In June, Excel sent Lisa and Todd Arnett, on a cruise to Havana, Cuba in appreciation of Lisa’s 20 years of service with our Company. When asked why she wanted to visit Cuba, at first Lisa answered, “Because we can,” then it occurred to her, having grown up in Tampa, a lot of Tampa’s history is based on Cuban culture. Lisa’s mom used to cook a lot of the Cuban food for her that they were serving on the ship and her Grandmother used to roll cigars in Ybor City (historic neighborhood in Tampa, Florida).
While in Havana, they had the pleasure of not only getting the opportunity to explore the city but also having the experience to peek behind the curtain of a country that had been off limits for over 60 years. They spent four nights on the Royal Caribbean’s Empress of the Sea. They traveled out of Tampa to Key West and Havana. While in Havana, they explored many of the sites including seeing remnants of the Cuban Missiles Crisis, the World Record Holder for rolling cigars, as well as the 1950’s cars that still grace the streets. While Lisa didn’t have a favorite meal (she loved them all) she did love eating some of the Cuban food that she had forgotten. Lisa’s favorite souvenir that she brought home was a bottle of Havana Club Rum.
Lisa said, “If you’re wanting to know about life in Cuba, there’s too much to tell. But, I would say that if anyone has ever thought about going to Cuba, then you should go.”
Thanks Lisa, for your years of service! Lisa serves as Excel’s Senior Accounting Manager.
