowd, although it was pretty dead on our visit. The Beatles were popular among the underground music that was not allowed in Cuba during the full communist era.
We also got a look at some of the Bodegas that served the local population
Before we headed back to the hotel for the end of the evening. There was a long line at hop on hop off bus stop tonight…
My Thoughts on the Shopping in Cuba and Walking the Streets of Varadero, Cuba:
Varadero was a pretty small town that fell between quaint or tacky depending on your views. It was a place that wasn’t really worth the visit from countries afar, but a great stop off when the beach got boring. It had a certain small town charm to it that hadn’t been over run by commercialization. Either way, it’s a place that you can take the parents when you swing through town.
If you’ve visited Varadero, Cuba, did you find the town and Cuban influences on the town engaging ?
I was excited to experience a resort in communist Cuba. Would the experience meet up to our expectations? Would a stay in a land governed by communism and twenty five years of sanctions from the United States make for an interesting stay? We would end up discovering a different stay experience filled with interesting (and rationed) food, supply issues and some odd touches. It ended up being a unique travel experience unlike many others.
This post is one chapter on our trip to the isolated country of Cuba. This trip was planned through Westjet Vacations. For more information on how this trip was booked, please see our trip introduction here. For other parts of the trip, please see this index.
If you enjoyed this post, please follow us here or on social media through Facebook, Twitter or Instagram for more travel tips and hacks on how to “Upgrade Your Travels”.
Read More from This Trip
- Trip Introduction: Havana and Varadero, Cuba via Westjet Airlines
- Westjet Airlines: Abbotsford – Calgary
- Westjet Airlines: Calgary – Varadero
- Ocean Varadero El Patriarca, Varadero, Cuba
- Commercial Shopping in Communist Cuba
- Overland Travel: Varadero to Havana, Cuba
- Landing into New Havana, Cuba
- Climbing on Havana’s Most Famous Fort and Stepping into Old Havana, Cuba
- Tackling the Four Squares of Old Havana, Cuba
- Westjet Airlines: Varadero – Calgary
- Westjet Airlines: Calgary – Abbotsford
Review: Ocean Varadero El Patriarca, Varadero, Cuba.
After arriving to Varadero, Cuba off Westjet Airlines Calgary – Varadero, we changed some Canadian Dollars into Cuban Convertibles to have some local currency.
We found our Westjet holidays representative who identified the bus number for us. Varadero was really set up for the tourist experience and there were rows and rows of buses available at the airport taking travellers to various resorts.
It was about 45 minutes drive by bus along some rickety roads towards one of the 60 hotel resorts in Varadero. The highway was quite dressed up by comparison to other areas with full street lighting, no pedestrians and no homes. The homes that I did see were all quite similar in style and few people had cars, despite all having car park areas.
The Ocean Varadero El Patriarca was the first of four stops on our bus transfer. The property advertised itself as a 5 star property according to the Cuban rating system and a four and a half star property with Westjet Airlines vacations. The property was at the level to be expected when dealing with Latin American properties – slightly less than what was advertised. The entrance way was not grand like the resorts in South East Asia and had a rather minimalist theme to it.
After our transfer in, we were unloaded and checked in. Our bags were placed on a golf cart and we were driven to our room.
The Room: A Deluxe Room
All Inclusive
The rooms at the Ocean Varadero El Patricia are 6 to a floor, with 2 floors to a building. Overall, MrsWT73 didn’t care much for the room. I found that they were pretty much to be as expected for a non major chain hotel in Cuba.
On arrival, there were a few insects wandering around the bathroom (large cockroaches and other insects from the shower drain) and the bathroom area appeared quite dusty from the white tile floor. She attempted to change the room but we were told that none were available.
The Deluxe Room itself was a large and comfortable size – not quite a suite. It was showing a bit of wear and tear for a property that was only 3 years old. There was a slightly strange colour scheme happening here; contemporary with a retro theme.
The bathroom had the continued green theme throughout. It was a little compact for my tastes but it was perfectly functional.
There were a few Cuban touches – the television was a strange Chinese brand that I’d never heard of before – it actually had an on and off flip switch on the side, despite also having a remote control. The host that showed us the room on arrival explicitly pointed out that it had Cuban radio available on channel 7.
I ended up finding several national radio channels, consistent with old style communication before the wired internet days. It’s also worth noting that Cuba just got wi-fi in the year of our visit in 2016. The internet was limited to dial up speeds in the lobby of the property, so there is no wired connectivity in the rooms.
