Jump to content

New Cuba Travel Restrictions


WarEagle76
 Share

Recommended Posts

Effective Thursday. Will be very unhappy if this impacts our scheduled Havana visit in December:

 

One of the biggest changes announced is to restrict "people-to-people" visas that thousands of Americans have used in recent years to easily travel to Havana and other cities in Cuba.

Under the Obama-era regulations, U.S. travelers could book a flight to Havana online, buy a people-to-people visa at the counter of a U.S. airport, and then head off on their trip. Now, those travelers will need to be accompanied by a U.S.-based tour guide who must ensure Americans are engaging in approved activities that help the Cuban people.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Effective Thursday. Will be very unhappy if this impacts our scheduled Havana visit in December:

 

You don't specify whether your visit will be aboard a cruise ship, though one might assume so since you're posting on a cruisers' message board. The AP report today on the new restrictions includes the following: "Cruise ship visits and direct commercial flights between the countries will still be permitted."

 

The report goes on to state, "Some exemptions will accommodate Americans who already plan to visit Cuba. Those who booked 'people-to-people' trips before the announcement will be exempt." If you've booked a December Cuba trip on Oceania, then you have already signed the travel affidavit indicating you are on a people-to-people trip.

 

Taking ship's tours automatically qualifies you as having fulfilled that purpose. Or, as discussed in an earlier Cuba thread, several of us stated our considered opinions that simply going ashore, shopping, dining, enjoying cocktails, talking to and interacting with locals or hiring free-lance guides at dockside for tours of the area would qualify as people-to-people activities, which we would so certify if anyone from the MAGA camp demanded documentation -- which, based on our Regent visit to Havana earlier this year aboard Mariner, they will not.

 

One way or the other, if you're going by ship, you'll be fine.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

You don't specify whether your visit will be aboard a cruise ship, though one might assume so since you're posting on a cruisers' message board. The AP report today on the new restrictions includes the following: "Cruise ship visits and direct commercial flights between the countries will still be permitted."

 

The report goes on to state, "Some exemptions will accommodate Americans who already plan to visit Cuba. Those who booked 'people-to-people' trips before the announcement will be exempt." If you've booked a December Cuba trip on Oceania, then you have already signed the travel affidavit indicating you are on a people-to-people trip.

 

Taking ship's tours automatically qualifies you as having fulfilled that purpose. Or, as discussed in an earlier Cuba thread, several of us stated our considered opinions that simply going ashore, shopping, dining, enjoying cocktails, talking to and interacting with locals or hiring free-lance guides at dockside for tours of the area would qualify as people-to-people activities, which we would so certify if anyone from the MAGA camp demanded documentation -- which, based on our Regent visit to Havana earlier this year aboard Mariner, they will not.

 

One way or the other, if you're going by ship, you'll be fine.

 

Thanks for your reply. Yes, on Insignia with a stop in Havana. The expanded explanation came out after initial report of the changes and believe you are correct that we should be in good shape...that is, if “someone” doesn’t have a bad day and takes further action between now and then. :rolleyes:

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Will the cruise companies give passengers a list of stores we are NOT to purchase from?

 

I don't want my small purchases confiscated by Customs because I've unknowingly enriched the govt or military.

 

Keep shop receipts to show at Customs that we neither ate or drank at the "bad" bars?

 

and finally, do we still have to keep a diary of what we did and keep it for 5 years?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I have a car tour booked with a local Cuba company in November.

Will this still be allowed?

My visa is people to people

*MY* interpretation was that " a car tour booked" may or may not have qualified before. There was a helpful government web page that gave an actual example and a car tour by itself did not qualify, you have to have some people-to-people exchange of ideas, etc and a car tour could be just a day of touristic activities seeing the sights, or could include some meaningful interactions - so it depends.

.

The quote below is from the Cuba port board. You might want to keep an eye on this: https://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2562288

 

I believe the quote is from Washing Post but read the whole thread. We took an O excursion on both days to ensure we were qualified then "on our own" to fill it out.

 

"Under Obama, ordinary Americans could plan their own itineraries, as long as they would engage in “meaningful interaction” with Cubans in ways that “enhance contact with the Cuban people, support civil society in Cuba, or promote the Cuban people’s independence from Cuban authorities.”

 

Trump’s Cuba policy again prohibits individual Americans from traveling to Cuba under this broad “people-to-people” category. Once again, Americans must travel through a licensed tour company under U.S. jurisdiction and be accompanied by a company representative. Cuban Americans and others who fit the more narrow categories will still be allowed to travel on their own.

