Oceania and Visa for Havana

The picture is a little different for Canadians and probably all non-US passport holders. I get annual out-of-country health insurance and evidently proof of that is good enough.

 

The Canadian government site https://travel.gc.ca/destinations/cuba says:

Upon arrival, you must also present proof of health insurance that is valid for the period of your stay in Cuba; such proof includes an insurance policy, insurance certificate or medical assistance card (photocopies are accepted). All health insurance policies are recognized, except those issued by U.S. insurance companies, as U.S. firms cannot provide coverage in Cuba. If you do not have proof of insurance coverage, you may be required to obtain health insurance from a Cuban insurance company upon arrival.

 

Supplemental health insurance

 

Cuban authorities will not allow anyone with outstanding medical bills to leave the country.

 

Although proof of Canadian provincial health insurance is sufficient for visitors to enter Cuba, your provincial plan may cover only part of any medical costs incurred in Cuba and it will not pay the bill up-front, which is required at most hospitals. It is highly recommended that you purchase supplemental health insurance. For additional details, please consult the Embassy of Cuba in Canada.

Very interesting!! Wonder if the insurance that Oceania got us would have paid 100% of medical expenses in Cuba?

I too am booked on an early June 2018 Oceania Sirena cruise to Cuba from Miami together with a group of friends. Most of us are Philippine passport holders from the Philippines and a few are US passport holders. And we are now getting concerned with the recent email from Oceania and feeling "hostaged" by the cruise line by applying the visa through Oceania that we are now contemplating applying for our own Cuban visa through the Cuban Embassy in Malaysia who has been more helpful. We are awaiting reply from Oceania if they will also "prohibit" us from applying our own visa through the Cuban Embassy on our own. I do not feel comfortable applying for a visa through Oceania if they are saying that we will not be allowed to disembark unless on a ship arranged tour. Its just too suffocating and not my idea of a cruise vacation. Any advise please? Thank you

 

FROM OCEANIA:

 

Guest are required to follow thebelow mentioned information strictly as these were set under the U.S.jurisdiction No exception is allowed. This is as per the US government law.

Guest will not be able to disembark the ship if they do not arrangeshore excursion through Oceania Cruises or another U.S. sponsoringorganization. In addition, theform is required to be submitted accordingly to our Special Services team. We seek your kind understandingin this matter.

 

Please find the information onthe New Travel Regulations to Cuba as follows :

The below information outlinesnewly enacted travel regulations to Cuba which apply to individuals under U.S.jurisdiction (which includes all persons irrespective of residency andcitizenship boarding a vessel from a U.S. port) and which will require gueststo file a new certification depending on your travel plans and the date onwhich you first booked your voyage to Cuba:

· There are new regulations for travel toCuba that went into effect on November 9, 2017. These regulations are pursuant to the announcement by the President ofthe United States on June 16, 2017.

 

· For guests who booked their cruise onor after June 16, 2017, people-to-people exchanges must now be conducted ingroups (previously individuals were allowed to conduct their ownpeople-to-people activities) through Oceania Cruises or another U.S. sponsoringorganization. These guests who arechoosing a people-to-people exchange must also complete and sign a newcertification form and must check the box which best applies to them.

· Guests who booked their cruise on orafter June 16, 2017, not participating in an Oceania Cruises sponsored shoreexcursion must ensure that all group people-to-people exchanges ashore arearranged through a U.S. sponsoring organization.

... Maybe hotels will exchange money, although that would be of limited use to cruise ship passengers. (Perhaps someone with greater knowledge can confirm or correct me on that.) Point being that you should change money before leaving the pier; don't expect to be able to do so once you're in town. It's easy to change back again at the pier when you leave Cuba, whether in Havana or Santiago de Cuba.

 

Yes, hotel do provide money exchange services. What I can't remember is if I was asked my room number when I changed money. If the answer is "yes" cruise visitors won't be able to use this service. The Hotel Nacional Hotel de Cuba is one hotel that even cruise visitors ought to consider seeing. This is the historic hotel which was the hang-out for movie stars and political leaders when Havana was the go-to place. There's a ground-level bar with lots of historic photos on the walls of the famous guests.

We have a very good friend who married a Cuban tour guide. He said he would take us out and show us Havana. Is there a way we can do this?

We are booked on an Oceania cruise on Sirena that visits Havana for two nights in early June. We arrive at1:00 in the afternoon the first day there. We have booked an Oceania tour for the morning of the second day. Oceania is providing the Cuba visas at a cost of $75 per person.

 

We asked our Oceania phone rep when we would get the visas. We wanted them as we arrived in port so we could go out to explore the Old City on our own that first afternoon. The rep told us we would not get the visas until our group tour left, that we could not leave the ship except with our group due to new US sanctions.

