Private Cuba tours

I was wondering how long does it normally take Blexie to respond to messages? We will be in Havana on Feb. 2nd aboard the Empress of the Seas and I would love to take his tour. I've sent him a message on FB last week and now emailed him yesterday. Should I have tried to book sooner? Does he get full up? I already have a RC excursion booked but I would like to cancel and go with him because I think it would be a much better experience. Any insight is appreciated. Thanks.

I'm not sure about blexie, my cruise is may 9 on majesty of the seas. I contacted fer tours yesterday by email and he responded to me within an hour. I was concerned with how quickly they fill up, so I went ahead and did it now.

How did they try to force you on their tours? I would also like to know if they offered additional tours, beyond what was shown on their website, once you are onboard. I think their tours are reasonably priced but for various reasons we prefer to take private tours. My husband has health issues and we don't enjoy the tours with a bunch of people. Are the Azamara tours on larger buses? Also we don't like starting our day at 7:00 a.m. LOL. Thanks for your input.

They were telling people on our cruise that they would not get a visa and could not leave the ship unless they booked a cruise line tour. As I said, we didn't get hassled and I'm not sure if that was because we chose "support of the Cuban people" on our affidavit and others chose People to People, which is no longer permissible. We booked after 6/16, so we're not grandfathered in. If I had it to do over again, I would do the same thing I did. Book my own tour of my choosing. Select "support of the Cuban People" under the general license on my affidavit. I also had copies of my tour itinerary as well as copies of the applicable regulations and the travel license language from the Code of Federal Regulations. My husband said that was overkill, but I'm a lawyer and came armed with my evidence to make sure some cruise-line employee didn't ruin my trip to Cuba. I didn't wind up needing it, but other weren't so lucky.

We booked with Tours by Blexie and can't recommend the experience highly enough. Not only am I 100% confident that our tour complied with the letter and spirit of the new regulations, but it was a fabulous, educational, fascinating day. A real once in a lifetime experience. I emailed him at blexie100588@gmail.com and did have to email him a few times before I heard back. If you've done much reading on Cuba you already know that the internet connection is extremely poor there. But then it was quick to schedule a time and tweak the details of the tour. Blexie wound up sick the day of our tour, so George was our guide and he was fabulous. Blexie has other guides that work with him that are very knowledgeable in the sites and historic facts of the cities you will be visiting and speak English beautifully as well as other languages.

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I was wondering how long does it normally take Blexie to respond to messages? We will be in Havana on Feb. 2nd aboard the Empress of the Seas and I would love to take his tour. I've sent him a message on FB last week and now emailed him yesterday. Should I have tried to book sooner? Does he get full up? I already have a RC excursion booked but I would like to cancel and go with him because I think it would be a much better experience. Any insight is appreciated. Thanks.

It took a while for me to hear back also. I thought he might not have gotten my note, so I started resenting it daily and then he wrote saying he had tried to respond but it hadn't gone through. Don't give up, it's worth it! Best tour we have ever had.

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We found a couple of tour companies that should work. We'll probably do one with the cruise company and one with the guide. The Cuban tour agencies seem to know these guidelines. I had talked to a woman who toured some friends but she is not licensed so we can't use her. But someone who booked before June 16 could if anyone wants her contact.

This is a US government requirement. Even if a Cuban tour agency or tour guide is aware of the brand new requirement, how would they know? (Probably though, most private individuals, because they work for themselves and not the government, would be OK.) Eventually the US government should publish a list of who can't be used.

 

 

 

 

 

I'll try to post a list of private tour guides as soon as I can.

I am so confused on these Trump government rules for traveling to Cuba. We will be on Norwegian Sky April 16th, 2018 going to Cuba. We booked our cruise on September 28, 2017. Can we or can we NOT booked with a tour company and not the ship excursions. Only one is the Classic car tour only holds 2 people on the Norwegian excursion, but there are 3 of us. If we can could someone that has been since the new rule went into effect tell me if you used a tour you found on the web and who was it with. Thank you so much.

Check out my posts number 74 and 77 under this thread. I've answered your questions.

We booked with Fertours2cuba. The receipt indicates his tours comply with the regulations and he seemed to be very knowledgeable about them. On the form you fill out you will indicate you are doing Support for the Cuban People. His information makes it clear he is not connected in any way with the Cuban government and is not on the prohibited lists. Originally I wanted to use a friend of a friend but decided not to as she is not a business, just does tours for people she knows. If we had booked prior to 6/16/17 she would have been okay but I don't know that I could certify that she meets the current regulations. We also booked some tours through Azamara and my understanding is that you just check all of the boxes that pertain to you.

I am so confused on these Trump government rules for traveling to Cuba. We will be on Norwegian Sky April 16th, 2018 going to Cuba. We booked our cruise on September 28, 2017. Can we or can we NOT booked with a tour company and not the ship excursions. Only one is the Classic car tour only holds 2 people on the Norwegian excursion, but there are 3 of us. If we can could someone that has been since the new rule went into effect tell me if you used a tour you found on the web and who was it with. Thank you so much.

