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Cruising to Cuba???????

marco

By marco,
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marco

marco

Posted
Posted

I've posted this the other day on "Other Caribbean Ports" but have gotten no responses, so I'm posting here. If I took a Fred.Olsen or Thompson Cruise LIne or some other cruise line that regularly sailed to/from Barbados or some other not US port, and the cruise called at Havana, could I go? Would I not be permitted to take the cruise? Could I take the cruise and disembark like any non US citizen, Could I go, but would I have to stay on the ship whilst in Havana, or would the cruise line not accept me on the cruise to begin with, as I'm a US citizen? Now that traveling to Cuba seems to be permitted, as long as one meets specific guide lines, (several tour operators now offer tours to Cuba) would going on a cruise as above mentioned allow me to visit Cuba?

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cruiseryyc

cruiseryyc

Posted
Posted
Check with Jay Z and Bey to see if you can go with them next time :p

 

I have "heard" of US citizens flying to Canada and then taking a tour that originated there as a way to get to Cuba. Can't believe they wouldn't check your citizenship and deny you being able to book the trip.

 

It's not Cuba keeping you out, it's the US government. Many US citizens travel to Cuba via Canadian tours.

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John Bull

John Bull

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Hmmmm, you seem to be getting conflicting information on this thread. :confused:

 

As cruiseryyc's comment, the restrictions are imposed by the US govt, not the Cuban govt.

 

Last I knew, but it was a few years ago, Americans aren't permitted to travel direct from the US to Cuba or vice-versa, with a few exceptions such as slidergirl's post. Those exceptions have to be genuine, they can't simply be used as an excuse to circumvent the embargo.

 

But Americans certainly have been visiting Cuba, perfectly legally, via mainly Jamaica or Mexico. Not sure about Canada. I met a few on a flight from Jamaica - because of the cost/logistics they weren't just flying the dog-leg to avoid the restrictions, they were incorporating Cuba as a side trip while vacationing in Jamaica.

BTW, they were also chatting about smuggling a few Cuban cigars into the US. I very much doubt they did - smuggling Cuban cigars seems to be treated as a more serious crime than smuggling narcotics. :rolleyes:

 

I see no illegality in Americans visiting Cuba on a cruise ship.

But it might not be cost-effective - cruises by Thomson & Fred are usually sold as fly-cruises from the UK, using chartered aircraft. So it's possible that they're not sold as cruise-only, though an e-mail or two should answer that question.

BTW those cruise ships are also restricted by the US govt. Again I may be out-of-date here, but any cruise ship visiting Cuba is not allowed to visit a US port during the following six months. That time period is clearly intended to deter any cruise ship from visiting Cuba, and prevents Cuba from being included in cruises from US ports.

 

Cuba is a great island to visit, & very different to other Caribbean islands. Lots of Spanish colonial history & architecture, though rather run-down -whether that's because of the embargo or a lack of investment is a matter of conjecture. Havana's buildings have an air of "decayed decadence". Prices are low, the locals are very friendly & seem very happy. You might be surprised by the quality of health-care & education, way better than any other Caribbean island that I've visited with the possible exception of Martinique.

Havana especially is a mecca for antique auto buffs, with a great many American cars of the late '50s in regular service - due to restrictions on car ownership imposed by Castro, not the US embargo

 

The embargo, imposed when the Castro govt seized the assets of US corporations without compensation & way before the Bay of Pigs or the Cuban missile crisis, nowadays seems to be an archaic relic but is unlikely to be lifted until the Castro govt is history. When it's lifted I'm sure Cuba will be a very popular addition to Caribbean cruise itineraries, but IMHO as a consequence the island will also lose much of its unique character & could end up as "just another Caribbean island" full of McDonald's, Starbucks's, etc. So if you prefer to wait until travel to Cuba is easier, I suggest you get in quick, very shortly after the place is opened-up to Americans.

 

A word of warning. Feelings amongst some Americans run high, especially those with family connections to Cuba from pre-Castro days. I've seen threads like this descend into bad-tempered arguments & eventually being deleted by the moderators.

Fingers crossed that contributors keep to the point & avoid excessive political rhetoric ;).

 

All just my own experience & opinion.

 

JB :)

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Keith1010 "Live from...." Rare

Keith1010

Posted
Posted

The restrictions are imposted by the United States.

 

I really do not see this changing at least until Castro is not longer alive.

 

Someday travel will be permitted and when that happens it will be a popular destination of the cruise lines.

 

Keith

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JustCruiseMe

JustCruiseMe

Posted
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Assuming you would get booked...

I believe that the Cuban immigration people, aware of what would happen to a US citizen, add a piece of paper to the passport for their stamp, that is easily removed once leaving.

