Can anyone share information about a vacation to Cuba?

Sure you can, if you go via Mexico, Cuban immigration wont stamp your passport, so no trace, go, i highly recommend it!

@mammal Thanks, anything in particular you recommend about it?

@mammal Why won’t their passport be stamped?

I think we should be able to travel to Cuba, but that is besides the point, why risk it? Plenty of places in the carribean you can go to. Miami has practically as many Cubans as Cuba, you can get all the Cuban coffee, lechon asado, and tostones you could ever want. I guess I am not a risk taker. Technically I don’t think it is illegal for Americans to be in Cuba, but we are not supposed to spend money on Cuban products. Something like that?

@JLeslie Regulation does not limit travel of US Citizens to Cuba per se, but it makes it illegal for US Citizens to have transactions (spend money or receive gifts) in Cuba, under most circumstances. The regulations require that persons subject to U.S. jurisdiction be licensed in order to engage in any travel-related transactions pursuant to travel to, from, and within Cuba. Transactions related solely to tourist travel are not licensable.”

Source

I talked to a woman recently who went to Cuba and stayed for a bit, she seemed to really enjoy it but I got the feeling it wasn’t your typical vacation. She described the cities as kind of overgrown small towns, if that makes sense. Some things don’t work quite right and you’ll have a well maintained area that’s being used every day right next to an area that’s run down and seems uninhabited. She took some great photos and said she never felt unsafe so I think it’s probably a good bet if that sounds like your sort of thing.

As far as flights, it looks like cubajet.com wants your dollars (and their site is in English), but you probably won’t find flights on Expedia or Southwest. (“flights to cuba” on google turns up some good results to check out)

I’m not sure what the actual risks would be, I can’t imagine there’s a lot of enforcement if you want to bring back some knick-knacks or photos. If you try to bring back cigars, liquor, or set up some sort of profitable trade I’m sure someone might be a little harsher but I don’t think they have any reason on either side to harass you for a visit.

If you go I hope you’ll give us the full report. I’ve always wanted to check it out myself, in my head I always imagine it being like the Galapagos for people and having this small isolated population that’s evolved since the 50’s. I know that’s the not the case, but I think the history is really interesting.

I know many Americans who have gone to Cuba on behalf of their state governments. In 2000, a federal law started allowing medical and agricultural exports to Cuba. Journalists and relatives of Cuban nationals can visit Cuba and vice versa. There are all kinds of professionals like researchers, religious groups and others who can travel to Cuba despite the embargo.

Hm that is interesting about the passport stamping. I saw that on a website too. If that’s the case, will it work for my friend to renew her visa? She’s an American living in Mexico for the year on a tourist visa, so she needs to get re-stamped. I guess not. We’ll go for fun, anyway.

You can’t search for flights because there’s a travel restriction imposed on you by your government. Last I heard, you can’t legally go there unless you obtain prior permission, and there is a short list of criteria that allow legal travel. Last I heard, that Cuba won’t stamp your passport is true if you’re offering a bribe and luck is on your side. More recently Obama made it easier for people living in the U.S. who have family in Cuba to travel between but this does not help the majority of Americans. If you are going to go, make sure you read applicable law and be prepared to deal with the consequences of your actions. There have been people that have served jail time for violating the restriction. If you want to find flights, you’ll need to search non-American airlines!

You can fly out of three airports in the US to Cuba now. I don’t think Obama had anything to do with that. That was before his election. Miami, Los Angeles and New York City offer authorized charters to Cuba. The airport service is expanding to allow charter services to any international airport with “proper customs and immigration facilities as long as licensed travel agencies ask to run charters from the airport,” a story in the HuffPo said.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/01/14/obama-cuba-travel-restrictions_n_809408.html

I know people who do business in Cuba, and they don’t speak very highly of it. My husband’s cousins could not wait to leave. Although, I know Canadians who have been on vacation to Cuba, and they seemed to enjoy themselves.

@bkcunningham I think it was during Bush Sr, (I could be wrong about which president, because my mind is like a sieve) people could travel from the US for a few years, we had non-stop flights out of Miami, maybe some other airports. I had coworkers at the time who took advantage of it. One had a brother she had not seen in 40 years fly here. He could only come alone, no other family member could go with him. And, the other, her mother went to Cuba to visit relatives she had not seen in 40 years.

@bkcunningham Now I am thinking it must have been during Clinton, because I know what department I was working. Well, it could have started under Bush? And, ended under Clinton? Crap, now I am curious and need to look it up.

