When Cuba opens up for normal tourism...

[Pet Nit Noy]

In Havana the Melia habana

 

Beautiful property, but the location is problematic if a guest wants to dine out at the lovely paladars in the downtown (Vedado) or the UNESCO Heritage section of Havana (Habana Vieja). Guests would have to coordinate their travel with the hotel's shuttle times or pay 30-40 CUC to reach the central city.

 

When touring is done for the day -- the specialized itinerary that makes each American's visit legal -- we're free to do what we want in the evening. Dining in the appealing restaurants in Vedado and Habana Vieja was great compensation for the irritations of each of the centrally located hotels where we stayed.

 

Right now, Paulchili's hotel Melia Cohiba seems like the best compromise. Better than Hotel Capri. Light years better than Hotel Nacional. More centrally located than Melia Habana.

 

And just to keep this appropriate to CC, the most central place in the city is the historic harbor which is still a working harbor! Old Havana grew up around the harbor and the newer parts of the city grew up around Old Havana.

 

I don't know if the historic harbor is where cruise ships would dock when the time comes, but if that's the case, you wouldn't even need a taxi to get to the great music clubs and restaurants/paladars in Old Havana. Incidentally, cruisers with mobility issues should know that Old Havana is closed to vehicles except for licensed delivery vehicles. I did see some Tuk-Tuk cabs.

Edited December 15, 2015 by Pet Nit Noy

[bitob]

They ate in the best paladares every night. That's why she chose a and k

[bitob]

They ate in the best paladares every day. Lunch and dinner. That's one reason why she chose a and k

 

My wife hates organized tours. She will probably never take another. But for Cuba it's the way to go now. And she speaks Spanish fluently enabling her to leave the group at times and chat with the people.

 

As I said she is still raving about the experience

[marylizcat]

And just to keep this appropriate to CC, the most central place in the city is the historic harbor which is still a working harbor! Old Havana grew up around the harbor and the newer parts of the city grew up around Old Havana.

 

I don't know if the historic harbor is where cruise ships would dock when the time comes, but if that's the case, you wouldn't even need a taxi to get to the great music clubs and restaurants/paladars in Old Havana. Incidentally, cruisers with mobility issues should know that Old Havana is closed to vehicles except for licensed delivery vehicles. I did see some Tuk-Tuk cabs.

 

Yes, I believe that is where the cruise ships dock at the moment. I imagine it is only suitable for the smaller ones, not the Oasis of the Seas variety!

[harryw]

I wonder if the Cuban government will have strict regulations on who can offer tiurs to cruise passengers, as is the case in Russia. Or if "tours by locals" via the internet will be permitted. Ship excursions to cigar businesses seems inevitable. Cigar smoke wafting to the pool area could be a nuisance.

 

Harry

[LHT28]

I wonder if the Cuban government will have strict regulations on who can offer tiurs to cruise passengers, as is the case in Russia. Or if "tours by locals" via the internet will be permitted. Ship excursions to cigar businesses seems inevitable. Cigar smoke wafting to the pool area could be a nuisance.

 

Harry

They have Taxi's that can give you a tour & pedi cabs

HOHO bus

but maybe US citizens will have to wait for those tours

[BenMurphy]

Do you mean when the US lifts the trade embargo so they can get much needed supplies to fix up the buildings & other things

 

They get millions of tourists every year

 

They sure do! We visited Cuba in 1999 spent three wonderful days at a beach hotel in Varadero then by bus to Havana where we spent three nights (Hotel Sevillia) exploring the city.Then we joined our cruise ship (Italian) to visit Mexico (Chechinitza ) then Cancun (for Christmas)Jamaica for New Years Eve

and back to Cuba where we toured staying in Trinidad and Pinar Del Rio and a couple of other places. We had a wonderful time ,found everything we needed and enjoyed Cuban hospitality and music.

Just had to do it before it got too Americanised!

