# American wanting to go to Cuba



## DazedandConfused (Jul 10, 2015)

I have wanted to visit Cuba for most of my life and I am thinking of booking a trip in the next few months, probably 4-5 nights in Havana would be awesome and I am looking into flying from Miami and staying at one of the top hotels there.

There are a bunch of interesting blogs on everything from expensive tours to people that hack a cheap vacation that is quite surprising.

It appears that you only need a OFAC license (people to people or freelance journalist or support for the Cuban people categories) and visa and those seem pretty easy to get these days with the new broad category of travel.

Has any Americans been to Cuba recently?


----------



## PStreet1 (Jul 10, 2015)

No, but we have used this company, and they are offering tours:
http://www.gate1travel.com/guatemala-panama-travel/default.aspx


----------



## isisdave (Jul 10, 2015)

Wow, it's still about $400 per day per person, and I doubt that much of that goes to the actual service providers in Cuba.

I've wanted to go for quite a while. But I guess I'll hold out a little longer and hope the price comes down, or maybe one of the cruise options becomes more economical.


----------



## pedro47 (Jul 10, 2015)

I am going to wait until some major cruises lines sail to Cuba.


----------



## DazedandConfused (Jul 10, 2015)

pedro47 said:


> I am going to wait until some major cruises lines sail to Cuba.



Carnival just announced for 2016, but the price is 3x a regular cruise

I am thinking of booking air ($450) and hotel ($200 per night) on my own and SKIP all the overpriced tour services with huge markups.


----------



## PStreet1 (Jul 10, 2015)

You could check into flying from Mexico.


----------



## bogey21 (Jul 10, 2015)

PStreet1 said:


> You could check into flying from Mexico.



Two friends of mine did this about 5-6 years ago.  No security issues at all.  Neither Cuba nor Mexico immigration officials stamped their US passports although they asked to see them.  My friends had a great time in Havana.  They carried US Dollars and one of them had a Visa Card from a Canadian Bank.  They loved it.

George


----------



## joewillie12 (Jul 10, 2015)

bogey21 said:


> Two friends of mine did this about 5-6 years ago.  No security issues at all.  Neither Cuba nor Mexico immigration officials stamped their US passports although they asked to see them.  My friends had a great time in Havana.  They carried US Dollars and one of them had a Visa Card from a Canadian Bank.  They loved it.
> 
> George


 I have Canadian clients that travel from Canada all the time. The say I would be able to fly from Canada to Cuba with no problem. They said to keep a blank piece of paper in your passport. Immigration will stamp that as proof just in case Cuban officials ask to see ID. Not sure what would happen if I had a serious illness or ran into some trouble while there? Not sure its worth the risk at this point in my life.


----------



## am1 (Jul 10, 2015)

Canada immigration may not be willing to look the other way.  Plus most of the airports that would flyto Cuba have us immigration.  Panama City can be a good place to fly to havana from.


----------



## jlp879 (Jul 10, 2015)

This is the company we used to go to Cuba the first time:
http://www.airtransat.com/en-CA/Destinations-from-Canada/South/Cuba

We flew round trip from Edmonton, Alberta.  Arranged our own flights from SFO to Edmonton and this Canadian package company arranged everything else. It was an all-inclusive vacation similiar to many all-inclusives that large American companies like Apple run to other Caribbean destinations.   

After that we traveled on our own, flying out of Montreal, Quebec.  Lots of direct flights from major Canadian airports and also regional charters as well.  We found it easy to arrange travel within Cuba once we were there, and it was extremely cost effective to do so.  

Our friends recently traveled by Cuba Cruise (again, a Canadian company) http://yourcubacruise.com/  and they loved the diversity they saw on this cruise.  They said about half of their fellow cruisers were American.  Extremely easy way to get a taste of the island and its people.