 

I contacted Oceania's Special Services to ask about this and they sent the following response: (sorry this is long but I think it's important for travelers other than ourselves,too.)

"

Thank You for contacting the Special Services Department, Oceania Cruises will offer a variety of shore excursions in Cuba. Guests are not required to participate in these excursions to meet their group people-to-people travel requirements so long as they use another U.S. sponsoring organization to meet those requirements and are, otherwise, free to move about Cuba as long as their activities comply with the general license they are travelling under. Entry to some government buildings may be restricted; it's best to ask your guide about the building’s specific entry protocol before trying to enter on your own. What is a group people-to-people exchange? This general license authorizes persons subject to U.S. jurisdiction to engage in certain educational exchanges in Cuba under the auspices of an organization that is a person subject to U.S. jurisdiction and sponsors such exchanges to promote people-to-people contact. Guests using this general license must ensure they maintain a full-time schedule of educational exchange activities intended to enhance contact with the Cuban people and that will result in meaningful interaction between the passenger and individuals in Cuba. What if I booked my voyage on or after June 16, 2017? Guests who booked their voyage on or after June 16, 2017 can travel to Cuba under the group people-to-people general license and participate in OFAC-compliant people-to-people exchanges through Oceania or a third party U.S. sponsoring organization accompanied by a U.S. individual of the sponsoring organization to ensure a full-time schedule of educational exchange activities intended to enhance contact with the Cuban people and that will result in meaningful interaction between the passenger and individuals in Cuba."

 

This is a lot of hooey. We know that group people to people criteria are not the only criteria with which one can get a visa. We are told by other reliable soruces that all we have to check on the application is "Support for the Cuban People" and we can come and go as we please. Anyone have advice or other input. We have told Oceania we are upset about this and are awaiting another reply.:mad:

To add. It is our friends granddaughter who is living in the states and her husband is living in Havana. They are newly married. Is an escort a problem?

I'm trying to determine how many of our visas on a future cruise are going to require us to send in our passport as this will impact other overseas travel plans.

 

If I am reading this correctly, the Cuba visa does not require passports to be sent out. We complete the appropriate forms provided by Oceania and receive our visa when we board the ship. If I am misinterpreting please advise.

I'm trying to determine how many of our visas on a future cruise are going to require us to send in our passport as this will impact other overseas travel plans.

 

If I am reading this correctly, the Cuba visa does not require passports to be sent out. We complete the appropriate forms provided by Oceania and receive our visa when we board the ship. If I am misinterpreting please advise.

You are correct. We leave for our Cuba cruise in 3 weeks and are expecting Oceania to give us our visas when we board the cruise. For our part all we had to do was fill out the Oceania forms and give them $75 for each visa.

I'm trying to determine how many of our visas on a future cruise are going to require us to send in our passport as this will impact other overseas travel plans.

 

If I am reading this correctly, the Cuba visa does not require passports to be sent out. We complete the appropriate forms provided by Oceania and receive our visa when we board the ship. If I am misinterpreting please advise.

You are correct

It is more a Tourist card than a Visa

I'm trying to determine how many of our visas on a future cruise are going to require us to send in our passport as this will impact other overseas travel plans.

 

If I am reading this correctly, the Cuba visa does not require passports to be sent out. We complete the appropriate forms provided by Oceania and receive our visa when we board the ship. If I am misinterpreting please advise.

The only form we filled out was the affidavit and faxed it back to O. When we filling it out, they told us to check the "People-to-People" license option but now everyone is using the "Support for Cuban People" license. I'm not sure why we had to do this ahead of time because when we checked in at embarkation, we had to fill out another one....but this time they had highlighted 3 license options that we were to check. This affidavit is a US govt. requirement.

 

The actual visa (and Cuban health insurance) is purchased for you by O and the $75 fee is included in your final payment. No need for you to do anything or submit anything. It will be given to you at check in. You will show it to the immigration clerk at each Cuban port, then it will be kept by the authorities at your last port. The visa is a Cuban govt requirement.

Thanks to all who confirmed my understanding. If only China and Brazil were like that too ... then we’d have it made for 2020 as far as visas are concerned.

Brazil has changed its visa requirements for US passport holders. Now on line, 2 years, $40.00. Of course, existing 10 year visas are still valid.

Brazil has changed its visa requirements for US passport holders. Now on line, 2 years, $40.00. Of course, existing 10 year visas are still valid.

Do you still have to give Brazil 3 months worth of your financial information in order to get the Visa? If not, this is great news!!

Do you still have to give Brazil 3 months worth of your financial information in order to get the Visa? If not, this is great news!!

I just checked and you only have to make your financial statements available, when and if requested, when you arrive in Brazil rather than during the application process. I realize for some of you this previous requirement didn't exist. However, if your nearest Brazilian consulate was in Atlanta, like ours is, you had to and that was a show-stopper for us. Glad to hear they've changed the rules.

