PRELIMINARY ITINERARY
ARRIVAL IN CAMAGÜEY, CUBA
Independent arrivals to Camagüey. Upon clearing immigration and customs, your local Cuban Host will meet you at the airport exit.
Welcome to central Cuba and the captivating city of Camagüey, one of Cuba's seven original Spanish settlements. Renowned as a hub for cattle breeding and sugar industry from the 18th to 20th centuries, Camagüey boasts a vibrant arts community thriving within this cultural haven.
We'll maximize our short stay by engaging with and directly supporting individual Cubans and independently owned local businesses.
Check in at our accommodation at 3:00PM. After freshening up, we'll explore the UNESCO World Heritage Site — Camagüey's winding colonial streets and main squares — by pedicab, providing an intimate introduction to the city's streets and residents. Afterward, we'll visit local galleries and meet talented local artisans.
We’ll enjoy a Welcome Dinner of local farm-to-table seasonal cuisine.
Please Note: There is one flight per day from Miami to Camagüey on American Airlines.
Lunch, Dinner
CAMAGÜEY — PORT JUCARO
Enjoy a hearty breakfast before your three-hour transfer to Port Jucaro to embark the ship.
Upon boarding the mother ship, we'll begin navigating to Jardines de la Reina - Gardens of the Queen (4-5 hours) either this afternoon or early tomorrow morning.
We'll have a light snack onboard, complete the Welcome & Safety briefing, review the week's schedule, and settle into our cabins.
The daily diving schedule of 4 dives per day will be designed around the group's interests, based on the diving instructor's recommendations.
We'll enjoy our first dinner aboard and get a good night's rest.
SHIP AMENITIES AND EXPECTATIONS
The 180-foot Jardines Avalon IV is a First-class motor yacht with 20 cabins accommodating up to 40 passengers. The vessel features 12 Deluxe Staterooms, 4 Demi-Suites, and 4 Sun Deck Suites, all with private bathrooms, air-conditioning with individual thermostats, and full windows. The yacht is built and maintained to SOLAS shipping standards, is diesel-powered, cruises at 10 knots, and has 110-volt power onboard.
Jardines Avalon IV features a spacious air-conditioned salon and dining area, expansive sun deck with lounge and deck chairs, bar, restaurant, well-equipped kitchen, indoor saloon, and complete facilities for divers.
- No WiFi or cell service in Jardines de la Reina (60 miles offshore)
- Standard US 110v and 220v outlets in cabins and communal charging areas
- Unattended charging not permitted in cabins; devices must be charged in the communal lounge area (safety procedures reviewed during program briefing)
- Complimentary laundry service available (crew gratuity requested if utilized)
- Shampoo, body soap, hairdryers and linens provided in each cabin bathroom (no irons)
Filtered water, coffee, tea and local juices available onboard
Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
DIVING IN JARDINES DE LA REINA
Our daily schedule begins with a wake-up call and breakfast.
By 8 AM, our instructors are ready for diving. Four dives per day are included.
Throughout each day, our experienced instructors will provide detailed briefings explaining dive specifics, from anticipated marine life to appropriate behavior while diving with sharks. We'll learn about each site's highlights and the special characteristics of its marine life.
Using high-speed diving boats, we'll explore different sites each day, experiencing mangrove channels, virgin beaches, birds and diverse flora and fauna, always accompanied by our diving instructors.
After the first dive, we'll have a surface interval at one of the beautiful beaches before our second dive.
At mid-day, skiffs return to the mother yacht for lunch.
We'll plan afternoon dives or choose excursions through the lagoon and mangrove channels.
Each day, we'll fulfill our marine conservation and humanitarian license requirements by logging fish surveys and reviewing findings with our resident marine biologist and guides, sharing photos and video footage of unique species, and participating in educational conservation lectures.
Dinner is served family style at 8 PM.
In the evenings, we'll decide whether to do a night dive or gather in the ship's bar to review dive videos and plan tomorrow's dives with our instructors.
Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
FINAL DAY ON BOARD - PORT JUCARO
This morning, we have our final two dives, allowing 24 hours break prior to flying.
We'll navigate back to Port Jucaro for our final night aboard the mother yacht.
Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
DEPARTURE
5:00AM Disembark the ship and transfer to Camagüey International Airport for your return flight to Miami. Check-in begins three hours prior to flight departure.
OR depart to Havana for the three-night Havana Extension.
Breakfast