Wikipedia says:

In the 1990s special charter flights were approved by the US government to operate from Miami to José Martí for Cuban citizens living in the United States that have close relatives in Cuba. Today, various airlines operate non-stop service between Havana and Miami, including American Eagle Airlines, Gulfstream International Airlines, and several others.

And

Terminal 2 opened on 15 November 1988 primarily for direct flights to the United States and charter flights. Ten years later on 27 April 1998, the new international terminal 3 was opened

There are daily shuttle flights out of Mexico City and Cancun in Yucatan. I usually stay with friends, but if I were to stay in Havana, I would take a hotel near the Presidential Palace or in old town. Check the Floridiana. Your best practical references are the taxi drivers which you can hire for the day after a little negotiation. The cabbies are also the best bankers – ever ready to give excellent black market exchange rates for western currencies far and above what the banks give. There is also a flight that leaves everyday at 12 noon from Nassau, Bahamas to Havana and returns everyday at 5pm, but the Cancun flight is safer. Either way, you eventually must return to the states, so come back clean of any Cuban product right down to the hotel soap. Leave the cigars and the Añejo rum behind.

Before I go, I make a trip to Walmart and fill a gym bag full of hygiene items like tooth brushes, toothpaste, hair brushes, combs, deoderant, etc. Alberto VO5 products are really popular for some reason. These gifts will come in handy, especially in the countryside. The Cubans are an educated, passionate people who love their country and their rich culture and are eager to share with those visitors who are truly interested.

If you get caught by the American authorities on your re-entry to the US, they will simply write you up and give you a paper that says you must call the Treasury Dept number within a certain amount of time. When you make the call, after a long interview, you will be told to write out a detailed itinerary of every single place you spent money during your stay in Cuba—they will want names, places of busnesses, restaraunts, taxi companies and driver’s names, the kiosk you bought a candy bar at, and on and on and on. You will be told that you could be fined up to $10,000 depending on what you did in Cuba and the veracity of your trip log. It’s a form of harassment. I know two people that have gone through this process. One paid nothing and the other was able to get off with paying $4,500. Both were first offenders. The one who got nailed for the fine was caught with a box of Cohiba El Presidentes. The one that got off with a warning and a little harassment, came back with her bags clear of all Cuban products.

Just a couple of weeks ago, the rules were loosened up a bit, but I think this concerns only people with family ties to Cuban nationals. The U. S. Treasury Department is the agency that handles Cuban travel visas and enforce restrictions and their site is the place to review the new changes.

@Espiritus_Corvus Yeah, that is what we always talked about, that families should be able to see each other. That is what we hated the most about not allowing flights or travel in general to Cuba.

@JLeslie
Yes, I agree. This has gone on way to long. These people know their great uncles and third cousins as intimately as I know my sister’s kids, for chrissake. These were very tight, extended families that have been kept apart for nearly three generations. That’s three generations of babies and marriages, the passing of parents and grandparents. It’s really tragic. The stories are heartbreaking.

@Espiritus_Corvus I think it was Cuba that did not allow more than one person travel at a time to the US from a family? I was told they only allowed one member, so they are more likely to return. Or, do you think it was the US who would not grant the Visa for more than one member? Once here, they can ask for asylum. We could have a big influx if Cubans are allowed to come here. I know we are primarily talking about Americans going there, but Cubans would want to come here too; even if just to visit.

Restrictions on Cuban emmigration to the US are enforced by the Castro government. After 1959, Castro disenfranchized the Cuban middleclass which then attempted to flee to the US and other countries en masse. This was a grave embarrassment and a brain drain, so visas became hard to get. With the assistance of UNICEF, Red Cross, the Catholic Church (The Pedro Pan Project) and many other organizations both stateside and underground in Cuba, people were able to permanently “visit” non-existent relatives in Miami for the first few years. There were even annual sailing regattas dating as far back as the 1920s between Florida and Cuba that weren’t shut down for years that became fronts for smuggling people out. People were able to get through in the beginning, but with increasing difficulty.

Restrictions on non-familial American nationals spending American currency on Cuban soil are enforced by the U. S. Department of the Treasury.

When it comes to Cuban immigration, the US favors the Cuban national with the most liberal of policies. All they have to do is get one dry foot on one of our beaches and they are in.

@Espiritus_Corvus I was just talking about during the 90’s when there were direct flights.

I’ve never heard of any non-chartered, direct flights from US soil direct to Cuban airspace, or vice-versa, for regular citizens or non-government Cuban nationals. There was a regularly scheduled weekly flight that flew directly from Miami International to Havana during the first Reagan administration, but that was Air America and I would hardly consider them regular citizens.

As far as I know, except for the massive Mariel Boatlift fiasco in the early 1980s, we don’t hinder Cuban refugees from entering the US, we seem encourage them. This has been a bone of contention with other refugee groups in this country, especially the Haitians.