 

Individuals who had made travel arrangements before Trump’s announcement Friday are allowed to complete their trip under the “people-to-people” category. But for the vast majority of Americans, individual travel to Cuba will now be closed, despite what Sen. Marco Rubio would have you believe." (perhaps unless on a cruise ship)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Keep shop receipts to show at Customs that we neither ate or drank at the "bad" bars?

 

and finally, do we still have to keep a diary of what we did and keep it for 5 years?

They often don't give receipts so not likely to have that as proof of your good behavior.

 

Under the old rules one needed to retain proof they qualified so I would still record activities as I cannot see this requirement be diluted.

 

As a Canadian we too could travel w/o those restrictions but being as it is on a US cruise lines have to qualify under USA rules. My concern was that on some future trip through USA this Cuba trip somehow shows up and we get denied entry w/o qualification of the Cuba trip. One never knows how any bureaucracy will respond.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Is there anyone here who really thinks were going to be thrown in jail for taking a classic car tour??? Come on....

 

We're taking the Dec 8 O Cuban cruise and are taking 2 O tours and 2 private tours. I'm not worried at all about the private ones, nor am I afraid that some FBI agent is going to knock on my door in 3 years asking to see my journal. :')

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Is there anyone here who really thinks were going to be thrown in jail for taking a classic car tour??? Come on....

 

We're taking the Dec 8 O Cuban cruise and are taking 2 O tours and 2 private tours. I'm not worried at all about the private ones, nor am I afraid that some FBI agent is going to knock on my door in 3 years asking to see my journal. :')

 

Exactamundo!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Is there anyone here who really thinks were going to be thrown in jail for taking a classic car tour??? Come on....

 

 

 

We're taking the Dec 8 O Cuban cruise and are taking 2 O tours and 2 private tours. I'm not worried at all about the private ones, nor am I afraid that some FBI agent is going to knock on my door in 3 years asking to see my journal. :')

 

 

 

People traveled back and forth all the time under the pre Obama rules that were much stricter than even these new ones. No one really cares and the government will never spend the sort of money they need to in order to enforce these rules effectively. You'll be fine doing what you please.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I agree with the 3 posts above. Nobody will bother to take the time & effort to check all this minutia.

We traveled to Cuba with a group (People to people) and most activities were with the group but we also had dinners on our own and visited clubs on our own and nobody knew or cared.

Enjoy Cuba.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

heck, we don't go until October '18. Who knows what the law will be by then? Cruise ships may be denied entrance to the country; Turkey currently is denying visas to Americans.

 

I probably will jot a few notes in a small notebook so that if questioned, i can refer to my written words and perhaps all will be happy!

 

And no, i don't think anyone is coming to knock at my door, rather a matter of getting out of Cuba for Miami!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Is there anyone here who really thinks were going to be thrown in jail for taking a classic car tour??? Come on....

 

We're taking the Dec 8 O Cuban cruise and are taking 2 O tours and 2 private tours. I'm not worried at all about the private ones, nor am I afraid that some FBI agent is going to knock on my door in 3 years asking to see my journal. :')

 

Well said and is exactly how I feel. I DO have my receipts, photos, journal and a little bit of money (which I don't think I'm supposed to have) but I'll keep it for memories sake more than fear of big brother knocking on my door.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Is there anyone here who really thinks were going to be thrown in jail for taking a classic car tour??? Come on....

 

We're taking the Dec 8 O Cuban cruise and are taking 2 O tours and 2 private tours. I'm not worried at all about the private ones, nor am I afraid that some FBI agent is going to knock on my door in 3 years asking to see my journal. :')

You are right for sure. These are general rules and should be no problem for people to live with. We will go and have a good time and not expect to be thrown in jail. They would have build a lot more of them to strictly enforce the new rules.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Is there anyone here who really thinks were going to be thrown in jail for taking a classic car tour??? Come on....

 

We're taking the Dec 8 O Cuban cruise and are taking 2 O tours and 2 private tours. I'm not worried at all about the private ones, nor am I afraid that some FBI agent is going to knock on my door in 3 years asking to see my journal. :')

As you point out the chance of enforcement against an individual is non-existant. US Treasury (not the FBI) usually takes less than 10 enforcement actions per year and they are always against large organizations. Also, the enforcement action is not criminal - it is a civil assessment/suit. An individual cruise passenger has nothing to worry about.