Most of the voltage outlets were on the North American plug configurations, but had 220V power scrawled onto the outlets.
An In Room Mini Bar:
The in room minibar featured Cuban colas and soft drinks. There seems to be no importation of Cokes or Pepsi sodas due to the economic sanctions against Cuba, and it’s probably cost prohibitive to get them from other areas.
Overall, the room was fairly comfortable, although not much to write home about. It was comfortable and quiet, although we weren’t encouraged to spend much time in the room.
Around the Hotel:
The Resort Pool:
The resort had a reasonable pool, although it didn’t face or have any ocean facing exposure. I am wondering if that was a deliberate design as a result of the tornadoes that pass through this region?
Cuba has been catering to the Canadian tourism markets. The host on our bus ride in indicated almost 70% of their tourist traffic is from Canada. Over the course of our trip, I wasn’t all to impressed with my fellow travellers – I happened to see a lot of bad behaviour; cussing, swearing across the pool, large amounts of smoking everywhere, yelling or shouting at other family members across a large pool. General debauchery and over indulgence that can be typical of the once a year holiday crowd. I’ll admit at times to cringing at some American behaviour when traveling through the USA, but now I was cringing at my own brethren.
The Beach:
The highlight of this resort in Varadero was the beach. The beach overall was in very good to excellent condition. The beach faced north so it meant spinning your lounger around to get the sun to face inwards towards land, if you wanted more than your shoulders tanned. It was nicer than our beach in Costa Rica, although nowhere near as nice as some of the alcoves and strips in Hawaii (Makena Beach on Maui comes to mind).
The sand was of really good quality on the beach. The beach was also quite well taken care of. There wasn’t any garbage or other debris on the beach. Although it was not raked or otherwise maintained, it was pretty pristine it’s natural state.
The Cactus Gigante:
The Ocean Patriarca Varadero was adjacent to one of the national parks of Cuba. There was a Cactus Gigante that was next to the beach. The admission was 2 CUC ($2 USD). The admission to the Cactus was not included in the Resort Fee. Just kidding, the Cuban’s haven’t caught onto the ancillary charges just quite yet. The cactus was supposed to be over 200 years old.
Snorkelling off the Resort:
Just before we left, we took in a morning of snorkelling from the resort beach. There wasn’t any snorkelling from shore, since the shallow beach went out quite a ways. We booked a morning snorkel on a hobie cat, which is a small non motorized mini caravan (imagine a caravan scaled down).
We took the boat about 25 minutes out into the bay. It wasn’t that far since the boat was wind powered, but much further than I could swim. There were lots of fish but only because the operators were using bread to attract them. Seas were a bit tough and the corals were so so.
There wasn’t so much variety like other great snorkeling spots like Maui or the Maldives so after we got used to being out there, it was an exercise in just enjoying the fish.
Our guides happened to find themselves some lobster for dinner. They were able to neutralize it right on the boat itself. An unexpected surprise for these waters!
I happened to see some schooling but MrsWT73 had the underwater camera so I couldn’t get any shots. All in all, it was an interesting experience but also a “once and done” experience. The fish were pretty average compared to some of the other spots we had seen in the world. Needless to say, Cuba will not substitute for the Maldives any day!
Aside from the absolutely beautiful beach, I have to echo the general theme of Cuba; the food is absolutely terrible. With almost now sixty one countries visited – Cuba is by far among the worst food of the lot. I’d have to rank it on par with my dining experiences of Russia and China. However, unlike Russia and China, there isn’t a fancy restaurant around when you decide that you want something else, so there is no opportunity to escape it. On the menu at the resort were odd items like sautéed cabbage and pumpkin making an appearance as an ingredient in many buffet items- for breakfast! They must have to rely on the ingredients that are available. Making matters worse here are the staff appeared to be very tip motivated – the service can be quite slow. On the date of our arrival, placing an order for “French fries” at the snack bar at 11 PM – we were told everything was 30 minutes. The food eventually turned up at 45 minutes later and had obviously been sitting out for quite some time as the fries were cool.
There were also some strange supply issues with the food. The resort would put out a deluxe menu item at the buffet (like fresh fish) and it would be gone within the first 45 minutes of a 4 hour dinner service. Often, there would be no sauces or condiments available (ie: mustard, mayonnaise, steak sauce). At times, Ketchup would make an appearance, but often the bottles were out for show, and at other times, they were only 1/8 full, on display like models, and never refilled. The main condiment was salt and pepper, which we enjoyed in copious amounts. The supply chain of these items must not be very reliable as they frequently ran out.
