Former Crew Member Publishes a Tell-All Book

Featured on The Crew Center

In the cruise-lit world, the crew member nonfiction format rarely strays from the memoir. Greg Shapiro, who worked as a crew member for both Royal Caribbean and Fathom Travel, is breaking the mold with his new book 12 Hours in Havana: Build your perfect day in Cuba

​In a recent interview, Shapiro talks about his experience working as a guide on one of the first cruises to Cuba. “It was the most incredible sail in. From the moment we saw Havana on the horizon, an electric energy swept across the ship.”

​The book organizes Havana’s quintessential attractions into convenient and easy-to-follow itineraries, illustrated on iPhone-sized maps, inspired by the animated show Dora the Explorer, where Shapiro worked as a designer before his career at sea.

​In an early review of 12 Hours in Havana, renowned travel agent Rob Belles calls the book “essential to anyone looking for the best way to get around” and full of “vivid descriptions that made it easy to retrace my steps.”

​The most unique feature of the book allows users to download a map on their smartphones, which Co-Owner of MeetMeOnBoard.com Dale McCurdy says is “particularly important because the map function works even with the spotty internet in Cuba"

12 Hours in Havana: Build your perfect day in Cuba is now available as an eBook on Amazon, with a paperback set to debut in Summer 2017.