One little known fact about Cuba that is easily overlooked until you visit the island nation is the virtual absence of modern commercial advertising.

In fact, Havana is one of the few remaining major cities in the world where garish advertising does not frame the view of every street corner. The same applies to all of Cuba’s urban environments and rural landscapes.

Since the U.S. eased restrictions for Americans traveling to Cuba, interest in visiting the once forbidden island-nation has skyrocketed.

As a result, not only are more major airlines flying to Cuba’s key cities — but more cruise lines are sailing into Cuba’s ports everyday, giving curious travelers direct access to Cuba’s signature music, history, architecture and culture.

For a variety of reasons, cruising to Cuba is one of the best ways to immerse in her rich culture and unspoiled scenery and to get exposed to the stunning natural beauty of the largest island in the Caribbean.

When it comes to Cuba, small ship cruising is the way to go given well-documented shortage of quality hotels.  Voyages to Antiquity (VTA) is a multi-award winning boutique European cruise line – and a world leader in small ship cruising.  Starting this Winter (2017/18), VTA is launching a maiden season of small ship cruises to Cuba and the Caribbean under the moniker VTACuba.

Combining the comfort of boutique-style cruising with immersive cultural travel, VTACuba will welcome its guests on the elegant, 350-guest, Aegean Odyssey. The ship’s smaller size means travelers will get access to coastal views and small harbor cruising and enjoy the more personalized service and modern conveniences of a first class ship.

Guests aboard the Aegean Odyssey can also participate in a complimentary enrichment program, featuring entertaining and educational presentations by accomplished historians, archaeologists and professors who will prepare you to maximize your time in Cuba – bringing to life the rich history, culture and natural wonders of the island.

If you’re interested in a culturally authentic and historically in-depth small ship cruise to Cuba, consider booking one of VTACuba’s ten maiden voyages covering multiple Cuban and Caribbean ports of call. From the major cities of Havana and Santiago de Cuba, to the more offbeat destinations like Trinidad (Casilda), each voyage is designed to allow guests to soak up as much of Cuba’s incredible sights, sounds and tastes as possible. Each cruise also features a full  “people-to-people” cultural activity program compliant with U.S. travel rules for Cuba.

This is a particularly important time to visit Cuba. The island has such a rich past that goes well beyond the events of the twentieth century. Those layers are on display in Havana, whose history is reflected in its both its layout and architecture, from the imposing Morro fort built by the Spanish in the sixteenth century, to the 1950s modernism of the Riviera Hotel, once owned by mobster Meyer Lansky. From Havana, it’s on to the nineteenth-century elegance of Cienfuegos and the colonial cobbled streets of Trinidad, before ending in Cuba’s second city: Santiago. The city occupies a special place in Cuban history as the birthplace of the Revolution, but it was also one of the earliest Spanish settlements on the island, founded in 1515. – Dr. Carrie Gibson, Author of “Empire’s Crossroads” and VTACuba Program Planner

You can learn more about VTACuba here.  The Aegean Odyssey is a small ship so space is limited so book soon.