Regards,

Josie

[harryw]

They sure do! We visited Cuba in 1999 spent three wonderful days at a beach hotel in Varadero then by bus to Havana where we spent three nights (Hotel Sevillia) exploring the city.Then we joined our cruise ship (Italian) to visit Mexico (Chechinitza ) then Cancun (for Christmas)Jamaica for New Years Eve

and back to Cuba where we toured staying in Trinidad and Pinar Del Rio and a couple of other places. We had a wonderful time ,found everything we needed and enjoyed Cuban hospitality and music.

Just had to do it before it got too Americanised!

Regards,

Josie

 

I guess that the "Americanized" tipping point will be a KFC or burger chain...

 

Harry

[Christine Frances]

I wonder if the Cuban government will have strict regulations on who can offer tiurs to cruise passengers, as is the case in Russia. Or if "tours by locals" via the internet will be permitted. Ship excursions to cigar businesses seems inevitable. Cigar smoke wafting to the pool area could be a nuisance.

 

Harry

 

Trip Advisor rates this tour company highly. Our friends just arranged a taxi tour to Havana through their hotel.

http://cubantripcompass.com/tours.html

[JPR]

Our friends enjoyed Destinations & Adventures International's escorted Cuba trip.

[Christine Frances]

http://thehill.com/blogs/blog-briefing-room/news-other-foreign-policy/263540-us-reaches-understanding-on-commercial

[Pet Nit Noy]

Trip Advisor rates this tour company highly. Our friends just arranged a taxi tour to Havana through their hotel.

http://cubantripcompass.com/tours.html

 

 

A note of caution. The posters who are recommending taxi tours, tuk tuk tours, etc. are not US citizens and their advice is not applicable to US citizens.

 

Things are changing rapidly between the US and Cuba. Within the last 24 hours, both countries announced their intent to resume regularly scheduled flights between the two countries. (Estimates are that it will take three-six months to deal with the practical realities before flights begin from cities like Houston, Newark, and Miami.) However, even when these flights begin, US citizens will not be free to travel independently as tourists. They'll still need to organize their time to comply with current restrictions (e.g. no beach/tourist time).

 

The Ports of Call board has an insanely long thread about cruises now calling in Cuba. The cruise line, Celestyal Cruises, is currently handling the unique requirements for US cruisers by requiring them to book a package of specific excursions which fall into the category of People-to-People experiences. (If you go back to the first post in this thread, you'll see a list of the specific People-to-People activities we did on our land visit.)

 

I suspect every change in the regulations about US travel to Cuba is putting new urgency into Oceania's corporate planning for visits there. I'd love for someone from Oceania to weigh in on this thread.

Edited December 17, 2015 by Pet Nit Noy

[RJB]

No interest is going to Cuba until all the Castro's are gone and the country is free again. Not getting my money till then.

[theriac]

OP you don't have to go to Canada or Mexico to fly to Cuba.

 

There are usually daily flights from Tampa to Havana and Miami to Havana for a few years now. Living in the Tampa area Ive talked to lots of people who've been in the last few years. They are charter flights but act as any airline would. In fact a friend of mine is going in 3 weeks and got roundtrip flights for about $450 a couple months ago.

[Pet Nit Noy]

OP you don't have to go to Canada or Mexico to fly to Cuba.

 

There are usually daily flights from Tampa to Havana and Miami to Havana for a few years now. Living in the Tampa area Ive talked to lots of people who've been in the last few years. They are charter flights but act as any airline would. In fact a friend of mine is going in 3 weeks and got roundtrip flights for about $450 a couple months ago.

 

I'm the OP and you appear to have missed the point of the sentence you've partially quoted. Here's the sentence in its entirety: Right now, the only way an American can visit Cuba as an ordinary tourist is to visit via Canada or Mexico.

 

The sentence was not about the physical act of getting from one place to another, but about the nature of the visit once on the island. Like the folks you know, we flew an ABC charter flight (operated by American Airlines) out of Tampa to Havana. Since the reasons for visiting still do not allow tourism, we joined a People to People mission.

