Azamara Headed to Cuba !

I think you are missing the point. Cuba is being forced on us whether we like it or not, and if we did want to visit we can find a better way to do so with more freedom. We didn't sign up for this when we booked and paid for this cruise.

 

It's rather difficult to understand the first half of your message but I think we all get the drift of the last bit!!

Spot on

As regards t&c's for U.K. Passengers Azamara are treading a fine line as to whether this is a minor or major change to the holiday purchased. Clause 5.5c gives customers the right to cancel with a full refund if it is a major change, however the examples given are changes of 2 port day to sea days would be major whilst changes of port are considered minor.

Personally given the situation and that there would be a strong demand from the US market I would have thought it reasonable for Azamara to have offered free cancellation to anyone unhappy with the revised itinerary.

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Our problem like many is that the cruise only forms part of our holiday. Our flights were booked and paid for months ago. And now, having paid the final balance we have booked and paid for hotels and car hire before and after the cruise.

I am still waiting for the letter from our travel agent but when it arrives I will definitely be making my feelings known to the powers that be at Azamara.

Robin

Your post is really not making sense but I think you are saying suites are sold soon one has cancelled..... ? The point is for many the change came after they could cancel because of the Ts and CS of booking.

Quest is not an American ship, its flagged in Valletta the issue appears to be it is owned by an American company. The rules were not known, it's perfectly reasonable to expect to follow the rules to have a visa but I'm not sure where else in the world the determinant of visa rules is the ownership of the cruise line.

I am glad you are happy, enjoy your trip there.

Ann, the ship has been very rocky today. Several days ago captain Carl said spa suites were sold, all but three top suites and several CC ones. The Cuba cruise with NOLA is selling on ship. It is a big deal in the states as many Americans have wanted to go since they were children. In the past year many land tours but few ships. Finally we can port in Havana . Docks? I am very much looking forward to going.

My parents ands grands went before 1963 and I always wanted to go. Also several cruise lines are going we are just first. InJuly I will let you know how I felt going there.

By the way as an American I still can not wonder the streets if Russia without a personal visa. The ship still says we can give you one if you use our tours. You can do private but again with a Visa. Yet I can get my own andcwander at night. Think round 3 I will get my own Visa

If you mean the one that spends 2 days in Havana - big deal. I have been on a 15 day land tour of Cuba and I can assure you that there far more interesting places to visit in Cuba than Havana. Even the cruises that visit several cities in Cuba are really lousy as they spend as much time on sea days getting to places as they spend at places.

If you want to see Cuba, the only way to do it is on an extended land tour.

DON

Wow. We just booked this cruise because of the stop in Cuba.

We certainly understand the angst of the cruisers that were forced to change and hope that the line will make it right to their satisfaction if that's possible.

This change was not made due to political unrest or natural disaster but just as a whim of the line. I wonder if sales were slow on the previous itinerary or just what the reasoning was?

I know we would be very upset if next month a change of ports were announced that did not include Cuba.

We will be keeping our eye on this thread to hopefully see everyone's concerns satisfied.

opusX, might I also suggest you keep an eye on the thread under roll calls.

Geoffrey

I don't have any desire to go to Cuba, didn't go when we were allowed to (admittedly, I might not have been old enough). I do see a problem with AZ expecting their passengers, who were informed of this change after final payment IIRC, paying for a visa that some of them don't need, and some don't want. They seem to be very impulsive in some ways.

I am still failing to see why British guests, who are free to fly to Cuba with Virgin direct from LGW are not free to walk the streets of Havana??

This was right next to the Bacardi building :rolleyes:

And every bar claims that Hemmingway drank there....!!!:cool:

Some interesting perspectives on whether to go or not to Cuba.

Cuba is not being "forced" on Americans. The only "forcing" is the commercial dollars many companies and people see in visiting and "making Cuba great again." A 12-hour stop in Havana is an "I've been there, done that." Nothing more. Does little to provide an understanding of the culture, people and their challenges.