My Thoughts on the Ocean Varadero El Patricia:
Overall, the resort was what was expected. A five star property that was probably somewhere between a 3 1/2 star or a 4 star depending on your tastes. The beach was absolutely spectacular and a restful way to spend a few days. The experience as the days led on was particularly “Cuban”, with a lot of surprises along the way. The challenges weren’t any thing that couldn’t be overcome, but rather subtle omissions or changes that made for an entertaining, unique and different travel experience.
If you’ve travelled to a Cuban “All Inclusive” Resort, how did your resort compare ?
It’s not very easy to get from North America to Cuba. Many flights exist from Canada and there are occasionally flights available from the United States. Today’s flight had us departing from Western Canada’s Calgary International Airport on a non stop to the resort town of Varadero, Cuba. It would be a flight ending in undeveloped views on arrival, of a country yet to fully blossom.
This post is one chapter on our trip to the isolated country of Cuba. This trip was planned through Westjet Vacations. For more information on how this trip was booked, please see our trip introduction here. For other parts of the trip, please see this index.
If you enjoyed this post, please follow us here or on social media through Facebook, Twitter or Instagram for more travel tips and hacks on how to “Upgrade Your Travels”.
Read More from This Trip
- Trip Introduction: Havana and Varadero, Cuba via Westjet Airlines
- Westjet Airlines: Abbotsford – Calgary
- Westjet Airlines: Calgary – Varadero
- Ocean Varadero El Patriarca, Varadero, Cuba
- Commercial Shopping in Communist Cuba
- Overland Travel: Varadero to Havana, Cuba
- Landing into New Havana, Cuba
- Climbing on Havana’s Most Famous Fort and Stepping into Old Havana, Cuba
- Tackling the Four Squares of Old Havana, Cuba
- Westjet Airlines: Varadero – Calgary
- Westjet Airlines: Calgary – Abbotsford
Review: Westjet Airlines B737-8, Calgary International Airport – Varadero Juan Gualberto Gómez International Airport.
The Calgary International Terminal has been under construction for several years and was eventually opened in October 2016. The timing is a bit off as being an oil and gas town, the economy has recently taken a downturn with many lay offs. This has resulted in less disposable income and less demand for international travel.
Connecting to the Calgary International Concourse:
We disembarked our Westjet Airlines Abbotsford – Calgary connecting flight and after a few lefts and rights, we were at the international passageway that led us to the new Calgary International Terminal concourse.
The space is bright and airy and featured the usual shops, a Starbucks, a Subway and an A&W restaurant. More interesting was that there was also a Lammle’s Western Wear shop. Lammle’s Western Wear is a franchised Albertan staple that features authentic Western cowboy wear. Their cowboy hats can go over $300 CAD ($240 USD) depending on the styles. This is a hefty sum by Canadian standards but perhaps not so much for an energy town.
All the flights leaving this morning were headed to sunny warm destinations. The flight departure board was full of Mexican and Caribbean locations.
The airport authority offered “Pet Me” dogs. Several volunteers were wandering around the terminal with leashed animals for the entertainment of kids and other stressed travelers. The support dog isn’t too out of control yet here in Canada.
We didn’t have any lounge access today, although we considered visiting the new Calgary International Airport Aspire Lounge (run by Swissport). The Airport Aspire Lounge access was $40.60 CAD ($30.75 USD) and can also be accessed through Priority Pass lounge. We didn’t visit but we confirmed that Air Canada is also using this location as a lounge for their international services as there is no Air Canada Maple Leaf Lounge in the International Terminal (or the US transborder terminal for that matter). The sole Air Canada Maple Leaf Lounge Calgary is located in the domestic terminal.
Instead, we ended up a Chili’s restaurant for a full breakfast. It was reasonable priced and got us the energy that we needed. After breakfast, MrsWT73 felt like some wine so we went next door to the smallish Vin Room. The Vin Room offered an Enomatic wine system that kept the wines fresh.
There were over 50 wines available by the glass so we settled into a lounge chair and enjoyed the last of our 3 hour connection. I had a glass of Schild Unwooded Chardonnay from Australia, while MrsWT73 had a glass of bubbles rose. There was definitely something for everyone to choose from in the world of wine.