@Espiritus_Corvus We monitor the waters and do our best to make sure they don’t make it to shore. Once on shore we have to give them asylum.

You’re right, the USCG doesn’t help much, do they? But if I was a refugee and I made it to a Florida beach, I’d sure as hell rather be Cuban than Haitian. That a very schitzy policy. I wonder what that’s about.

@Espiritus_Corvus Oh, and I actually have no idea if there were regularly scheduled flights. I only know personally of the one person who flew out to see relatives, and the one that flew here. It was during the time that they were allowed to fly, and then the US government shut down giving permission.

@Espiritus_Corvus Sure, that I agree. Better to be Cuban than Hatian, Mexican, Colombian, and on and on. Because Cubans get asylum, but only if they make it to shore. I think there was some recent debate as to what qualifies as shore. I guess maybe they were questioning if you have to be completely on dry land or what? Not sure. I know you bring up the Haitians, because that is the other significant group of people coming into Florida.

The policy is political. The Cubans are communist. We used to let Soviets defect to the US also under asylum. I would guess we give asylum to other people also, not just people coming from communist countries. I don’t know enough about it. Needless to say, it is not really based on need or oppression or poverty a lot of the time. It can be given in cases of persecution where a persons life is in jeopardy. Again, from what I understand Asylum is political. But, I am fairly ignorant on the topic.

Yeah. Back to the Cuban thing… I really can’t understand why the US can’t remove the embargo. After perestroika, Castro got real liberal with allowing foreign investment by Asian, European, and Canadian corporations. I mean, they’re everywhere and quickly changing the face of Havana and other cities. And it’s quite hypocritical that we supposedly can’t get involved in this capitalist venture, but we do, via our foreign subsidiaries. It’s really crazy, I don’t understand why we still have the embargo.

The Chinese are communist as well, but we have no travel restrictions to China. We are even willinng to sell them 25% of our debt. We lost 58,000 guys fighting Ho Chi Minh, but we are at this very moment considering Most Favored Nation status to communist Viet Nam. No, the communist argument doesn’t fly too well, does it?

@Espiritus_Corvus I agree with all of your points. It isn’t logical considering who we trade with. The tricky part is the Cuban-American voters, they don’t want to give anything to Castro, and Florida is a swing state.

I see the Cuban voter changing. The old, bitter ones are dying off. Their sons and daughters have grown up with the anger and hostility and have seen the results of these policies from a completely different viewpoint. I think there will be a day, very soon, when our politicians are going to totally misread that demographic. The kids are growing up with a softer approach to the old country. Castro is on his last leg and they don’t seem to fear Raoul as much as his brother. The grandkids are even more so. It also seems that as they get farther away from Miami, they get farther away from that old bitterness. This is evident in the big political difference between Cuban enclaves of Tampa and Miami.

I need to sign off soon, L.

@Espiritus_Corvus I agree with that too. Although, Rubio sure had no problem getting elected.

It’s true that Rubio came out of that MIami culture, but you know what? I really don’t think they elected him. His backing came from white bread Republicans, vanilla suburbanites, and the tea Party. All the Cubans I know are JFK-type liberals—these are the sons and daughters of the refugees. The refugees are now in their 70s and 80s.

I need to call it a night, Leslie. I would like to do this again soon. I’ve enjoyed this.

@Espiritus_Corvus OK :)

All of the older Cubans I know are Republicans. Many of the Cubans 40 and younger are Dems, but not all. I think we agree. The older religious Latin Americans in Florida from other countries also are Republican a lot of the time.

Really? I always had the idea that they bent toward a kind of liberation catholicism. Strong family values with a strong mix of social responsibility, greater good, leave it a better place than you found it type thing. But I guess it depends on the class of Latin American we’re talking about. My contact is with the menial laborer more than the South Beach crowd.

@Espiritus_Corvus Thank you for the tips! Great Answer.

@JLeslie They don’t stamp your passport, because that would incriminate US citizens on their return, Americans are welcomed in Cuba, it never ceases to amaze me how docile and Compliant Americans are with regards to this draconian travel restriction, nobody seems bothered. Everyone else can travel there but Americans, it’s pretty bizarre. But then again, i’m not convinced a massive influx of American tourism would be overly wholesome.

@sliceswiththings Cuba is a beautiful culture and a stimulating break from the horrors of ubiquitous commercialisation..