----------



## dioxide45 (Jul 10, 2015)

jlp879 said:


> This is the company we used to go to Cuba the first time:
> http://www.airtransat.com/en-CA/Destinations-from-Canada/South/Cuba
> 
> We flew round trip from Edmonton, Alberta.  Arranged our own flights from SFO to Edmonton and this Canadian package company arranged everything else. It was an all-inclusive vacation similiar to many all-inclusives that large American companies like Apple run to other Caribbean destinations.
> ...



So you are suggesting that the OP break the law?


----------



## Passepartout (Jul 10, 2015)

For US citizens, it's still an 'organized tour' kind of deal. Even the already approved Carnival Cruise stops are more of a charter situation for 'cultural exchange' and don't start until next year. Individual US Citizens cannot yet travel independently (for pleasure) to Cuba. This is changing almost daily, but we're not there yet.

Yes, there is the 'wink, wink, nod, nod', stamp a blank paper instead of a passport visa for Americans entering Cuba via Canada or Mexico, but legally, it still isn't.

Jim


----------



## silentg (Jul 10, 2015)

Flights have started from Orlando, but you have to have a reason to go, not just curiosity.


----------



## dioxide45 (Jul 10, 2015)

silentg said:


> Flights have started from Orlando, but you have to have a reason to go, not just curiosity.



I also don't think the OP needs a license any longer. Their travel must qualify under one of the 12 allowed categories. One no longer has to apply to the U.S. Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) for travel to Cuba.


----------



## DazedandConfused (Jul 11, 2015)

dioxide45 said:


> I also don't think the OP needs a license any longer. Their travel must qualify under one of the 12 allowed categories. One no longer has to apply to the U.S. Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) for travel to Cuba.



Yes, I downloaded the form. You only need this form and a visa application.

I want to book everything on my own, air, hotel, excursions, etc. I do not want to break the US law, I just don't want to go with an expensive tour company as I think I can do it on my own and save 75%.

Truth be told, I want to go as a TOURIST, but I realize that this is not allowed under US law, but if I state I am going for one of the 12 reasons (i.e. independent journalist writing a blog) then it is allowed.

What irks me is that there are several all-inclusive tour companies charging $3,000 to $6,000 per person to book a trip I can do for about $1,500 on my own.

I can book direct Miami to Havana and book my own hotels on my own. I just need the two forms and I wanted to post here to see if anyone else has done that. There are a ton of threads on Tripadvisor or similar people and that is how I got this idea.

http://www.treasury.gov/resource-center/sanctions/Programs/Documents/cuba_faqs_new.pdf


----------



## DazedandConfused (Jul 11, 2015)

This appears to be the best company (most reasonable price) to work with

http://cubatravelservices.com/

Has anyone ever used them?


----------



## DazedandConfused (Jul 11, 2015)

OFAC has issued general licenses within the 12 categories of authorized travel for many travel-related transactions to, from, or within Cuba that previously required a specific license (i.e., an application and a case-by-case determination).

Travel-related transactions are permitted by general license for certain travel related to the following activities, subject to criteria and conditions in each general license: family visits; official business of the U.S. government, foreign governments, and certain intergovernmental organizations; journalistic activity; professional research and professional meetings; educational activities; religious activities; public performances, clinics, workshops, athletic and other competitions, and exhibitions; support for the Cuban people; humanitarian projects; activities of private foundations or research or educational institutes; exportation, importation, or transmission of information or information materials; and certain authorized export transactions.

Consistent with the Trade Sanctions Reform and Export Enhancement Act of 2000 (TSRA), travel-related transactions involving Cuba are only permitted for the 12 categories of activities identified in the CACR. Travel-related transactions for other purposes remain prohibited.


----------



## Beaglemom3 (Jul 12, 2015)

Here's a Road Scholar offering to Cuba:


http://cuba2.roadscholaradventures.org/?so=PEY-I-CUBA-FBR


-


----------



## bogey21 (Jul 12, 2015)

DazedandConfused said:


> What irks me is that there are several all-inclusive tour companies charging $3,000 to $6,000 per person to book a trip I can do for about $1,500 on my own.