Do you have the name of the tour you did as part walking, part classic cars sounds great. I've looked on their website but I can't seem to find it.

 

Fertours2cuba

We joined this tour with another couple who had booked with Fernando and were greeted by our guide, Alain, who spoke perfect English, provided an in depth commentary on the history of Cuba, Havana, and many of its beautiful buildings. He clearly had an in depth understanding of Cuban history as every question we asked was answered without hesitation. The four of us (who are fairly well traveled) agreed that this was the best tour we had ever taken. We enjoyed a delicious Cuban lunch at a local restaurant we would not found on our own, what a fun and interesting experience that was to be in the heart of Havana enjoying lunch among the local people. Our tour was concluded with a drive around the city in a pink convertible. I will never forget our day in Havana and highly recommend Fertours for an memorable day there.

Has anyone used Old Car tours ? We have a tour booked with them in May would like to hear pros & cons with this company.

Has anyone used Old Car tours ? We have a tour booked with them in May would like to hear pros & cons with this company.

I would also like to hear pros and cons. We are going in March and have booked with them.

We went on a private tour with FerTours 2. Their "Shipwrecked" tour of Havana with guide Alain was absolutely the best tour we have taken anywhere, and we've traveled all over the world. Alain took us to all the noteworthy sites in Old Havana. But more than that, in fluent English, he taught us about local history and culture. He cheerfully accommodated our individual requests, taking us to a great cigar store and a wonderful coffee shop, so we could buy local products. He also took us to lunch at an authentic (not tourist trap) Cuban restaurant that had amazing Cuba Libres (rum & coke). The day ended with a ride around Havana in a flamingo pink 1954 Chevy Bel Air convertible. We would rate this day 10 stars if we could!

Great tour of Havana with our tour guide Cristina

We arrived at the Havana Port on the Holland America cruise ship Veendam. After passing through customs, Cristina was waiting for us in the square located just across the street .After exchanging euros for Cuban currency at a bank nearby, we set off to see Havana. We saw all the sights of Havana in a much shorter time than if we had taken a ship tour. Cristna was extremely knowable of her home country and our tour was comprehensive and most enjoyable. Our driver Carlos was a very safe and careful driver. Highly recommend Fertours as Fernando was very easy to work with in the planning stages.

Fer Tours was fantastic! I was nervous about booking a tour separately but decided to go for it. My husband and I traveled with my mom (in her 60s with a medical condition) and with our teens. Fer Tours did a walking tour combined with some time touring around in the old convertibles. It was so fun & we learned so much! Our guide, Cristina, was very knowledgeable, customized the tour to our interests, and was so good with our teenagers. We had a great time and the cost was so much less that through the ship it was a little insane - plus it was just the five of us! I would definitely recommend them.

Alain from Fertours No 1. for Havana sightseeing

On ship Empress of the seas RCL

Thoroughly enjoyed. Alain was at meeting place prompt with our names held up. His English & his manner was impeccable,and his understanding and explanation of history and what we were about to see, was made very interesting. We were on a one day cruise, and decided to do a walking tour first followed by a drive around Havana in an open top classic car of our choice, stopping for photos along the route. Alain escorted us everywhere and showed and told all in great detail. He became our friend for the day, we wish him every happiness and success in his future.

Alain from Fertours No 1. for Havana sightseeing

On ship Empress of the seas RCL

Thoroughly enjoyed. Alain was at meeting place prompt with our names held up. His English & his manner was impeccable,and his understanding and explanation of history and what we were about to see, was made very interesting. We were on a one day cruise, and decided to do a walking tour first followed by a drive around Havana in an open top classic car of our choice, stopping for photos along the route. Alain escorted us everywhere and showed and told all in great detail. He became our friend for the day, we wish him every happiness and success in his future.

 

Did you have a receipt, itinerary or proof of reservation before you arrived? Did you use "in support of the Cuban people" for your Visa? We will be on the same ship soon. Thanks for any info.

We were on Norwegian Sky last week, wth an overnight in Havana. We booked an all day tour with Alain Baez. He met us at the square across from the dock. We had no trouble leaving the ship. The ship gave us an affidavit to complete and said we have to keep it for 5 years. We did ‘in support of the Cuban people’. No one even asked us a question. I had a copy of his email just in case.Very easy off and on. Alain was a great guide, perfect English. We walked around for about 4 hours, had lunch and drove all around till 6 pm. We stopped at Sloppy Joe’s, several of the beautiful hotels. Alain took us into shops and places where the people go, very interesting. Alain Baez

went out of his way to show us how the local people live. You can contact him at alainvaradero@gmail.com. Or

Alain.baez@nauta.cu. Email is slow so it takes a while. I believe he works for Discover Cuba but we contacted him directly after reading a review on TA. Highly recommended.