We lived in Yugoslavia and Romania during their Stalinist periods. Have seen what dictatorships can do to a people and country. Russia today is no better if you get off the beaten path of a government "approved" excursion in Leningrad (St Petersburg) or the now not visited Crimea (and Odessa in Ukraine).

Maybe better to take a Danube river cruise between Bucharest and Budapest to understand what totalitarian systems can cause. Romania much more to offer an American traveler from a historical and cultural perspective. The economic devastation caused by the US "forcing" Supply-side economics on Bulgaria in 1990/91 is still very evident. Seeing the results of the 1990s Balkans wars in Serbia and Croatia can be sobering.

Cuba is simply more "convenient" to North Americans. However, if you do not want to travel in eastern Europe than Cuba is a good alternative - if you go there to see more than 1950s era cars on the streets. But do go now since western, US and European mainly, corporations are already in the process of changing the scenery. I do applaud RCCL for initiating ports visits in Havana and the associated "schedule changes" to accomplish. However, it needs to be more than a short-time publicity stunt. Regularly scheduled travel with the appropriate excursions to provide westerners with an understanding of Cuba is a necessity.

As I am the one who mentioned Cuba being forced on us, I assume that you are responding to my post Globehoppers.

I am not American, I am English and the reason I have used the word forced is that we have had an itinerary change at such a late stage it is impossible to cancel without taking a huge financial hit. I book my holidays to places I want to visit and don't usually expect to end up somewhere else!

That said, Cuba has its own attraction as a destination but at the expense of somewhere I wanted to visit and, at risk of repeating myself, with more restrictions than I would expect to have as a British Citizen.

Fully understand frustrations with itinerary changes.

However, Azamara has been very accommodating when needing to change itineraries. We were shifted from Istanbul to Piraeus last Summer on Journey. Azamara provided compensation for hotels, air itinerary change fees and also offered credits for other itineraries if the passenger's decision was to not travel. Itineraries change all the time for a large variety of reasons, to include weather, security and operational decisions by the cruise line or airline or which ever travel mode taken.

Azamara is not "forcing" its passengers to do anything. Life is a "box of chocolates," you don't know what you will get, especially when traveling.

Fully understand frustrations with itinerary changes.

 

However, Azamara has been very accommodating when needing to change itineraries. We were shifted from Istanbul to Piraeus last Summer on Journey. Azamara provided compensation for hotels, air itinerary change fees and also offered credits for other itineraries if the passenger's decision was to not travel. Itineraries change all the time for a large variety of reasons, to include weather, security and operational decisions by the cruise line or airline or which ever travel mode taken.

 

Azamara is not "forcing" its passengers to do anything. Life is a "box of chocolates," you don't know what you will get, especially when traveling.

But it is forcing people on this cruise to visit Cuba when some - particularly British people - don't want to go. Not only will they have greater restrictions imposed on them than they would have had as UK citizens but have to pay a larger visa fee to take part in these restricted activities. However, this is not the main gripe from what I can see.

Not sure if you've actually read the previous posts but the changes were made AFTER final payment and these people have paid a vast amount in airfare which is nowhere near the amount usually offered in compensation, whenever significant changes are made. Shifting a flight from Istanbul to Piraeus would probably be covered by the compensation you were offered. Cancelling a flight from London to Miami would not.

They therefore have no option but to carry on with the cruise and I would agree therefore, that in this instance they are being forced to go there.

Bobal... if you look at the forum posting " cdn guests on cruise to Cuba question " see Bonnie's responses in post # 23 & 30 regarding tours on your own and Visa purchases.

Bobal... if you look at the forum posting " cdn guests on cruise to Cuba question " see Bonnie's responses in post # 23 & 30 regarding tours on your own and Visa purchases.

Ah, thank you, I stand corrected.:o I wasn't following that thread as I'm not actually on the Cuba cruise, but was following this one as there was a hint earlier on that the cruise I am on may also feature Cuba.

Nevertheless I still agree with my fellow UK cruisers that they have been given no option but to take the Cuba cruise since they have already paid for expensive flights.

