Anyone been to Cuba lately

[easyrider]

We were wondering how Cuba would be for a week. Then from Cuba we would fly to some place in Mexico.

Bill

 

[TheTimeTraveler]

Curious; Do you still have to go to Cuba via Canada if you are from the USA....?




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[moonstone]

We were wondering how Cuba would be for a week. Then from Cuba we would fly to some place in Mexico.

Bill

We are Canadian and Cuba is the cheapest AI destination for us. We haven't been since Covid but know folks that have travelled there in the last few months. It seems that things haven't changed much. Since there are not very many countries that do trade with or supply food to Cuba, the food choices are very limited. We stayed at a 5* (I would have rated it maybe a 3*) resort and some days there were no eggs, or beef (which was tough when there was any), or bananas were the only fruit a couple of days. At the place we stayed we lined up for a made to order omelet on the first morning. I was watching the 'chef' preparing them and as he was adding whatever ingredients the person asked for, he also asked if they wanted salt. If they said yes, he pinched a bit between his thumb and index finger then after adding it to the dish he licked his fingers! I declined salt! One day they were cooking hamburgers at the pool bar. Hubby went and got us each one and when I unwrapped the foil/paper I said this is raw -the meat was pink. He took a bite and said no it is ham -not beef - a Ham-burger!

We saw people with cans of tuna and ham and jars of peanut butter to make their own sandwiches. There was always bread and butter available. I took some granola bars and instant oatmeal packages, as well as my favorite tea bags. We both got sick (both ends) after having a drink (no ice) at the lobby bar on our 2nd last night and had to walk to the store at the resort next door to buy bottles of sealed water the next morning as our resort had run out.

The beaches were wonderful -if you could keep out of the way of the kite sailors. We were on the north shore and the water was calm, clear and very shallow and there was always a breeze. We could walk out into the ocean a few hundred feet and still be in knee deep water. My SiL & her DH took a day tour into Havana to see the sights and old cars (her DH is a car buff) and thought it was nice. We wont be going back!


~Diane

 

[dioxide45]

Curious; Do you still have to go to Cuba via Canada if you are from the USA....?

Americans can travel directly to Cuba and US carriers still go there. No more cruises. I do believe you now need to be traveling under one of the 12 authorized categories.

 

[easyrider]

Americans can travel directly to Cuba and US carriers still go there. No more cruises. I do believe you now need to be traveling under one of the 12 authorized categories.

From what I have read, all I need is a tourist visa and a passport to enter Cuba. The only reason for us to go to Cuba would be we haven't been there. Many places check that haven't been there box including the Bahamas and Puerto Rico.

Bill

 

[zentraveler]

We are Canadian and Cuba is the cheapest AI destination for us. We haven't been since Covid but know folks that have travelled there in the last few months. It seems that things haven't changed much. Since there are not very many countries that do trade with or supply food to Cuba, the food choices are very limited. We stayed at a 5* (I would have rated it maybe a 3*) resort and some days there were no eggs, or beef (which was tough when there was any), or bananas were the only fruit a couple of days. At the place we stayed we lined up for a made to order omelet on the first morning. I was watching the 'chef' preparing them and as he was adding whatever ingredients the person asked for, he also asked if they wanted salt. If they said yes, he pinched a bit between his thumb and index finger then after adding it to the dish he licked his fingers! I declined salt! One day they were cooking hamburgers at the pool bar. Hubby went and got us each one and when I unwrapped the foil/paper I said this is raw -the meat was pink. He took a bite and said no it is ham -not beef - a Ham-burger!

We saw people with cans of tuna and ham and jars of peanut butter to make their own sandwiches. There was always bread and butter available. I took some granola bars and instant oatmeal packages, as well as my favorite tea bags. We both got sick (both ends) after having a drink (no ice) at the lobby bar on our 2nd last night and had to walk to the store at the resort next door to buy bottles of sealed water the next morning as our resort had run out.

The beaches were wonderful -if you could keep out of the way of the kite sailors. We were on the north shore and the water was calm, clear and very shallow and there was always a breeze. We could walk out into the ocean a few hundred feet and still be in knee deep water. My SiL & her DH took a day tour into Havana to see the sights and old cars (her DH is a car buff) and thought it was nice. We wont be going back!


~Diane

Very helpful thread and reply. We have been looking at YouTube videos and Havana looked very much like old town Cartagena, which we really enjoyed, (turns out, older ones pre-covid) as a potential trip but covid was not kind to Cuba and its post-covid visitors. We will put this one on hold for sure.

 

[stmartinfan]

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.

 

[Maple_Leaf]

This family from Thornhill, Ontario had a recent nightmare there:

Ontario family describes 'deplorable' stay at Cuban resort

They moved to the new Cuban hotel, which the family says was much cleaner and better organized, but it still had major issues.

toronto.citynews.ca

 

[Glynda]

We used a Cuban born taxi driver several times while in Miami this week. He said that tourists going to Cuba are only supporting the government; not the people.

 

[davidvel]

This place sounds wonderful, why haven't I been there before?

 

[ScoopKona]

We used a Cuban born taxi driver several times while in Miami this week. He said that tourists going to Cuba are only supporting the government; not the people.

The refugee community in South Florida has a rather warped view of the country. The original wave which arrived in 1959 were the people who owned most of the land and factories. They've passed on. But their descendants still think that someday they're going to be able to waltz back into Cuba and take back their plantations* and factories. They'll return to their position as the ruling class as if nothing has happened over the last 70 years. These were my neighbors. And I've heard more boasts of "When the beard dies and we return to our home...."

The government position is just as lacking in any kind of reality. So "the people" are in a frying-pan/fire position. Russia is once again taking an interest in Cuba as a spoiler to US foreign policy. Russian oil is once again flowing to Cuba.

Travel to Cuba is a net positive. And if visitors understand that everything about that country is more complicated than the "good guy vs bad guy" narrative which is slung by the opposing factions, all the better.


* American companies owned massive parcels of sugar plantations and mining operations. It's one of the main reasons the revolution happened in the first place.

 

[easyrider]

This family from Thornhill, Ontario had a recent nightmare there:

Ontario family describes 'deplorable' stay at Cuban resort

They moved to the new Cuban hotel, which the family says was much cleaner and better organized, but it still had major issues.

toronto.citynews.ca

Cuba is off our winter travel list. When I was asking about Cuba we were planning on being in Florida next winter but an exchange came through so our plans changed. In a few years our Mexico time shares will be expired and I think we might try out some land tours in unfamiliar exotic places that aren't so run down.

Bill