Cuba travel affidavit

[Lorey2007]

We'll be on a tour with Blexie.  Should we sign the NCL  affidavit "Support of the Cuban People"?

[o-state girl]

That is how we signed our affidavit for RCL when we went in September.  

[elklemi]

I just got off Carnival Paradise and tour with blexie and I just signed the block they told me when checking in and took all the worry about it off the table, just relax and mark what they want you to and enjoy your tour with Blexie, we sure did.

[shipshape sam]

On 1/15/2019 at 7:33 AM, elklemi said:

I just got off Carnival Paradise and tour with blexie and I just signed the block they told me when checking in and took all the worry about it off the table, just relax and mark what they want you to and enjoy your tour with Blexie, we sure did.

Did you send in the guest affidavit early or just bring it to embarkation?

 

We are on Paradise in April to Cuba and getting conflicting advice.  Travel agent sends me email with affidavit attached.  Email instructions say:

 

You must complete the travel affidavit documenting which category of approved travel they will be utilizing.  This must be completed at least 3 months prior to travel and this form must be provided at embarkation and guest will be responsible for maintaining a copy for their records.

 

Additionally:

 

Guests must purchase a tourist visa and Carnival will facilitate this at a cost of $75 per person.  The fee will be applied to their onboard Sail & Sign account and is non-refundable.  The visa will be distributed at embarkation.

 

Any help on the above would be appreciated!

[elklemi]

They gave me the affidavit at check in and I filled it out there.  They had them all over the hall and you could fill out while waiting in line if you wish, they told me what block to check and I did just that after worrying which one I should check and figure it really does not make any difference and no need to question the check in agent about the benefit of each option, They gave me the visa at check in also and they charge this to your sign and sail account.  You need to fill out before you get off the ship and make sure you take time to fill out accurately as it will cost another $75 if you make a mistake (this is per Carnival).  I never got instructions to email the affidavit in 3 months before the cruise so not sure where that came from but it is all available at check in. Hope this helps, I worried about all this for months before my trip and in the end it was very easy and I made it all out to be a larger concern than reality.  I hope you enjoy your trip to Cuba as I sure did.

[Luckiestmanonearth]

20 hours ago, shipshape sam said:

Did you send in the guest affidavit early or just bring it to embarkation?

 

We are on Paradise in April to Cuba and getting conflicting advice.  Travel agent sends me email with affidavit attached.  Email instructions say:

 

You must complete the travel affidavit documenting which category of approved travel they will be utilizing.  This must be completed at least 3 months prior to travel and this form must be provided at embarkation and guest will be responsible for maintaining a copy for their records.

 

Additionally:

 

Guests must purchase a tourist visa and Carnival will facilitate this at a cost of $75 per person.  The fee will be applied to their onboard Sail & Sign account and is non-refundable.  The visa will be distributed at embarkation.

 

Any help on the above would be appreciated!

 

Ive read enough threads on this topic that tells me that Carnival is using scare tactics to get you to book one of their excursions (shameful).

 

1. You can do your own excursion

2. You don’t need to fill and hand it in until embarkation.

[shipshape sam]

5 hours ago, Luckiestmanonearth said:

 

Ive read enough threads on this topic that tells me that Carnival is using scare tactics to get you to book one of their excursions (shameful).

 

1. You can do your own excursion

2. You don’t need to fill and hand it in until embarkation.

Thanks for your thoughts.  

 

We have booked an excursion for Cuba via Carnival, but  are thinking of a second one on our own. I have read some stuff about Strawberry tours.  They are volunteers that work only for tips.

 

I still am confused about the visa and the check boxes.  I am wondering if I am just a tourist.

[Tapi]

The main reason why it’s important that you select the correct thing on your affidavit is to ensure that your activities ashore match what you’ve selected. If you were ever to be audited about your activities ashore in Cuba, you’d need to provide documentation that those activities matched your affidavit selection. With that said, chances of that ever happening are slim to none-existent so don’t overstress. 

 

Support for the Cuban People is what most cruisers to Cuba should choose. It does NOT mean that you must take a ship sponsored excursion though. It simply means that you’ll be engaging on activities that directly support the Cuban people. Taking excursions booked directly with an independent tour provider (which must not be owned or sponsored by the Cuban government), eating at restaurants or paladares which are independently owned, and even shopping at independent stores or going to a museum all qualify. The main caveat is that, whatever you choose to do or spend your money on, they CAN’T be sponsored or directly benefit the Cuban government. If you visit the US Department of State’s website you’ll find a list of businesses, hotels, restaurants, shops, and tour operators that are on the prohibited list. It may seem complicated but it’s really not, and you can recognize government owned establishments because they have a little sign by the entrance (a very popular one is hotel Ambos Mundos where Ernest Hemingway lived). 

 

Make your plans, save your receipts, mark Support for the Cuban People, and have an absolutely fantastic time! 

[Luckiestmanonearth]

Tapi

 

thanks for the post.  Very helpful

[bunnyrab]

Does Royal Caribbean have blank "Travel Affidavit" forms at the Miami check in? Shoreside.

Can't get it to print. Looks like all 2 or 3 pages printed over each other. No problem printing boarding pass or luggage tags.

[Cienfuegos]

Viking Ocean --requires-- you take one cultural tour per port which directly qualifies under US OFAC rules on Cuban visits. After these, you can do what you want.

 

The Cuban government immigration inspectors took the visa forms, stamped them, put them in a pile, and handed us a GUEST card for use in Cuba. We were never asked to show it, and it was taken at the last outbound security screening.