? - Cuba Sailings for Cuban Born Citizens

[cruzers j&n]

Hello,

 

We have been researching high and low for an answer and cannot get a consistent or reliable reply so am now turning to you CC experts. My husband is a US citizen but Cuban born (left Cuba in 1965), When the cruises opened up to Cuba, we thought this was the perfect solution given he was not interested in a land based 'People to People' exchange program...we would want some independent time to roam about freely and cruises seem to offer this combination. We cannot get a clear answer on whether he will be given 'trouble' by the Cuban Customs given that he is Cuban born.

 

We have consulted with various travel agents, the Cuban Consulate in Washington D.C., and also a third party visa provider (e.g., CIBT, It's Easy) and guess what? Yep, nobody has a definitive answer. We couldn't even get a straight answer out of the Consulate as it depends who you speak to. Incidentally, a rep from Viking Ocean told us that he would have no issues as he is a US citizen and would be covered in their group visa, however, our trusted TA has advised us not to go as she is very well aware that customs can give people a hard time if they choose to. :o

 

Since Frank del Rio is Cuban born, I would think that it should be ok for my husband to travel with Oceania since he out of all people would be familiar with all the legal visa formalities? Are there any other Cuban born US citizens that have cruised with Oceania (or other lines) that can share their experiences? I've been told that those that left between 1965-1968 are the ones that have the most difficulty gaining access, although I have no idea whether that is true or not.

 

Thanks in advance for any insights you can provide.

[CruisingRavyn]

I will start by saying I honestly have no clue and have no experience but my question would be what is his travel documentation? Does he have a US passport? If so does it mention where he was born? If not then how would they know he was Cuban born unless he tells them?

 

 

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[cruzers j&n]

Hi CruisingRaven - yes, he would be traveling w/a US passport so it would indicate that he was born in Havana. No way getting around that one!

[HELENPSL]

My SO was born in Cuba and we have been researching as well. We were told that Cuba had a "once a Cuban always a Cuban" policy and that it is still in effect. This means that although my SO is a US citizen he would have to go into Cuba with a Cuban passport. They don't take your US passport but they do issue you a Cuban passport. This is not something he is willing to do. I cannot find anything saying that the policy has changed.

 

 

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[LHT28]

on the FAQ's page there is a tab for CUBA in that link scroll down

 

Requirements for Travelers Born in Cuba

Guests born in Cuba who emigrated before January 1, 1971 and reside in a country outside of Cuba are required to carry either (i) a valid Cuban passport or (ii) a valid passport from your country of citizenship along with an HE-11 visa obtained from the Cuban embassy or consulate in your country of residency (except in those cases where such country has entered into a visa exemption agreement with Cuba) for entry to and departure from Cuba. The estimated processing time for an HE-11 visa is up to 60 days.

 

Guests born in Cuba who emigrated on or after January 1, 1971 and reside in a country outside of Cuba are required to carry a valid Cuban passport for entry to and departure from Cuba. These guests do not need a Cuban visa. The estimated processing time for a Cuban passport is up to 6 months.

 

Guests born in Cuba who require a visa or passport should contact the Cuban embassy or consulate in their country of residency. Those residing in the United States may contact the Cuban Embassy in Washington, DC:

 

Embassy of the Republic of Cuba

2630 16th Street NW

Washington, DC 20009

Website: http://www.cubadiplomatica.cu/sicw/EN/ConsularServices.aspx

Email: recepcion@usadc.embacuba.cu

Phone: (202) 797-8518 extension 600

 

https://www.oceaniacruises.com/faq/

[cruzers j&n]

@LHT28 - thanks for the info, this is EXACTLY what I was looking for. As always, I find your posts informative and helpful, so thank you, thank you! The odd thing is I searched Oceania's Cuba's FAQ and did not come across any of the info you posted so am grateful you posted.

 

@helenpsl - will report back on how we do on the visa situation. Let's keep our fingers crossed that one of these days we can get there!!

[Paulchili]

I do not have the answer but can relate an experience.

We visited Cuba a couple of years ago with the People to People program.

On the flight back to Miami there was a young man sitting next to me who was Cuban born and now was in the US Army. Before the plane took off they "deplaned" a person (do not know why) and that really scared my young neighbor. He hastily gave me his US contacts numbers in case they came for him next. Fortunately they did not and he was OK.

I do not know if this really helps you but he was Cuban born, now US citizen and was OK. I believe he said he came for a cousin's wedding.

[RachelG]

FDR was born in Cuba and is now a US citizen. He was ok to go back without any apparent problem as a tourist, so I am thinking your husband would be fine. Obviously FDR's visit was very high profile, so the Cuban government knew he was there and had been born in Cuba. Not like he was sneaking in under the radar.

[Queen of DaNile]

FWIW - Google the topic. Many reasons why Paulchili's seatmate might have been concerned.

"If you’re a Cuban American wanting to visit Cuba, be careful! The Cuban government could seize your U.S. passport, or even draft you or your children into the armed forces."

http://www.miamiherald.com/news/nation-world/world/americas/cuba/article76181562.html

 

https://www.local10.com/news/cuba/cuba-travel-requirements-for-cuban-americans

[Senior Citizen]

We went to Cuba in September 2015 with an authorized U.S. tour company. One lady on our tour was very concerned about going to Cuba because she was born there and left as a toddler. She did have to get special paperwork (see LHT28's post) and she was pulled into a private room for further questioning upon our arrival. She said it wasn't as bad as she feared. Her concern was a bit complicated because her mother, a "Max Factor girl," had dated Castro in college, thought he was a bit weird and ended up marrying one of his adversaries and that's why they fled. Our tour leader was born and raised in Havana until a teenager, when her family left, and her late husband had been imprisoned there for two years as a member of the Bay of Pigs invasion. Both ladies enriched our experience with their/their family's memories of a Cuba long gone.