Cuba- Allergic to Cigar Smoke?

[Scooters]

Mrs. ScooterS and I would like to Cruise to Cuba, unfortunately she is  super-sensitive to cigar smoke (Migrane- Nausea- Vomiting).  Can she avoid the smoke and still enjoy Cuba?  If cigars are everywhere, It looks like it will be a no-go for her.  I'm looking for an honest assessment, not a wild opinion in either direction, please...

[Magnetchief]

If she avoids the cigar shops she will be fine.

I can't recall a single person smoking cigars in the street.

 

Edited January 14, 2019 by Magnetchief

[FredZiffle]

Never saw or smelled a cigar while touring Cuba.  I'd suggest skipping the evening entertainment at the Tropicana though.

[ebslcc]

On 1/13/2019 at 2:24 PM, Scooters said:

Mrs. ScooterS and I would like to Cruise to Cuba, unfortunately she is  super-sensitive to cigar smoke (Migrane- Nausea- Vomiting).  Can she avoid the smoke and still enjoy Cuba?  If cigars are everywhere, It looks like it will be a no-go for her.  I'm looking for an honest assessment, not a wild opinion in either direction, please...

Is she allergic to car exhausts? From our December Cuba experience tailpipe smoke is MUCH MORE a problem than Cigar smoke.  We only saw one tourist smoking cigar in Old Havana for our entire 5 days in port. There are many old trucks, motorcycles, buses and Classic cars with black smoke coming out of the tailpipe driving around town. When they drive by we have to hold our breath!!!  The problem is more acute in Santiago with its narrow streets, old trucks used as buses and many motorcycles zipping around the downtown core. Next worst is Havana. In Cienfuegos vehicles with bad exhausts is less of a problem. We saw more horse/donkey drawn carts vs bad exhaust vehicles.  Inside Old Havana is also less of a problem since many of the streets are pedestrian only.  If you have respiratory issues you may want to refrain from walking around town or taking private tours with Classic Cars which i read many have bad diesel smell. 

 

Good advice above re Tropicana show. Avoid it if you are allergic to tobacco smoke. The venue is outdoor and not smoke free.  

 

Laurence

 

photo: lingering black smoke at Parque Cespedes Santiago ‘s main square. 

[Scooters]

Thanks all for info!  Anyone else have any thoughts??

[HOSKI]

Thank you for this thread as it is a good minder to me.  I get very sick from cigar smoke even though I am a cigarette smoker.  I also didn't think about the car exhaust.

[newcruiser1956]

I never saw anyone smoking when I was in Havana, except at the restaurant  where we had lunch and it was well ventilated.  

[pbenjamin]

We went to the Tradicionales de los 50s show. There were vendors walking around selling cigars. We were sharing a table with some other people— that’s where we were seated. One fellow who happened to have been from Switzerland bought a particularly smelly one and smoked it at the table. We ended up leaving earlier than we had planned. 

[Cienfuegos]

I'd agree with the above, and note that Cienfuegos is a relatively low rise city, with wider streets.  So there's not an observable issue with exhaust from vehicles. At least, that I observed.

 

Santiago de Cuba, on the other hand, is built into a hillside, with narrow streets and sometimes non-existent sidewalks. So you walk alongside the buses, jitneys, etc.  The picture of the bus exhaust in Parque Cespedes is my recollection, too.  Many buses will idle there, waiting to pick up passengers for cruise ship group returns.  I could certainly expect a person with respiratory issues to experience some distress in Santiago de Cuba.