We traveled to Cuba pre Covid on a Roads Scholar tour. It was during the Obama presidency when relations had opened a bit more between the countries and cruises were still able to stop as well.
It was a fascinating tour that visited several areas and included lots of meetings with local artists, like a ballet group, a festival organization, musicians, and charitable groups. I was amazed at how inventive people had become to try to make do with the limited things they could obtain, I.e., making glue for homemade ballet shoes by melting styrofoam. Our meals were all included and food was excellent and good quality, but we knew the locals couldn't access much of what we ate. (We saw a local woman bring a small pack of hamburger into our hotel and do a clandestine sale to a bellman.) We had bottled water provided and I don't recall issues with illness among our group.
Because there had been an increase in US tourists, there was the start of entrepreneurship, with people opening small restaurants, including one we went to in the home of a doctor. From what I've read the tightening of relations under the Trump administration has wiped out many of the gains that had happened. Cuba no longer has aid coming in from Russia or Venezuela, and has little to export to raise money, so the average person really suffers and worsening food shortages are part of that.
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