Tougher to travel to Cuba

[GeoPatSK Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close GeoPatSK]

Dozens of Florida-based travel agencies have sued the state trying to block a new law that would make it harder to book trips to Cuba.

The law, that takes effect on July 1st, would force the agencies to post a $250,000 state bond if they book tours to Cuba. The bond pays for investigating the agencies to make sure they don't violate federal law regarding trade with Cuba.

Cuba travel law stirs debate - 06/29/2008 - MiamiHerald.com

[ArtsieAng Super Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close ArtsieAng]

What do I know. I didn't even think we were able to travel to Cuba. Do they have timeshares there?

[Fern Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Fern]

Angela,
You probably aren't able to legally travel to Cuba, but some people are. If you were to join an escorted educational group tour of certain types you might be able to go. Your fees for everything would be prepaid (including food) and you wouldn't be allowed to spend dollars there.

If you are a Cuban emigre, you would be allowed to go home to Cuba to visit family every so often (I don't remember how often, but think in terms of years, not months).

There are probably other classes of legal tourism, but I can't think of them right now. I do know that when I was in Jamaica there were all sorts of billboards advertising trips to Cuba. The prohibition against going there is from our government, not theirs. If you go from Jamaica or Cancun the Cubans won't stamp your passport.

I know some of the Canadians on TUG (and probably here) have been to Cuba legally, as their country has no such prohibition.

Fern

[bezerk Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close bezerk]

You can travel from any part of Mexico to Cuba, they do not stamp your passport...

I too was or am under the inpression that you cannot travel to Cuba from the US....

[mas Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close mas]

A while back I was looking at bike tours of Cuba. There is a lot of info for Cuban travel at Cuba Travel agency Cubalinda.com: flights, hotels, cars, vacation packages, transfers, scuba diving, and maps.

[Beaglemom3 Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Beaglemom3]

A few years ago I was writing a scholarly paper and was going to go on a medical/educational tour of Cuba with Madre.
org (MADRE: An International Women's Human Rights Organization ) and was not able to go due to the current policy on travel to Cuba. We were not allowed to go and if we did, we were "to deal with the consequences".


From the site: New US-Cuba Policies | MADRE: An International Women's Human Rights Organization
Educational Travel: All US organizations that had information-gathering or people-to-people licenses have lost their licenses over the past few months or, as is the case with MADRE, been issued restricted licenses that permit only staff or paid consultants of the organization to travel to Cuba for work related to the organization. MADRE therefore can no longer lead our twice-yearly delegations to Cuba, nor can we allow qualified groups to travel using our license. These restrictions severely reduce the number of people who can travel legally to Cuba and limit essential, enriching contact that builds bridges between Cubans and people from the US.

[brother coony Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close brother coony]

Its a shame,this it our neighbor, but you can travel to Iraq no problem,Just a warning thet its dangerous,
Make you wonder what is our goverment thinking Cuba has never bother us in 50 yrs, yea they did toss out the mob 50 yrs ago, but come on, they deserve it

[ricki999 Member Find all posts View Profile Close ricki999]

info from state department on cuba

Cuba

[GrayFal Silver Contributor and supermoderator Find all posts View Profile Close GrayFal]

I know a group went from my area every year thru the local church youth group - sponsored by a missionary group....this was 1999-2003 that I am aware of - they had been doing the trip for many years...

[bevvy5 Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close bevvy5]

It's a very popular travel destination here in the Great White North, especially from the Toronto/Ottawa, more eastern part of the country.

We tend to migrate to Hawaii or the western coast of Mexico to get some sun on our pasty white February skin!!

But we've had friends that went, albeit a few years ago, and really enjoyed their stay.

[Beaglemom3 Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Beaglemom3]

I know a group went from my area every year thru the local church youth group - sponsored by a missionary group....this was 1999-2003 that I am aware of - they had been doing the trip for many years...

Then things were extremely tightened up in 2004.
Did they go after 2003 ? If so, they were very lucky and/or blessed.