@Espiritus_Corvus I find it depends regarding the other Latin Americans. My husband’s family, they are Mexican, generally are Democrats. My Venezuelan friends, who are very educated and generally part of our upper middle class, generally identify Democrat also, except all this crap with Chavez, and government takeover, they seem to have their ears open to the rights constant chant of the Dems being big government and socialist leaning. My ex from years past, his family is Ecuadorian, and they are Republicans, annoyingly so, more accurately right wing, but you are correct Catholic, not “Christian.” They do not have higher educations, but are very successful in business and make very good money, and are part of the upper middle class here. What I find interesting is most, especially the Cubans, but also the South Americans I know, do not think of themselves as minorities, so that part of the Democratic party, the side that embraces minorities, is not compelling to them. Mexicans I find to be different, especially with all the recent crap with immigration. Anyway, those are my personal observations, based on a small unscientific sample of people.

@sliceswiththings

Here’s the latest Treasury Dept. OFAC updates on Cuba.

If I was traveling as you describe, I would look into the International Youth Hostel site, then the Cuban Youth Hostel site. Google brings up a lot of sites, but I’m getting a lot of 404s. You might have better luck. It’s a great way to travel on a budget and meet other travelers. And it will get you out of Havana and into the countryside.

Good Luck!

@JLeslie
I think that is an accurate description of my experiences as well. And now that I think of it (and have had some sleep) I know of a few who are liberal in every way, but won’t bend an inch on abortion—and therefore vote straight Republican.

@JLeslie do you speak Spanish?

@mammal Sí. Más or menos. Why do you ask?

@Espiritus_Corvus Interestingly, some of the most opinionated older Latin Americans I know, especially about being hard right on social issues, aren’t citizens, so in the end it doesn’t matter. No vote. I can honestly say I am not sure how my MIL would vote if she was able to. She is a religious Catholic, she hated Bush for many things, she is horrified by the anti-Mexican feeling she gets from the media. If she was able to vote, and really listened to the various issues, not sure. I have never talked about abortion or gay marriage with her. She has a gay son, but I know women with gay children who are still against gay marriage. I know my husband’s family when they moved to America, they were taken aback by how much the government is in someone’s private business. His mom is a typical Catholic in that she never preaches to anyone, never wears her religion on her sleeve. All of her children are Democrats, and liberal in the traditional sense of the word and the current usage. Although her daughter, my SIL, who generally can’t stand the Republicans, was fine with the AZ law to try to enforce their borders.

The Cuban ex-pat Miami gang of losers, are sick with spite, they have an agenda that is vengeance driven, it sours their politics and they drive each subsequent generation nuts or suicidal with their poisonous drivel. They lost, the revolution won, move on. The communists did this, Ché did that, Castro took my slave plantation away or shut down my Bordello, they’ve squandered their lives choking bitterly on a sense of injustice that no-one really gives a damn about, except the Republicans who have cynically milked every last vote out of them. Silly really, i almost feel pity for them, nobody likes a sore loser. i know Cuba pretty well and you can’t even believe they share the same ethnicity. i believe there is a University in Miami or somewhere in Florida that is corrupted to the core by extreme right wing politics, that’s how far the politics of hatred have penetrated, even into the heart of the great academic institutions. Absolutely pitiful.

@mammal There is a very present Jewish community in southeast FL, mostly reformed, that balances things out, they are very liberal and Democrats (something like 10% of the total population, but as high as 25% in some cities like Boca Raton, and Jews tend to vote). The three counties, Miami-Dade, Broward, and Palm Beach, tend to go blue, even with so many Cubans populating the area. The older Cubans hold onto hating Kennedy, accusing him of backroom deals with Castro, and not caring or fighting for the Cuban people. But, the younger generatioj are generally assimilated, just like any other second or thrid generation immigrant group, and America is their country. To help with the liberalism in that part of the country is an influx of people from many countries and parts of the US, and not to mention a very large gay population. The overwhelming feeling in southeast Florida is not Conservative, except in pockets.

Mark Rubio’s debut action in the senate just put the latest OFAC changes in jeopardy. There will be a lot of pissed off Cubans in Tampa tonight. What a jerk.

@JLeslie Still a swing state though, i don’t know it at all, so i’ll take your word on the demographics, that’s interesting about the Jewish community, and heartening.

“Increasing direct commercial or charter aircraft flights with state sponsors of terrorism is totally irresponsible and would amount to unilateral gifts to tyrants and regimes that actively undermine America’s security,” he said in a statement Monday. Mark Rubio sounds like a denialist, i’d call him a propagandist, except for propaganda to be effective it needs to at least have within it an modicum of truth. It is a disgrace that a democracy generates public servants/ Senators that can lie openly and with complete confidence.

Marco Rubio’s stance and passion on the subject comes from the fact that his parents are Cuban exiles.