Ah, thank you, I stand corrected.:o I wasn't following that thread as I'm not actually on the Cuba cruise, but was following this one as there was a hint earlier on that the cruise I am on may also feature Cuba.

 

Nevertheless I still agree with my fellow UK cruisers that they have been given no option but to take the Cuba cruise since they have already paid for expensive flights.

The obvious option is to not get off the ship while import Havana. Consider it a sea or "spa" day.

There appears to be a misconception that country of citizenship laws apply to that country's citizens while traveling in foreign countries. Alert! They do not. Once ashore that country's laws apply. Even in the case of Azamara ships, which are registered in Malta, the laws of Malta apply at sea along with International Maritime laws.

The obvious option is to not get off the ship while import Havana.

Are you sure no visa is needed in Cuban waters, even if you stay on the ship?

India insist on a visa if sailing in Indian waters, whether you stay on the ship or not.

Are you sure no visa is needed in Cuban waters, even if you stay on the ship?

India insist on a visa if sailing in Indian waters, whether you stay on the ship or not.

Different issue from a schedule change...

From Wiki:

A visa (from the Latin charta visa, meaning "paper which has been seen") is a conditional authorization granted by a country to a foreigner, allowing them to enter and temporarily remain within, or to leave that country. Visas typically include limits on the duration of the foreigner's stay, territory within the country they may enter, the dates they may enter, the number of permitted visits or an individual's right to work in the country in question. Visas are associated with the request for permission to enter a country and thus are, in some countries, distinct from actual formal permission for an alien to enter and remain in the country. In each instance, a visa is subject to entry permission by an immigration official at the time of actual entry and can be revoked at any time.

If a ship is not stopping at an Indian port they cannot require everyone on board to have a visa, which as Wiki points out is a country's permission to (physically) enter the country - and leave the country. If a cruise ship stops at ANY port in India the cruise company may require ALL passengers to have a valid visa prior to sailing. Simple transiting between non-Indian ports does not require an entry/exit visa. And ships will usually remain in international waters if not entering a country's port.

Obtaining a visa for India is a real hassle. Here in the US the Indian government outsources visa processing to an Indian owned company - sole source. Indian consulates will not accept direct applications. The service is terribly slow, expensive, and unreliable. Contact with the visa service is problematic, at best. Customer service? Meh! Took months and two tries. They "misplaced" the return UPS envelope required.

However, the trip was worth it. Six days in the Golden Triangle and another two in Mumbai prior to embarking Quest. Fascinating country, people and culture.

Today visas provide additional screening for visitors. And, maybe more importantly, its reciprocity and financially beneficial. The US charges $160 to citizens of many countries and the US visa is cumbersome: prospective visitors must "prove" they will not "overstay" and return home. That "proof" includes proving evidence of confirmed return transportation and the financial ability to sustain yourself in country. We had to provide all this information (and $160 ea) to the Brazilian consulate for an Amazon cruise...and, of course, the application was rejected on first submission requiring physical presence to deliver the application and then to pick up the passports a week later. We live 250 miles from the closest Brazilian consulate. Same for our trip to China earlier this year - except we opted to use a private visa service and it worked well (except for the added expense - but then, that helps the economy).

So what did the site tell you?

I'm a Canadian booked on this trip and I have been told by an Azamara rep that I will be charged $75.00 US for the tourist visa. The Canadian Visa Centre told me that as Canadian we don't need a Visa just a Tourist Card/VISA and it should only cost $20.00 CDN. Azamara told me that even if I buy the Tourist Card/VISA directly from the Cuban Embassy in Toronto Canada they (Azamara) will still charge me the $75.00 US anyways.

Are there any other Canadian on the Hemmingway Hideway Miami to Cuba Cruise and if so what have you been told about the Cuban Tourist Card/VISA?

So what did the site tell you?

