Cuba stop. Must one take a ship excursion?

I was wondering about Azamara's stop in Cuba. Can people 'do their own thing' or is a ship-sponsored excursion required?

Thank you

Not sure why you would think that. It's not Russia. Plenty of tour companies and fun to do your own thing.

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I was wondering about Azamara's stop in Cuba. Can people 'do their own thing' or is a ship-sponsored excursion required?

Thank you

Yes, you may 'do your own thing' under the following guidelines (which I will cut & paste):

* All guests will be required to secure a tourist visa to travel to Cuba, if disembarking the ship. This will be managed by Azamara Club Cruises at a cost of $75 per guest, which will be added to the guest’s folio onboard. Each guest will receive their Visa at the port during check-in and will be responsible for providing their Visa to the Cuban authorities upon arrival in Cuba. If a guest loses their Visa, they will be able to purchase a new Visa onboard.

* The tour programs offered by Azamara Club Cruises are designed to comply with one the 12 general licenses needed to travel to Cuba. If guests do not participate in an Azamara tour, guests will need to certify that they otherwise meet the permitted travel requirements. All guests will be required to complete an affidavit on day of embarkation.

* 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. This must be completed prior to boarding the vessel.

* For ease of completion, we have arranged the affidavit into 3 parts:

Part A: Guests exclusively participating in the Azamara Club Cruises tour program should select Part A and complete the identification information in the last section.

Part B: Guests traveling on a self-guided people-to-people exchange program should select Part B and complete the identification information in the last section.

Part B does allow for guests to split their full-day schedule between tours purchased from Azamara Club Cruises and activities organized on their own.

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 Club Cruises and activities otherwise meeting the requirements of one of the 12 general licenses, should select Part C and complete the identification information in the last section.

Not sure why you would think that. It's not Russia. Plenty of tour companies and fun to do your own thing.

 

 

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Huh? Being able to tour on your own is a very new loosening of the rules. A few months ago if from USA, you DID need to be on established ship tour. It was only on the last few sailings of Fathom that the rule changed.

Sue,

I thought that one had to be involved with some sort of a group doing some type of 'People-to-People-like activities. That wasn't too long ago. Looks like they are easing up on the restrictions, or else I interpreted information incorrectly.

I must admit I've never visited Cuba from a cruise ship, rather have spent about 15 vacations all around the island over the last 25 years or so. I am not from the US. Perhaps that's the big difference ?

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Yes, you may 'do your own thing' under the following guidelines (which I will cut & paste):

 

* All guests will be required to secure a tourist visa to travel to Cuba, if disembarking the ship. This will be managed by Azamara Club Cruises at a cost of $75 per guest, which will be added to the guest’s folio onboard. Each guest will receive their Visa at the port during check-in and will be responsible for providing their Visa to the Cuban authorities upon arrival in Cuba. If a guest loses their Visa, they will be able to purchase a new Visa onboard.

 

I am a US Citizen and my husband is a Canadian citizen. Does this tourist visa requirement now also apply to a Canadian citizen (who normally does not require a tourist visa), or is as you mentioned, for ALL guests, regardless of citizenship?

If a Canadian citizen (or other non-US citizen) arriving by cruise ship neither needs a visa, nor does not need to meet the aforementioned travel criteria, can he/she leave the ship at their own will? Hubby would not go off on his own without me, but I was just curious.

We are from UK so asked the same question This is the reply :-Dear Mrs.XXX

Quote

In regards to your recent email, I am more than happy to assist you.

In this case, we will be providing a visa on board the ship, however, it will be eachguest responsibility to present this to the port authorities, and this will have a cost of $75.00 per person.

However, for those international passengers who are traveling onboard the Azamara Quest to Cuba and choose to purchase their own visa, please be advised that a U.S. Visa (the pink visa) will be needed to enter Cuba. Even if you are not traveling with a U.S. passport, since the ship is traveling from U.S. territory that specific visa is required.

End quote

Pity Azamara havn't given out this information, as we know of at least 2 other passengers who have sent for their Tourist Cards!

Sounds very confusing. I know as a Canadian you still need a tourist card which costs $25US and from 2015 this has been included in the price of an airline ticket or vacation package. Forms are provided on the aircraft and must be completed prior to landing. Prior to 2015 one needed to pay the $25US pp in cash on departure from the country. If the ship is charging $75 pp this seems a hefty "admin fee" either by the cruise line or Cuban government.

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For anyone going or thinking of taking a cruise to Cuba, you may find the latest post on the Azaleas and Bourbon Street Quest Roll Call of interest. A letter has been sent out to TA's detailing the Visa and documentation requirements pre cruise of which a copy has been posted on the Roll Call.