Brazil has changed its visa requirements for US passport holders. Now on line, 2 years, $40.00. Of course, existing 10 year visas are still valid.

 

Thx ... what I read seemed to indicate you completed online but still had to send in the passport. Better if we don’t have to, of course.

The only form we filled out was the affidavit and faxed it back to O. When we filling it out, they told us to check the "People-to-People" license option but now everyone is using the "Support for Cuban People" license. I'm not sure why we had to do this ahead of time because when we checked in at embarkation, we had to fill out another one....but this time they had highlighted 3 license options that we were to check. This affidavit is a US govt. requirement.

 

The actual visa (and Cuban health insurance) is purchased for you by O and the $75 fee is included in your final payment. No need for you to do anything or submit anything. It will be given to you at check in. You will show it to the immigration clerk at each Cuban port, then it will be kept by the authorities at your last port. The visa is a Cuban govt requirement.

It's my understanding that which boxes you check depend on when you booked your cruise. President Trump made some changes for US citizen travel to Cuba effective June 16, 2017. If you booked cruise before that date you can check everything applicable but after that date you can only check people to people. We booked long before the date things changed so know we can basically do anything we want as long as we keep a diary of what we did, who we met, who we purchased things from, etc. Nobody does anything with all of this but the US government has a right to audit your visa compliance for several yrs after the trip. Here's the info on Oceania website. I can't find the forms but think I found them on another cruiseline website. https://www.oceaniacruises.com/faq/#Cuba

 

Sent from my SM-N910V using Forums mobile app

It's my understanding that which boxes you check depend on when you booked your cruise. President Trump made some changes for US citizen travel to Cuba effective June 16, 2017. If you booked cruise before that date you can check everything applicable but after that date you can only check people to people. We booked long before the date things changed so know we can basically do anything we want as long as we keep a diary of what we did, who we met, who we purchased things from, etc. Nobody does anything with all of this but the US government has a right to audit your visa compliance for several yrs after the trip. Here's the info on Oceania website. I can't find the forms but think I found them on another cruiseline website. https://www.oceaniacruises.com/faq/#Cuba

 

Sent from my SM-N910V using Forums mobile app

We only had the option of "people to people", but it was listed 3 times with "on your own", "private tour" and "ship tour" after each one. Oceania highlighted all of them in yellow and said to check all that were applicable, so we checked them all. That was in December 2017. No one asked or cared when you booked the cruise.

 

People on the Cuba board say that the P2P option is gone now and everyone is told to check "support for Cuban people." Just keep a journal, don't stress over it (the process is quick and easy) and have fun! Cuba is a great place to visit.

We only had the option of "people to people", but it was listed 3 times with "on your own", "private tour" and "ship tour" after each one. Oceania highlighted all of them in yellow and said to check all that were applicable, so we checked them all. That was in December 2017. No one asked or cared when you booked the cruise.

 

People on the Cuba board say that the P2P option is gone now and everyone is told to check "support for Cuban people." Just keep a journal, don't stress over it (the process is quick and easy) and have fun! Cuba is a great place to visit.

 

Congrats on being a winner for your review. What do you win?

Congrats on being a winner for your review. What do you win?

Thank you! Not sure...they asked for my address and at first I thought it was a spammer! ;)

Thank you! Not sure...they asked for my address and at first I thought it was a spammer! ;)

According to their post you get a CC Logo item

According to their post you get a CC Logo item

Yes, that's what their email said, but I have no idea what item. I'll appreciate whatever it is. :)

It's my understanding that which boxes you check depend on when you booked your cruise. President Trump made some changes for US citizen travel to Cuba effective June 16, 2017. If you booked cruise before that date you can check everything applicable but after that date you can only check people to people. We booked long before the date things changed so know we can basically do anything we want as long as we keep a diary of what we did, who we met, who we purchased things from, etc. Nobody does anything with all of this but the US government has a right to audit your visa compliance for several yrs after the trip. Here's the info on Oceania website. I can't find the forms but think I found them on another cruiseline website. https://www.oceaniacruises.com/faq/#Cuba

 

Sent from my SM-N910V using Forums mobile app

 

The forms are halfway down the page under Cuba. P2P still there,

After June 17 -- link:

 

 

https://www.oceaniacruises.com/Regional%20Content/Documents/Legal/81604454471/Oceania-Passenger-Certification-OnorAfter-June-162017.pdf

According to their post you get a CC Logo item

I got a CruiseCritic lanyard. :cool:

I got a CruiseCritic lanyard. :cool:

 

Congrats and enjoy it on all your future cruises.

i got a cruisecritic lanyard. :cool:

WOO HOO !!

They do come in handy

 

I had a O lanyard & it broke last cruise

My kids and grandkids are always borrowing them from me so it's good to have plenty on hand.