Dive Review of Jardines Aggressor in
Cuba/Jardines de la Reina

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Jardines Aggressor: "Bad flight experience to Cuba", May, 2018, by Bruce Carlson, HI, US ( 1 report with 3 Helpful votes). Report 10266 has 3 Helpful votes.
No photos available at this time
Ratings and Overall Comments 1 (worst) - 5 (best):
Accommodations		Food
Service and Attitude		Environmental Sensitivity
Dive Operation		Shore Diving	N/A
Snorkeling	N/A
Overall Rating
Value for $$
Beginners
Advanced
Comments	I want to notify readers to be aware that there are severe baggage restrictions imposed by American Airlines on flights between Miami and Camaguey, Cuba. We were devastated when we tried to check our usual two bags on the flight and were unable to finish the check-in at the kiosk. The agent helping us also could not understand why we were not allowed to check in two bags. We spent an hour repacking with our gear all over the terminal floor, while the ticket agent tried everything he could to see if there was a way to work around the rule. There wasn’t. In the end, we left our camera gear behind and took our dive gear and secondary point-and-shoot cameras with us. This was devastating because photography and video are a primary reason we decided to go on this trip – an expense that is significant for those like us on a retirement budget. American Airlines informed us that this one-bag policy was stated on their website, and indeed it is but only if you do some digging. To add insult to injury, on the return trip from the same airport using the same plane, the Cuban AA agent said we would be allowed to check on two bags. He had no idea why only one bag was allowed on the flight to Cuba. Carry-on luggage was limited to the usual two bags, and we made the most of repacking what we could into our carry-on pieces. Maybe this is a good reason to switch from DSLR cameras to mirrorless and pack everything in a carry-on bag. Fortunately, the excellent diving and hospitality by the crew of the Jardines Aggressor alleviated much of the anger we felt towards the airline. We hope this cautionary message will be noted by other diver-photographers who might want to travel to Cuba via Camaguey. Apparently this one-bag policy does not apply to AA flights to other airports in Cuba so plan accordingly and read the fine print on the website!
Reporter and Travel
Dive Experience	Over 1000 dives
Where else diving	Fiji, Palau, GBR, PNG, Tonga, Samoa, Bikini, Johnston Atoll, Enewetak, Kwajalein, Canton, Solomons, Vanuatu, Philippines, Guam, Japan, California, Bonaire, Roatan, Florida, Jamaica, Oman...others
Closest Airport	Camaguey	Getting There	enumerated below
Dive Conditions
Weather	sunny	Seas	calm
Water Temp	79-82°F / 26-28°C	Wetsuit Thickness	3
Water Visibility	40-70 Ft/ 12-21 M
Dive Policy
Dive own profile	yes
Enforced diving restrictions	[Unspecified]
Liveaboard?	yes	Nitrox Available?	yes
What I Saw
Sharks	Lots	Mantas	None
Dolphins	None	Whale Sharks	None
Turtles	> 2	Whales	None
Ratings 1(worst) - 5 (best):
Corals		Tropical Fish
Small Critters		Large Fish
Large Pelagics	N/A
Underwater Photography 1 (worst) - 5 (best):
Subject Matter	N/A	Boat Facilities
Overall rating for UWP's		Shore Facilities	N/A
UW Photo Comments	Cameras have to be serviced outdoors on the dedicated camera tables, including outdoor charging stations. Not a big fan of charging batteries with wet suits hanging nearby and where they can be affected by salt air and rain. There was no indoor charging area other than in the rooms, which is not a particularly desirable situation (fire hazard). But otherwise, the crew handled the cameras with great care, and rinsing tanks were clean and large enough to accommodate our gear.

Report currently has 3 Helpful votes

Subscriber's Comments

By Kent O. Bonde in FL, US at May 30, 2018 11:23 EST

Sadly, American Airlines has long ago devolved into the proverbial Greyhound of the Skies, whose motto should be "We pack you in, treat you like cattle and nickel-and-dime you to death" oh, and "complain all you want, we don't care."

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Dive Review of Jardines Aggressor in Cuba/Jardines de la Reina

Jardines Aggressor: "Bad flight experience to Cuba", May, 2018,

Ratings and Overall Comments 1 (worst) - 5 (best):

Overall Rating

Reporter and Travel

Dive Conditions

Dive Policy

What I Saw

Ratings 1(worst) - 5 (best):

Underwater Photography 1 (worst) - 5 (best):

Subscriber's Comments

Dive Review of Jardines Aggressor in
Cuba/Jardines de la Reina