Did you have a receipt, itinerary or proof of reservation before you arrived? Did you use "in support of the Cuban people" for your Visa? We will be on the same ship soon. Thanks for any info.

I booked all via e.mail with Fernando from Fer Tours, you do not need to pay until end of the tour, in cuc only which can be obtained from the terminal once off the ship. On the visa forms we ticked the option to take a trip with approved Cuban Company.

I checked out reveiws and went with gut instinct, was not dissappointed.

I booked all via e.mail with Fernando from Fer Tours, you do not need to pay until end of the tour, in cuc only which can be obtained from the terminal once off the ship. On the visa forms we ticked the option to take a trip with approved Cuban Company.

 

I checked out reveiws and went with gut instinct, was not dissappointed.

Thanks Your research jives with ours. Seems our experience will be much the same.

Hi

I am taking the same cruise in May and wanted to ask if there is anything we should NOT miss from your experience. We are booking a full day tour with Cuban adventures which are highly rated on FB ( not sure if approved but they said Tick support the Cuban people)

From your experience do you think we will have any issues.

quote=2BERMUDA;55748064]We were on Norwegian Sky last week, wth an overnight in Havana. We booked an all day tour with Alain Baez. He met us at the square across from the dock. We had no trouble leaving the ship. The ship gave us an affidavit to complete and said we have to keep it for 5 years. We did ‘in support of the Cuban people’. No one even asked us a question. I had a copy of his email just in case.Very easy off and on. Alain was a great guide, perfect English. We walked around for about 4 hours, had lunch and drove all around till 6 pm. We stopped at Sloppy Joe’s, several of the beautiful hotels. Alain took us into shops and places where the people go, very interesting. Alain Baez

went out of his way to show us how the local people live. You can contact him at alainvaradero@gmail.com. Or

Alain.baez@nauta.cu. Email is slow so it takes a while. I believe he works for Discover Cuba but we contacted him directly after reading a review on TA. Highly recommended.

We cruised into Havana on RoyalCaribbean for a couple days the last week in March. We had scheduled 2 days of touring with Fertours 2Havana - did not want to be part of the big tour bus tours. We had an amazing 2 days of touring, our group of six. The first morning was a walking tour of all thehistoric squares in Havana, followed by a couple afternoon hours cruising aroundin the old cars, and dinner with a show to end the night. The next morning we visitedFusterlandia followed by souvenir shopping - our guide helped us pick out rum andfresh cigars to bring home. The smaller tours are able to go more places, see more things, avoid the high traffic areas at the busy times, and add in special stops...we all wanted to try Cuban coffee and our guide took us to the best place in Havana for a Cuban coffee you can't do that with large tour groups.

Havana is a fabulous place to visitand the right tour guide/company made it even more fabulous!

Nice - we booked with Blexie's group. They were great!

https://www.facebook.com/Blexie-Havana-Tours-448504148674243/

Old Havana

We booked with Fertours ahead of time...Fernando was very quick to reply to my emails beforehand. On the morning that our ship arrived Yusi met my sister and me at the plaza directly across from the pier. We had a morning walking tour of Old Havana, a stop for lunch, and a car tour afterward. Yusi came along as well and pointed out all the sights for us. Our driver Ignacio was kind enough to take pictures of us at Revolution Square with his bright red 1950 Olds convertible in the background.

The full tour including the car ride was $60 pp., lunch was separate. Yusi's English was excellent and she was quite knowledgeable about any question we had. Also, I had tried booking an evening dinner reservation ahead of time on a restaurant's website with no luck, but a quick email to Fernando and he was able to book it for us.

A very welcome and enjoyable day in amazing Havana.

Old Havana

 

We booked with Fertours ahead of time...Fernando was very quick to reply to my emails beforehand. On the morning that our ship arrived Yusi met my sister and me at the plaza directly across from the pier. We had a morning walking tour of Old Havana, a stop for lunch, and a car tour afterward. Yusi came along as well and pointed out all the sights for us. Our driver Ignacio was kind enough to take pictures of us at Revolution Square with his bright red 1950 Olds convertible in the background.

 

The full tour including the car ride was $60 pp., lunch was separate. Yusi's English was excellent and she was quite knowledgeable about any question we had. Also, I had tried booking an evening dinner reservation ahead of time on a restaurant's website with no luck, but a quick email to Fernando and he was able to book it for us.

 

A very welcome and enjoyable day in amazing Havana.

 

 

Thank you for sharing your experience with FerTours. We are booked for an evening tour with this company for our upcoming cruise.

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I also wanted to thank you for your information. I contacted FerTours by email & he responded very quickly. Because he will customize our tour, we made a reservation with him. Walking tours are out for us because of mobility issues. I'm quite excited about this tour & DH doesn't care what we do as long as we see something. He loves to go to car shows so riding around in a classic car is right up his alley.

I have an awful tendency to surf these boards & get information/suggestions but forget to say thanks. So THANKS.