My buddies who flew to Cuba on their own from Mexico spent a week there for less than $1,500 combined.  Their report to me was that the Cubans were great people, accommodations and food were fine, and there was no hassle at any point in their trip.

George


----------



## wptamo (Jul 12, 2015)

I wonder how long it will take for Time Shares to pop up in Cuba? Once things are opened up fully.
For me , although I can go, it is not worth going and not using the time shares...
Friends and relatives have gone and said they really liked it!

Looking forward to going there some day!


----------



## DazedandConfused (Jul 12, 2015)

Beaglemom3 said:


> Here's a Road Scholar offering to Cuba:
> 
> http://cuba2.roadscholaradventures.org/?so=PEY-I-CUBA-FBR



There are a ton of these group tours and they all are expensive - like $2,000-$4,000 per person for a 3-4 fay trip. Also, they are GROUPS of 10-30 people and I am trying to AVOID a group tour.



bogey21 said:


> My buddies who flew to Cuba on their own from Mexico spent a week there for less than $1,500 combined.  Their report to me was that the Cubans were great people, accommodations and food were fine, and there was no hassle at any point in their trip.
> 
> George



That's what I am talking about - I want to reverse engineer or hack my own trip so I can do it all on my own.

Most tours list their itinerary online and I can pick and choose what I want. 

But I want to fly direct Miami to Havana and not want the hassle of going to Mexico or Cayman or Bahamas.



wptamo said:


> I wonder how long it will take for Time Shares to pop up in Cuba? Once things are opened up fully.
> For me , although I can go, it is not worth going and not using the time shares...
> Friends and relatives have gone and said they really liked it!
> 
> Looking forward to going there some day!



I only want to visit for a few days and have ZERO desire to bu there. You can stay at the BEST hotels in Cuba for around $200 per night and if you want to try Airbnb, you can stay in a room in someones home for as low as $15 per night.


----------



## bogey21 (Jul 12, 2015)

DazedandConfused said:


> .....if you want to try Airbnb, you can stay in a room in someones home for as low as $15 per night.



I neglected to say in my previous post that the above is what my buddies did.  There was no Airbnb back then but they didn't have trouble finding a home to live in for a few American dollars.

George


----------



## Beaglemom3 (Jul 12, 2015)

_"DazedandConfused;1778819]There are a ton of these group tours and they all are expensive - like $2,000-$4,000 per person for a 3-4 fay trip. Also, they are GROUPS of 10-30 people and I am trying to AVOID a group tour "_

  Yes, I understand, so while we're discussing options, other Tuggers reading this thread may be interested in various ways to visit Cuba.

  Hope you find a way which fits your plans.

  I am looking forward to going, but am only in the dreaming stages. There's talk of a ferry from Key West, too. 


  -


----------



## DazedandConfused (Jul 14, 2015)

Cuba hotels still price their rooms on a per person basis


----------



## Passepartout (Jul 14, 2015)

DazedandConfused said:


> This appears to be the best company (most reasonable price) to work with
> 
> http://cubatravelservices.com/
> 
> Has anyone ever used them?



Just because a provider is the cheapest seldom makes them the 'best' form my experience.

I suppose someone, somewhere has used them. They wouldn't be in business long if no one did.

Jim


----------



## Carol C (Jul 15, 2015)

joewillie12 said:


> I have Canadian clients that travel from Canada all the time. The say I would be able to fly from Canada to Cuba with no problem. They said to keep a blank piece of paper in your passport. Immigration will stamp that as proof just in case Cuban officials ask to see ID. Not sure what would happen if I had a serious illness or ran into some trouble while there? Not sure its worth the risk at this point in my life.



If you had a health issue I believe you'd be treated by a doctor or hospital without having to produce insurance card. I've a journalist friend who got stung by a stingray and had a bad reaction...Cuban hospital fixed him up just fine!


----------



## DazedandConfused (Sep 27, 2015)

I booked my trip for October and using TripAdvisor for most of my research


----------

