BootsnAll Travel Community

has anyone been to cuba? i yes was it difficult to travel there....how problematic is it for a us citizen to go to cuba? for vacation perhaps?

Been there, going back in April, sailing from Great Inagua in the Bahamas. VERY dicey at the moment-don't get a Cuba stamp in your passport whatever you do. I know two people who were fined close to $25k apiece for going there against US travel policy.

Ahhhh Cuba. One of my favorite subjects...especially on this board bc most people haven't a clue, which provides me with endless chuckles as I muddle through their posts.

Usually at this point, I redirect those who are truly interested to go to Thorn Tree bc that's where the latest greatest information on Cuba is....including Americans traveling to Cuba...and those who have done so recently, like since Castro put the kibosh on the Benjamins. But in an effort to build up this board with accurate information, here goes:

First off, asking Americans 'who has been to Cuba' is asking those who have done so illegally to rat themselves out. Not the best idea, since yes...if you're not so bright, there is a monetary penalty which could be imposed by the Office of Foreign Assets Control...a branch of the US Department of the Treasury. And the statute of limitations is 5 long years.

B. If you wish to travel to Cuba as a US citizen or permanent resident, there are two ways to do it: legally with a license or illegally without a license.

Obtaining a license is an arduous and infinitely lengthy task designed to wear you down and ultimately deter you from going. Your declaration of the purpose for your trip to be a 'vacation' automatically eliminates you from the running. You would have to be a journalist, humanitarian, student, anti-Castro sharpshooter, etc.

Those who travel with a license fly from the US...usually from Miami to Havana on daily charter flights and less frequently from Newark and LA.

99.9% of the Americans who travel to Cuba do so without a license for myriad reasons. Those who do must travel through a gateway country...usually Mexico, Canada or the Bahamas. And 99.9% of them don't get caught.

Did I lose you yet? Hope not. This part is important...pay attention. (Hint: It's all about the passport, or lack thereof!!)

Why a gateway country? Bc the US cannot control you when you're in a gateway country, number one. And number two, until 12/31/06, you are allowed to enter said gateway country via air with your certified birth certificate and valid driver's license.

After 12/31/06, the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative will kick into gear, which means that you will need your passport to fly into and out of those gateway countries.

Why does that matter? Bc if you do this properly, you will not trigger suspicion from US Immigration & Customs bc you will be using your BC&DL to get into Mexico and then to get back into the US. (After all, only about 20% of Americans have a passport.)

US officials are less inclined to think that you've done something fishy...like trading-with-the-enemy-fishy if you use your BC&DL instead of your passport.

If you just use your passport and no BC&DL, you will inevitably have 2 Mexico et al entry stamps and will have to explain why you left Mexico and came back in short order. Have fun with that. Note to self: lying to US Customs/Immigration=felony.

For the record, Cuba does NOT stamp passports from any country and has not done so in 3 years. They stamp your Cuban Tourist Card only. If you request a stamp on your passport, the agent may or may not oblige...most likely they'll look at you with their 'that's so 90s' look.

If you bother to click on the link below about those who have been fined, you will notice that they're nearly all from the gateways of Canada and the Bahamas. This is most likely bc those countries participate in a dreaded practice called 'US Customs Pre-clearance'...something that Mexico does not do...you connect those dots.

BTW, the Cuban government LOVES for Americans to travel to Cuba. They like to stick it to the American government any way they can. And the Cubans themselves will not treat you with hostility either.

So what happens if you get caught? Practically nothing thanks to the war on terror and Cheney's hair trigger.

The facts about the fines:

You have to be pretty stupid to incur a fine and you have to be really stupid to pay more than ~$1000-$2000. But don't listen to me, go straight to the horse's mouth for the FACTS, not supposition.

Each month, OFAC whips out their abacus, carries the one and makes public record the number of people who have settled & paid the fine in the form of a PDF file like this most recent one from 2/3/06.

If you go back and read the statistics from 2003 all the way through time until last week, the average fine is a little more than $1000.

How to avoid the drama in the first place...don't bring back souvenirs...this includes loose Cuban Peso change, baggage claim receipts, boarding passes, cigars, cigars, cigars, or your 'I Heart Che' t-shirt made in the republic formerly known as Russia...don't put 'Cuba' on the list of countries you just visited, and for the love of Pete, if pulled over for questioning/searching, know your rights and Plead the 5th!!

If you screw up, DO NOT CONFESS AND SIGN ANYTHING THEY GIVE TO YOU AT THE AIRPORT!!!!! Go home and wait for your certified letter from OFAC and get ready to type up your fabulous response letter... bc if you don't respond within the allotted time, then you really do get slapped with a fine to the tune of $10,000.

Having said that...experiencing Cuba while Castro's still at the helm is living history and well worth the $1000, which you're not going to get in the first place.

So in conclusion, to answer all of your questions...yes, tons of Americans go each year to Cuba without difficulty or problematic scenarios. And while you can go there just to vacation, go there to really experience all that is CUBA.

wow! um thanks for all the insight unspecifiedgender.....i was looking along the lines of going there the legal way and from what you stated it's more of a pain than it's really worth. thanx.