 

Here are the 12 reasons for legally allowed travel in Cuba leaving from the US:

 

1. Family visit

 

2. Official business of the U.S. government, foreign governments, and certain intergovernmental organizations

 

3. Journalistic activity

 

4. Professional research and professional meetings

 

5. Educational activities

 

6. Religious activities

 

7. Public performances, clinics, workshops, athletic and other competitions, and exhibitions

 

8. Support for the Cuban people

 

9. Humanitarian projects

 

10. Activities of private foundations or research or educational institutes

 

11. Exportation, importation, or transmission of information or information materials

 

12. Certain export transactions that may be considered for authorization under existing regulations and guidelines.

 

The day we left the island, the Havana Jazz Festival was getting started. On our Baltic cruise, we met two women who were scheduled to attend this festival. (Reason 7) They had arranged their trip using a travel agency licensed to book travel to Cuba.

 

My cousin, an optometrist, will be traveling to Cuba to conduct professional workshops. (Reason 4). Again, he's using a licensed travel agency to handle the arrangements.

 

If the people you know flew to Cuba from the US for the purpose of tourism -- with no paperwork to support a legal reason for their visit -- that's a risk they chose/choose to take. They're risking a fine, but, I don't believe they're risking jail time.

 

When we checked in for our flight, we already had our visas, obtained by our travel agent. We also carried letters documenting our travel agent's license to arrange travel in Cuba and the type of trip we were making. The agents at the gate never asked to see our letters, but they did retain half of each visa. We surrendered the second half checking in to leave the island. Checking in at Tampa, I know I heard some agent shout out to the waiting crowd, "Does anyone need a visa?" I don't know what would have happened if someone had said, "Yes."

 

With so many ways to make a legal visit, beach time hardly seems like a reason to go. It's not as though there aren't other islands in the Caribbean where US citizens can legally laze on the beach as much as they'd like.

Edited December 18, 2015 by Pet Nit Noy

[pinotlover]

Strictly from reports I have received, concerning Havana, they do not currently have the infrastructure to handle a 4000+ passenger cruise ship hitting their port, no less having several such beasts hitting the port at the same time. Even a single small R ship would strain the taxi and tour guide organizations. If one's expectations is only to walk around downtown, and as been stated, I'm not sure the ships could actually dock there, hit a couple of bars and walk back to the ship( Think Cozumel) then it might work. To do much else will take quite a few years to get set up given the current regime they have in place.

[marylizcat]

The current set-up could certainly handle an R size ship. The Thomson Dream, which has about 1500 passengers calls there once every two weeks in winter with no problems. I have been thinking of booking it myself so have been researching it and the excursions available. The ship stays there overnight, enabling evening tours to the Tropicana nightclub or to the evening cannon firing at the fort.

[theriac]

I'm the OP and you appear to have missed the point of the sentence you've partially quoted. Here's the sentence in its entirety: Right now, the only way an American can visit Cuba as an ordinary tourist is to visit via Canada or Mexico.

 

The sentence was not about the physical act of getting from one place to another, but about the nature of the visit once on the island. Like the folks you know, we flew an ABC charter flight (operated by American Airlines) out of Tampa to Havana. Since the reasons for visiting still do not allow tourism, we joined a People to People mission.

 

Here are the 12 reasons for legally allowed travel in Cuba leaving from the US:

 

1. Family visit

 

2. Official business of the U.S. government, foreign governments, and certain intergovernmental organizations

 

3. Journalistic activity

 

4. Professional research and professional meetings

 

5. Educational activities

 

6. Religious activities

 

7. Public performances, clinics, workshops, athletic and other competitions, and exhibitions

 

8. Support for the Cuban people

 

9. Humanitarian projects

 

10. Activities of private foundations or research or educational institutes

 

11. Exportation, importation, or transmission of information or information materials

 

12. Certain export transactions that may be considered for authorization under existing regulations and guidelines.

 

The day we left the island, the Havana Jazz Festival was getting started. On our Baltic cruise, we met two women who were scheduled to attend this festival. (Reason 7) They had arranged their trip using a travel agency licensed to book travel to Cuba.

