Rum, rumba, revolution and sun, we follow in the footsteps of Ernest Hemingway with a cruise around Cuba

ASK any Cuban what Christopher Columbus said when he first laid eyes on the Caribbean gem and they will boldly beam: “It is the most beautiful land I have ever seen.”

As our ship sailed into Havana’s bustling port at sunrise, it’s clear to see why those words echo through the island more than 500 years on.

The time-warped streets of crumbling art-deco architecture are broken up by bursts of Smarties-coloured American vintage cars taxiing tourists around.

Havana’s dusty streets are a blend of rum, rumba and revolution while the rest of Cuba is blessed with sugary sandy shores, rainforests, coffee plantations and, of course, sunshine.

With the thawing of Cuba’s socialist government putting the country on the cusp of change, Columbus’ admiration is being shared by thousands of visitors keen to carve out their own adventures.

I arrive into old-school, cool Havana aboard the Celestyal Crystal ship.

Now making year-round trips to Cuba, the 476-cabin liner, including 53 with spacious balconies thanks to a recent  renovation, ensures I arrive in style.

You just haven’t Carib-been there, done that until you’re sipping a daiquiri on the deck of one of the first ships to take cruising to Cuba.

The seven-day cruise visits Havana, Cienfuegos, Trinidad and Santiago de Cuba, with a reggae-packed day in Jamaica’s Montego Bay thrown in.

I begin in Cuba’s capital by joining one of Celestyal’s two free excursions for guests — the Havana City Tour.

Starting in the historic military fortress, our group is gifted with the spectacular views of the city before beginning the walking tour in Old Havana.

And like all good walks, it starts with a drink. The Floridita cocktail bar is best known for having been propped up by Ernest Hemingway in the Thirties. It  has a bust of him at one end.

As I remind myself it’s 5pm somewhere in the world — so three cocktails before midday is certainly acceptable — I stroll down Havana’s cobbled back streets towards the mighty El Capitolio building —  seat of government until after the 1959 revolution and now home to the Cuban Academy of Sciences. A spit of its Washington DC namesake, its grand dome towers over the city as Cuba’s famous classic American cars glide by.

I also explore the city’s central park, national theatre and Revolution Square.

There is an air of opportunity as citizens are increasingly offered the chance to work for themselves in private business — and Cuba’s enterprising future is personified  by Alejandro, our host for lunch, who opened a 12-cover café in his mother’s home in 1995,  aged  24.

Starting with  three plastic tables, he has slowly expanded to create a charming restaurant — welcoming celebrities from around the world including Jude Law, Clive Owen and Diego Maradona.

despite the beckoning of the 21st Century, Havana is still all about its two most famed indulgences — rum and cigars

Change is gathering pace in Cuba and Alejandro is capitalising by planning his second restaurant in Havana.

But despite the beckoning  of the 21st Century, Havana is still all about its two most famed indulgences —  rum and cigars.

We arrive in one of the city’s dozens of cigar shops and smoking parlours, nestled in a sun-kissed courtyard, and are then   shown the art of rolling. Next, the dark Havana rum flows — neat, just as the locals have it — before a dozen plumes of smoke fill the gardens as the hand-crafted cigars are fired up.

Finish off with a strong, black Cuban coffee and look out for the bearded old boys puffing on cigars. At a glance they could be mistaken for Fidel Castro and Che Guevara plotting their revolution.

Cuba has soared up travellers’ wishlists as US relations have improved in the past two years — and its diversity demands far more than visiting just Havana.

But ailing infrastructure makes bus or rail travel tricky. Those brave enough to hire a car must jostle with donkey carts, rickety tractors and back-firing buses.

Luckily, my solution comes in my ship’s round-the-island tour. No need to book hotels each night, to unpack and repack, no daunting coach trips or backstreet  restaurant nightmares. Just free-flowing booze and exquisite dining on board, with all the home comforts I could want.

The staff elevate the trip even further — from their beaming smiles at breakfast and the salsa-till-you-sleep entertainment, to the engaging guided day trips.

It’s a delight from port to starboard and I’m free to   do  as Columbus did: Explore.

We visit the Unesco World Heritage Site town of Trinidad after docking in  Cienfuegos — and here the country’s huge fortunes from sugar are perfectly preserved by colonial-style mansions.

Cobblestone streets, pastel-coloured buildings and music-mad locals sparkle in the searing sunshine. We kick back  with a honey-and-rum cocktail called la canchánchara,  before making our way to the top of the Museo Histórico Municipal’s tower for breathtaking panoramic views across the city.

It’s then a short sail to Jamaica — and a chance to cool off at one of the  Caribbean’s stunning natural wonders, the Dunn’s River Falls. After docking in  Montego Bay, en route to the falls we also pass the home towns of island legends Bob Marley and Usain Bolt.

The falls themselves do not disappoint — great fun to climb or just splash around in. Or those wanting a little more R&R will find a gorgeous sandy white beach at the bottom.

There’s just enough time for a hearty helping of jerk chicken before stopping at another idyllic beach —  Doctor’s Cave, where the water is so blue locals believed it had healing powers.

Back on board, armed with strong rum and a belly full of fried dumplings, we toast goodbye to Jamaica with a sunset cocktail at the Thalassa outdoor bar.

A day at sea then gives me the chance to look around the ship — and I’m treated to a behind-the-scenes tour of its bridge. Here, the commanding officer  and his team patiently show me  how they  navigate the seas and I find out just how dedicated they are to giving guests the best cruise possible.

They even swerve rain clouds just so the roof skylights can stay open and the sunshine vibes keeping rolling.

The following day we reach the  country’s second-largest city,  Santiago de Cuba. The country’s bloody, revolutionary history under former leader Fidel Castro is writ large here.

It is where Castro launched his ill-  prepared attack on the city’s Moncada Barracks in July 1953 — surviving the first of more than 600 assassination bids.

And it is where the firebrand was laid to rest  last year.

But for a world leader of such historic magnitude, his grave is humble and  modest.

A boulder marked only with his first name, Fidel, sits in the Santa Ifigenia Cemetery —  where notable Cuban figures such as writer Jose Marti and Emilio Bacardi from the rum empire are also buried.

The cemetery itself is a sprawling skyline of marble white mausoleums and flamboyant graves, and attracts thousands of visitors each week.

This  is perhaps the most  fitting city in which to  finish our tour, before heading back to Havana.

For here, Santiago’s proud people smile loyally at the first mention of Castro and his life-changing revolution.

They treasure his 20th- century heroics but  are also excited at what the future has in store. They are relishing his brother Raúl’s forward-thinking and there is an air of excitement as the country writes  its next chapter.

This is a great time to visit Cuba and there is definitely no better way to see it than by cruise.

So do what the Cubans are doing — take the opportunity.