Gaia- You live in Florida. Why would think it was legal (as in "permitted by the govt.) to go to Cuba? Just wondering......

b/c i know plenty of people that have gone there and were not students and since i didn't want to be nosy and ask details and since they didn't furbish them i though i'd ask. please excuse my ignorance seasoned travellers. but the only way to know is to ask.

quote:

Originally posted by gaia:
wow! um thanks for all the insight unspecifiedgender.....i was looking along the lines of going there the legal way and from what you stated it's more of a pain than it's really worth. thanx.

You're welcome.

Chances are with you being in South Florida and all, those you know who go to Cuba have what OFAC classified as 'members of your immediate family' still in Cuba and are also allowed to apply for a license for restricted travel.

If that's not the case, then they could've hopped on a plane to Cancun and made their connection to Havana from there and just kept it on the down low. You can pick up a package deal for a couple hundred bucks on the ground in Cancun (3nights/2 days). But those utilize Cubana airlines, which are death traps in the making. I wouldn't do it. You're much safer with Mexicana.

If you do go, make sure you stow away $25CUC (~$30USD) for the departure tax. You will not be allowed to leave the country unless you have that shiny sticker on your boarding pass. And they only accept CUC (convertible pesos). But there is a handy booth right next to the departure tax booth and you can exchange your USD there. No credit, no debit.

I've also met non Cubans who went down there for humanitarian reasons. They told me it is not illegal to visit Cuba. It is only illegal to spend money on the economy (yes, it sounds stupid to me also!). Therefore, if you are 100% sponsored (have free rm/board and don't bring money). So just find out what you can do under this category. In the case of the guys I was talking to, they were Jews helping to restore one of the 3 synogues in Havana for the local Jewish community.

quote:

Originally posted by Viaggero:
Therefore, if you are 100% sponsored (have free rm/board and don't bring money). So just find out what you can do under this category.

Nope...this used to be the case. However effective 6/30/04, the 'fully hosted travel' clause was removed.

'OFAC is removing the language regarding fully-hosted travel from the CACR and is thereby eliminating any authorization of fully-hosted travel.

Section 515.201(b)(1) on dealing in property to include a prohibition on the receipt of goods or services in Cuba when those goods or services are provided free-of-charge, whether received as a gift from the Government of Cuba, a national of Cuba, or a third-country national, unless otherwise authorized by an OFAC general or specific license. See, e.g., Section 515.560(a) of the CACR. Amended Section 515.420 also explains that payment for air travel to Cuba on a third-country carrier, which involves property in which Cuba has an interest (for example, because the carrier will pass a portion of the payment on to Cuba), is now prohibited unless the travel is pursuant to an OFAC general or specific license.'

Hi.
I live in Havana, Cuba.
Any info you need from here, just let me know.
Best regards.

Hi,

I am flying to Jamaica in the middle of next week. Are there any ferries from Jamaica to Cuba as flight cost more than the one from chicago to Jamaica.

Thanks, Indre

Thanks unspecifiedgender, No one has said it clearer than that. I saved this link to my bookmarks and give it to anyone who wants in to Cuba.
Cheers.

yvw.

Unspecified gender - enjoyed looking at your post about traveling to Cuba (very informative). I'm think about flying to Cuba at the end of a trip to South America that begins in Argentina and ends in Venezuela (about 3 months) before going to Cuba afterwards for a month or two (as long as I can afford it). I wanted to ask you a couple of questions regarding using a gateway country. Do you know or see any problems with using Venezuela (i.e. do you know, offhand, if I'll need to use a passport there? I'll look into this myself of course as well). Also, you said, "until 12/31/06, you are allowed to enter said gateway country via air with your certified birth certificate and valid driver's license." If I flew into VZ using my bc/dl before 12/31/06, stayed a month or so, then flew into Cuba and returned after 12/31/06 into VZ I'm assuming I would be OK, although it may appear strange to the U.S. customs that I spent so much time in whatever country preceded VZ, which is where I was last stamped. Do you have any thoughts on this?

UnspecifiedGender, you seem to know a lot about Cuba, I'm planning on travelling there but know that I will be going after the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative comes into affect, what is the best gateway country to go to, and how should I handle customs? Should I put Cuba on the countries I visited? What if they think i'm lying?

Bounce: You need to use your passport for Venezuela...I'd just spend the extra dollars and fly out of Cancun. It's so much easier.

Willie: Putting Cuba on your customs form is just asking for a strip search & fine. The best gateway country is still Mexico bc there is no pre-clearance.

Does anyone know a flight search engine that will allow Cuba as a destination? I usually use Orbitz or Kayak, and they say no flights are available (I'm assuming cuz they're American companies.) Since I'm in Europe, I've been pricing directly through Iberia, which yields pretty good prices, but I like to shop around.

Opodo will.

quote:

Originally posted by nerokerr:
Does anyone know a flight search engine that will allow Cuba as a destination? I usually use Orbitz or Kayak, and they say no flights are available (I'm assuming cuz they're American companies.) Since I'm in Europe, I've been pricing directly through Iberia, which yields pretty good prices, but I like to shop around.

www.expedia.ca -- Canadian, obviously, but you can choose international departure countries.

So... when you book a flight with a credit card, what information does the CC company actually get? I don't have to worry about the gateway country issue, but all my credit cards are American... could this be problematic booking a flight to Cuba on one?