After a glass of wine, we wandered over to the gate area from the wine bar. The airport hasn’t installed much seating around the gate areas and as a result, there is a lot of crowding around the gates. I think it’s supposed to be a “call to gate” concept where you wait in the main area until the gate is posted; although it’s not officially set up that way and North Americans probably aren’t familiar with it unless they’ve happened to visit London Heathrow.
Westjet
Economy Class
YYC-VRA (Calgary International Airport – Varadero Cuba)
WJ 2390
November 5, 2016
Booked: Boeing 737-800
Flown: Boeing 737-800
Departure: 11:20 AM
Arrival: 6:45 PM
On Board Westjet Airlines:
We boarded our flight today. There were lots of people with carry on’s so we made sure we were near to the front of Zone 4 when it came time to board our zone.
On board, we were on the newer Westjet Boeing 737-800 today. The plane featured the usual 3-3 configuration in economy class with slim line seats. As we boarded, we found our way to row 8. I had paid $20 per person for seat assignments in advance for this international segment to avoid getting separated and stuck in the middle seats on the longer flight on way down. The general seat map opened at the 24 hour mark with free seats made available.
The seat backs offer no monitors or television screens. While this is likely a great move for the carrier resulting in lighter fuel costs, it can make for a bit of a boring flight for passengers who are with the carrier for longer flight legs.
Either the plane was in really rough condition, or they just hadn’t cleaned it that much. There were coffee stains on the table, discarded gum in the seat back pocket, and lots of hair and fingerprint stains on the window.
Cabin Entertainment:
As we settled in, there was an announcement that there was no in flight entertainment unless you had the Westjet App downloaded. We quickly broke out the App Store and downloaded the 42MB app so we could have access to tv and movies.
The flight featured Westjet connect wi-fi. The wifi rates were $4.99 CAD for 30 minutes, a 3 hour pass for $8.99 and a flight pass for $13.99 CAD. The movies streamed well through the Westjet application and MrsWT73 was able to connect to work without any issues.
Getting Airborne from Calgary:
We had an easy departure out of Calgary today with a minimum of delays, despite the long taxi to the departing runway.
Food an Beverage: Buy on Board
A buy on board service was offered. We each had a gin and tonic. While we had snacks, we were fortunate enough to enjoy a breakfast earlier in the day.
After the buy on board service, the Cuba Immigration Tourist Cards were passed out. The Cuba Immigration Tourist Cards seem to be a bit challenging as the process is different everywhere you look. The guidebooks say to get them from the embassies in advance, but Canadian airlines seem to hand them out along with tour packages to Cuba. Tourist Cards are needed to enter the country but there wasn’t any specific reference to it on our booking. You can’t pick them up on arrival in Cuba so it’s important to get them organized in advance. We ended up confirming that we could would be getting the cards on the flight through a call to Westjet reservations by phone.
The Second Service: Buy on Board
I watched a little movie Independence Day (circa 1995) on the Westjet App but gave up because there was no where to rest the iphone and who wants to watch anything on a small screen anyway. I took a little nap and woke up around the second service. The second service was another pass of the buy on board cart. They had run out of sandwiches, leaving only cheese plates and salads. Thankfully, we were pretty full from breakfast so we didn’t get stuck with whatever was left over.
On the Approach to Cuba:
When it came time to start out descent, I had my eyes peeled to the window to get my first glimpse of Cuba. When we came over land, it was very green and undeveloped. It reminded me of coming into Yangon, Myanmar in the era when the military junta was running the country. There was a complete lack of roads and other industrialized features surrounded by greenery end to end.
We landed without much fanfare or delay and saw our first view of the Varadero airport in a lovely communist color of red.
After getting stamped in at Cuban Immigration, we picked up our bags at baggage claim and made our way outside to chance some money into Cuban Convertibles. The US dollar is of limited use here in Cuba. It is recommended to bring Canadian dollars or Euros cash currency to exchange to the local currency. The Cuban Convertible is tied to the US dollar in terms of valuation so there were no surprises there.
After we changed money, we hopped on the bus marked by the representative and headed off to the Ocean Varadero El Patriarca. It was a pretty straight forward experience and they were easily set up to handle the transfer system.
My Thoughts on the Westjet Airlines International Service to Cuba:
The international service to Cuba was much like many others. Given that we were unusually flying in economy for this leg, I was pretty happy to have eaten before getting on the light. The buy on board wasn’t too substantial and they had run out by the time the second service came around. The in flight entertainment options were non existent unless you happened to own a large tablet or smart phone. Most interesting were the landscape views arriving to Varadero; the sights were barren and ripe for development.
World Traveller 73 
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