My past research also stated this and they actually KNOW not to stamp your passport.

 

I really would like to go before it becomes commercialized.

 

I do remember reading about going from Canada that it is a fairly popular destination for Canadians.

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cruisemom42 Great Review Rare

cruisemom42

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I also really want to go to Cuba before it becomes more commercialized. (It is already some ways there....Americans tend not to realize that other nationalities have been visiting and vacationing in Cuba for some time now.)

 

But I would not circumvent the law to go there. We now have opportunities to go to Cuba via some very good educational programs. Several top tour companies offer these, and I intend to take one in the very near future.

 

It's my understanding (from reading a lot on various board about Cuba options) that Fred Olsen or Thompson would take your reservation with no problem and that Cuba would let you in. And in actuality, you are not technically breaking the US law by visiting Cuba, the restriction is that you are not allowed to spend any money there. Presumably, if you went on a cruise, took a ship tour where everything is paid for in advance, and did not spend any money yourself on Cuban soil, you MIGHT be able to say you did nothing wrong.

 

On the other hand, while that might satisfy the letter of the law, I doubt that it is the intent of the law and you might (if you are very unlucky and the US government was feeling it needed to set an example, which it does from time to time) be liable to whatever penalties or punishments are associated.

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smeyer418

smeyer418

Posted
Posted (edited)

There are many US companies that have obtained licenses for tours from the US to Canada for educational purposes. Getting a license is relatively simple now and many travel companies have gotten them. The sanctions are however still in effect. The chances of you getting arrested if you go illegally are pretty small unless you are organizing trips to Cuba which violate the rules. The chances of getting a large fine are much better.

 

http://www.treasury.gov/resource-center/sanctions/Programs/Pages/cuba.aspx

 

You ARE breaking the rules by just visiting....

 

 

"Unless authorized by a general or specific license, any person subject to U.S. jurisdiction who engages in any Cuba travel-related transactionviolates the Regulationsand may be subject to

penalties" from http://www.treasury.gov/resource-center/sanctions/Programs/Documents/cuba.pdf

Edited by smeyer418
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jamessemaj

jamessemaj

Posted
Posted (edited)

Just goggle "Cuba tours from US" to find companies who offer tours from the US. They have a special license issued by the State Dept. to conduct "cultural tours". The prohibition of spending money is waived for these tours. The group program must be adhered to, so it's not the same as individual travel and it is much more expensive than you would be able to do on your own if there were no restrictions. Also, there are special exemptions for American who have relatives in Cuba. That segment is not as restricted as the rest of Americans. Otherwise, there is no legal alternative for Americans, not on a cruise, and not traveling from Canada or another country. Some Americans do risk it, and Cuba will issue a separate visa slip rather than a passport stamp, but it is still illegal for Americans. I have not heard of any prosecution for this. My next thoughts would enter the political realm, so I will defer.

Edited by jamessemaj
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John Bull

John Bull

Posted
Posted

 

You ARE breaking the rules by just visiting....

 

 

Yes, I've done some web-hunting & my previous post was incorrect in this respect :o.

Although many many US citizens travel to Cuba via places like Mexico & Jamaica and the risks of a prosecution are minimal, the only strictly legal way for vacationers is with the sort of tour/licence described by other posters.

 

JB :)

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marco

marco

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Thank you all for your input. I know there are several companies that offer tours to Cuba from the US (Vantage, I know offers them....I've gotten their brochure, and it's air from Miami, you don't have to go to Canada to get there). As far as the passport thing, anytime we've stopped at any island that is not a US territory, we've never had to carry or show our passports to anyone, just to get back into the US. ANd I know it would a different itinerary as I'm aware that a ship calling in Cuba could not call at any US port for 6 mos. I think I'll just contact Olsen and Thompson and see what the deal is.

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  • 6 months later...
Hlitner "Live from...." Rare

Hlitner

Posted
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Quite a few US citizens go to Cuba via Canada or Mexico. It has been reported that the Cuban government is quite cooperative and does not stamp your passport, but one would have to do some research to find out the latest on this issue.

 

Hank

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alexspepa

alexspepa

Posted
Posted
If it is against our law, we need to not break the law.

 

Keith

 

With all due respect from one Keith to another, I could not disagree more with you on this one.

 

I am a big USMNT soccer fan - I know that when we played Cuba in Havana during qualifying some US fans did indeed make the journey to Cuba, and attended the game wearing their American Outlaw (a supporters group) bandanas around their faces so they would not be recognized via the television broadcast.

 

Pretty sad that fans traveling to support their National Soccer team had to resort to such - but I am proud of them for doing so.

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