I'm a Canadian booked on this trip and I have been told by an Azamara rep that I will be charged $75.00 US for the tourist visa. The Canadian Visa Centre told me that as Canadian we don't need a Visa just a Tourist Card/VISA and it should only cost $20.00 CDN. Azamara told me that even if I buy the Tourist Card/VISA directly from the Cuban Embassy in Toronto Canada they (Azamara) will still charge me the $75.00 US anyways.

Are there any other Canadian on the Hemmingway Hideway Miami to Cuba Cruise and if so what have you been told about the Cuban Tourist Card/VISA?

Hi, we're not Canadian, but English and we too can buy visas for Cuba locally, however we have been advised against doing this as it is an unnecessary expense due to the US rules applying to our cruise as it originates in Miami. I have pasted the email we received below, and we have also had this confirmed directly with Azamara. Not ideal, but it is what it is.

How to prepare for the upcoming voyage to Cuba: Azamara Quest, March 21, 2017 round trip Miami

Below are the latest updates about regulations to visit Cuba. It is very important to review it in a timely manner so you have sufficient time to process any paperwork, if needed.

Visas:

All guests are required to purchase a visa to travel to Cuba. Azamara Club Cruises will facilitate this for our guests at a cost of $75 per person. This fee will be added to their onboard account on day one of the voyage.

Each guest will receive their Visa during embarkation in Miami and will be responsible for providing their Visa to the Cuban authorities upon arrival in Cuba. If a guest loses his or her Visa, a new Visa can be purchased onboard at an additional cost of $75.

International Guests: If you choose to purchase a visa on your own, you must purchase a U.S. Visa (Pink Visa) even if you are not traveling with a U.S. passport. This is required because the ship is traveling to Cuba from U.S. territory.

In order to simplify the debarkation process in Havana, we recommend you purchase this visa directly through Azamara.

· Cuban-American Guests:

-Those who left Cuba prior to January 1, 1971, must travel to Cuba with their U.S. passport. However, they will need a special type of visa; an H1 visa which they will need to apply for prior to travel. This may take up to 3-6 months; however, the following agencies will help expedite the process: http://www.cubadiplomatica.cu/sicw/EN/ConsularServices.aspx

-Those who came to the U.S. on or after January 1,1971, must travel with their Cuban Passports. They do not need a visa. They do however need to complete a one-page entry request application. To learn more, they will need to visit the Cuban Embassy Website: http://www.cubadiplomatica.cu/sicw/EN/ConsularServices.aspx

-There are several companies that offer visa/passport processing services to assist in obtaining a visa and/or Cuban passport. Please visit the following link for list of companies: http://creative.rccl.com/Sales/Azamara/Visa_Passport_Agencies_for_Cuban_Americans

In accordance with U.S. law, all guests (including children) traveling to Cuba will be required to complete a travel affidavit, identifying the category of travel under which they are visiting. You MUST print two copies at home and complete both prior to boarding the vessel.

In ease of completion, we have arranged the affidavit into 3 parts where guests will need to check one of the 3 options and complete the identification information in the last section of the form (to download the affidavit form, please visit the following link:

https://www.azamaraclubcruises.co.uk/sites/default/files/azamara-alternative_passenger_affidavit-12212016.pdf

1. PART A: Guests exclusively participating in a tour with Azamara Club Cruises

2. PART B: Guests on a self-guided tour. This allows guests to split their full-day schedule between tours purchased from Azamara and activities organized on their own.

3. PART C: Guests that have not certified in Part A and B, including those passengers who plan to split their schedule between people-to-people activities offered by Azamara and activities otherwise meeting the requirements of one of the 12 general licenses.

For more information about traveling to Cuba, please visit the following link to download FAQs:

https://www.azamaraclubcruises.co.uk/destinations/cuba/faq

Thanks ... but at least we can wander around Havana and enjoy the city at our pace.

Our President, Larry Pimentel, is posting on Facebook and Twitter about our company's historic maiden call :ship: on Havana Cuba today!

You can also see photos on our Azamara Facebook page:

Azamara Club Cruises

¡Hola #Cuba! Beautiful morning as @AzamaraQuest sails into #Havana for the first time. 🇨🇺 http://*******/2nr9XHq