Cuba Cruises-Confusion on Exploring the City

[ReneeFS]

Hello! I am cruising to Cuba with NCL in about a week. I am a little confused about the wording of a message we received. Do we HAVE to have an excursion booked in order to get off the ship to explore? I know...I know...it's Cuba and things are a bit different. I have cruised on several ships to different locations and usually you have the freedom to explore a bit. Really all I want to do is go to Floridita to eat some Cuban food and because it's a famous place. I was thinking of booking a tour as well, but I really want to visit that bar.

[Samstress]

Unless things have changed since we were there in March, you can get off & on the ship on your own once you've gone through their immigration process (which is basically paying a fee & showing your passport).  I loved Cuba!  We booked a private excursion & spent an amazing day exploring...

 

[LaCal]

NCL and most cruise lines act like you have to do a ship excursion but you don’t 

 

Legally speaking though you are suppose to do a People to People excursion of some kind and keep some record of it for 5 years per the US guidelines 

 

Even taking a vintage car excursion falls under that and you’d be ok 

[debenson0723]

Just did the Sky last week.  You are fine coming and going as you want (you should have already filled out the form from NCL...it has to be submitted no later than 3 days prior to cruising).  I did some on my own but also did the Cigars, Rum and Art tour thru NCL (14 people) and it was excellent.  I put Support for the Cuban people on my form because I wasn't planning on taking the NCL tour, booked it onboard.  Fabulous place and am planning on going back early next year (if Americans still can).

[drvmywifecrzy]

20 hours ago, LaCal said:

NCL and most cruise lines act like you have to do a ship excursion but you don’t 

 

Legally speaking though you are suppose to do a People to People excursion of some kind and keep some record of it for 5 years per the US guidelines 

 

Even taking a vintage car excursion falls under that and you’d be ok 

 

This is what to do, so worth it

[aynt79]

NCL seemed to be really, really pushing the fact that only group people to people excursions are allowed anymore (to scare people towards ship excursions?). We used the "support of Cuban people" reason, and booked a private car tour. 

Edited June 4, 2019 by aynt79

[nikon photog]

we go on 6/17  and NCL told me to put down people to people 

I told them I had no intention of taking an excursion

 

 

[stormynow]

From what I'm hearing, you won't have to worry about anything.  

[Granny DI]

Daily Mail is reporting all cruise lines sailing from a US port are banned from visiting Cuba effective tomorrow. There is a complete story on another cruise line thread. The lawyers in Miami are scrambling but as of now sailing to Cuba is pronibited.

[Vagabond TimeLord]

If you have a cruise already booked, it will be "grandfathered" and will sail.

[Flagal50]

none of the cruiselines are doing cruises to cuba  as of yesterday 6/5 /19

[casofilia]

Cruise lines are doing a "Port Change" as no ships can travel from the USA to Cuba.

[esm54687]

On 6/4/2019 at 3:03 PM, Vagabond TimeLord said:

If you have a cruise already booked, it will be "grandfathered" and will sail.

According to the Treasury Department, there is a "grandfathering provision" for Americans who have already booked a trip to Cuba before June 5, 2019. But the provision only applies to people who "completed at least one travel-related transaction" like purchasing a flight. 

 

Not sure a deposit is a transaction or if it requires a final payment be made. 

 

Curious to see how this really will work because a cruise line may cancel the trip if the ship isn't sold out even though some passengers are "grandfathered"..... because they can't accept any new bookings 

Edited June 7, 2019 by esm54687

[herdingdogmom]

55 minutes ago, esm54687 said:

According to the Treasury Department, there is a "grandfathering provision" for Americans who have already booked a trip to Cuba before June 5, 2019. But the provision only applies to people who "completed at least one travel-related transaction" like purchasing a flight. 

 

The grandfathering does not apply to cruise ship travel from the US to Cuba.  The group people to people certification used by cruise ships was eliminated as of June 5.  All the cruise lines have stopped calling on Cuba and have adjusted their itineraries to other Caribbean ports.