 

My cousin, an optometrist, will be traveling to Cuba to conduct professional workshops. (Reason 4). Again, he's using a licensed travel agency to handle the arrangements.

 

If the people you know flew to Cuba from the US for the purpose of tourism -- with no paperwork to support a legal reason for their visit -- that's a risk they chose/choose to take. They're risking a fine, but, I don't believe they're risking jail time.

 

When we checked in for our flight, we already had our visas, obtained by our travel agent. We also carried letters documenting our travel agent's license to arrange travel in Cuba and the type of trip we were making. The agents at the gate never asked to see our letters, but they did retain half of each visa. We surrendered the second half checking in to leave the island. Checking in at Tampa, I know I heard some agent shout out to the waiting crowd, "Does anyone need a visa?" I don't know what would have happened if someone had said, "Yes."

 

With so many ways to make a legal visit, beach time hardly seems like a reason to go. It's not as though there aren't other islands in the Caribbean where US citizens can legally laze on the beach as much as they'd like.

 

The visa aspect is really easy. My friend who is leaving soon got a journalism visa by starting a blog about the culture and way of life people in other countries live in and Cuba is going to be his first report. His wife is going to be his "photo journalist." He is only going for tourism but found a loophole.

 

My point is with all the different visas being offered you can easily fly to Cuba from the states and still be a tourist.

 

It happens everywhere. In China when I was teaching English most teachers had a tourist visa opposed to the work visa because it's easier to get and chances are you won't get caught.

[Pet Nit Noy]

The visa aspect is really easy. My friend who is leaving soon got a journalism visa by starting a blog about the culture and way of life people in other countries live in and Cuba is going to be his first report. His wife is going to be his "photo journalist." He is only going for tourism but found a loophole.

 

 

LOL! Why do you think your friend is exploiting a Loophole? He isn't taking advantage of any ambiguity in the law. He understands the rules and, as you've described his behavior, he's carefully working to comply with the pre- and post-trip requirements of a journalist. Considering his careful attention to the rules for a journalism visa, it's quite amusing for him to insist he's going as a tourist.

[theriac]

He got a journalism visa but doesn't intend on actually writing a blog. He found a loophole but the purpose of the trip is tourism not journalism.

[Pet Nit Noy]

He got a journalism visa but doesn't intend on actually writing a blog. He found a loophole but the purpose of the trip is tourism not journalism.

 

Oh. That's not what you wrote in post #43. Whatever.

 

I've made all the points I intend to make about legal avenues for visits to Cuba.

Edited December 19, 2015 by Pet Nit Noy

[theriac]

Oh. That's not what you wrote in post #43. Whatever.

 

Yeah he registered a blog title at blog dot com so when he filled out his Visa form he had somewhere to say where his work would be published. Sorry I left that part out. The entire registering a blog was only for the visa. He plans on doing nothing else other than enjoying Cuba.

Edited December 19, 2015 by theriac

[Paulchili]

Yeah he registered a blog title at blog dot com so when he filled out his Visa form he had somewhere to say where his work would be published. Sorry I left that part out. The entire registering a blog was only for the visa. He plans on doing nothing else other than enjoying Cuba.

 

If the word gets out, he may spend his time in Cuba in jail and not enjoying Cuba so much. Let's hope not :D

[theriac]

Possibly, but probably not. It would be too hard to prove until they got back here to the states.

[Aussie Gal]

I for one would love to visit Cuba. At the moment it is just too far for us to fly to Canada and then fly down to Cuba or to visit via Mexico and that to me is the least safest way to go. Hopefully, it the not too distant future more small cruise ships will be making their way down there and then we can perhaps board one of those. It would be great if they could leave from one of the cities in the U.S.

 

Jennie