 

The cruise line/ship is another matter. Treasury has taken action against travel providers that violated the sanctions. Also, there is a provision in the sanctions to ban a ship from all US ports for 180 days if found to be transporting passengers or cargo in violation of the sanctions. Expect the cruise lines to protect themselves.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

As you point out the chance of enforcement against an individual is non-existant. US Treasury (not the FBI) usually takes less than 10 enforcement actions per year and they are always against large organizations. Also, the enforcement action is not criminal - it is a civil assessment/suit. An individual cruise passenger has nothing to worry about.

 

The cruise line/ship is another matter. Treasury has taken action against travel providers that violated the sanctions. Also, there is a provision in the sanctions to ban a ship from all US ports for 180 days if found to be transporting passengers or cargo in violation of the sanctions. Expect the cruise lines to protect themselves.

 

I see this as a very intelligent response.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I see this as a very intelligent response.

Thanks. RCI has updated their policies on Cuba visits. With some limited exceptions, RCI now requires passengers to take a full day RCI shore excursion. The policies go into effect with passengers boarding Empress of The Seas on Sunday 12 Nov for a Havana one day port call on Tuesday 14 Nov. More info at: http://www.royalcaribbean.com/cuba/faq/

 

The next Oceania ship scheduled to visit Cuba is the Insignia which boards in Miami on 14 Nov for a 15-16 Nov Havana port call. Insignia will overnight spending two full days in Havana. Perhaps we will get some reports from Insignia passengers.

 

These are the first two major cruise ships - leaving from a US port - to visit Cuba since the new restrictions were implemented.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Effective Thursday. Will be very unhappy if this impacts our scheduled Havana visit in December:

 

One of the biggest changes announced is to restrict "people-to-people" visas that thousands of Americans have used in recent years to easily travel to Havana and other cities in Cuba.

Under the Obama-era regulations, U.S. travelers could book a flight to Havana online, buy a people-to-people visa at the counter of a U.S. airport, and then head off on their trip. Now, those travelers will need to be accompanied by a U.S.-based tour guide who must ensure Americans are engaging in approved activities that help the Cuban people.

 

We are US citizens. Isn’t all the red tape and necessary fees taken care of by Oceania? We will be sailing to Cuba on Sirena, May 2018. We plan on taking only ship sponsored tours.

God, and Trump willing, Cuba will still be open to US citizens. :)

Edited by Kingofcool1947
Link to comment
Share on other sites

We are US citizens. Isn’t all the red tape and necessary fees taken care of by Oceania? We will be sailing to Cuba on Sirena, May 2018. We plan on taking only ship sponsored tours.

God, and Trump willing, Cuba will still be open to US citizens. :)

Maybe this should read god and Castro willing. He controls what goes on in Cuba.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Will the cruise companies give passengers a list of stores we are NOT to purchase from?

 

I don't want my small purchases confiscated by Customs because I've unknowingly enriched the govt or military.

 

Keep shop receipts to show at Customs that we neither ate or drank at the "bad" bars?

 

and finally, do we still have to keep a diary of what we did and keep it for 5 years?

 

The "Cuba Restricted List" can be found at:

 

https://www.state.gov/e/eb/tfs/spi/cuba/cubarestrictedlist/275331.htm

 

Historically the Cuba embargo has not been enforced by US Customs - rather by the Office of Foreign Assets Control, US Treasury. However, things are changing. Yes you are required to keep records and if you booked after June 16 you may have to have an escort. The situation is pretty confusing.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

So does Oceania take care of the necessary paperwork in order for PAX to debark in Cuba?

Yes, they would have to. And I am sure all will be O.K. for travel to Cuba. Too much else going on in the world for our government to have a real problem with Cuba.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Please sign in to comment

You will be able to leave a comment after signing in



Sign In Now
 Share

  • Forum Jump
    • Categories
      • Welcome to Cruise Critic
      • New Cruisers
      • Cruise Lines “A – O”
      • Cruise Lines “P – Z”
      • River Cruising
      • ROLL CALLS
      • Digital Photography & Cruise Technology
      • Special Interest Cruising
      • Cruise Discussion Topics
      • UK Cruising
      • Australia & New Zealand Cruisers
      • Canadian Cruisers
      • North American Homeports
      • Ports of Call
      • Cruise Conversations
×
×
  • Create New...