You don’t have to go to Cuba to enjoy a taste of Havana. The Carnival Sunshine and Carnival Vista cruise ships now have a spot that’s intriguing by night and friendly any time.

Step into the Havana Bar and be transported to antebellum Cuba preserved today in old postcards, vintage literature… and classic delicacies.

Take in great ocean views as you taste something authentically Cuban: café Cubano (that’s Cuban coffee), handcrafted cocktails of Cuban origin (think daiquiris, mojitos and more), or mouth-wateringly fresh — and wallet-wateringly free — Cuban pastries.

And this spot definitely doesn’t cool down when the sun goes down, with music and dancing keeping things exciting. On the ship, try the Havana Bar’s special Papa Doble. Or make one at home.

“Papa” Ernest Hemingway, of course, is the inspiration for these special drinks. Hemingway himself described a properly beaten drink as looking “like the sea where the wave falls away from the bow of a ship when she is doing thirty knots.”

Hemingway was known to take breaks from his writing at the famous Cuban haunt El Floridita where he could pack away quite a few of his cool namesake drinks. The legendary wordsmith said the drinks “had no taste of alcohol and felt, as you drank them, the way downhill glacier skiing feels running through powder snow.”

Carnival’s Own Papa Doble

2 ounces white rum

1 ¼ ounce grapefruit juice

¾ ounces maraschino liquer

½ ounce fresh lime juice

1 cherry

Ice

Gather all the ingredients, plus your favorite cruise memories, into a cocktail shaker. Shake like you mean it. Strain and pour – as gently as a Caribbean sea breeze – into a martini glass. Garnish with a cherry.

Photo courtesy of Carnival Cruise Line