Cuba Tours

What is Carnival doing about tours in Cuba ? Are private tours still allowed ?

What is Carnival doing about tours in Cuba ? Are private tours still allowed ?

I believe that Carnival's scheduled cruises to Cuba have come to an end, at least for now.

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We are booked on the Paradise Feb.17 to Cuba .

We just visited Cuba last month (highly recommend it) and used Havanacars & Cuba Taxi company for our private tour. They have info on their site which states:

Update: New restrictions on travel to Cuba for American Citizens.

We are a totally private company, not included among those banned to the American tourists.

Our services fall into the support category for Cuban people.

So you can book with confidence!

So--if you choose carefully, private tours are still allowed. And, cruises will continue, as they fall under the "Group travel" requirement specified by our government. The bigger question will be whether (or not) the cruiselines continue to offer the Cuba cruises, as I'm sure there are many more travelers that will now think twice before heading there,

I would definitely go again!

CeleBrat

Thank you so much !

I believe that Carnival's scheduled cruises to Cuba have come to an end, at least for now.

 

 

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Yea!!! :D

There are still lots of Cuba cruises for sale on carnivals website. Beware their Cuba information page is out of date. Celebrat is correct about private tours still being ok under the support for cuban people provision. Hopefully carnival will update their page soon like RCL has.

We just visited Cuba last month (highly recommend it) and used Havanacars & Cuba Taxi company for our private tour. They have info on their site which states:

 

Update: New restrictions on travel to Cuba for American Citizens.

We are a totally private company, not included among those banned to the American tourists.

Our services fall into the support category for Cuban people.

So you can book with confidence!

So--if you choose carefully, private tours are still allowed. And, cruises will continue, as they fall under the "Group travel" requirement specified by our government. The bigger question will be whether (or not) the cruiselines continue to offer the Cuba cruises, as I'm sure there are many more travelers that will now think twice before heading there,

I would definitely go again!

CeleBrat

OK, just to be clear, a Cuban Company states they are compliant. Of course they are going to say that? It's not like they can get in trouble. LOL.

However, I would go again.

I would be very careful with claims of being compliant with the new restrictions. The devil is in the details and the new restrictions do include that the activities must be for eight hours a day (forty hours per week) and be run by a USA based tour guide.

I don't see a Cuba based private company having a USA based tour guide.

I would be very careful with claims of being compliant with the new restrictions. The devil is in the details and the new restrictions do include that the activities must be for eight hours a day (forty hours per week) and be run by a USA based tour guide.

 

I don't see a Cuba based private company having a USA based tour guide.

Incorrect--that the new restrictions require that they activities must be run by a USA based tour guide. Any activity/business transaction that a traveler partakes in must not be affiliated with "Cuban military, intelligence, or security services or personnel with which direct financial transactions would disproportionately benefit such services or personnel at the expense of the Cuban people or private enterprise in Cuba." --taken from the updated SANCTIONS section of the us.gov website.

**Full list of prohibited locations/businesses here:

https://www.state.gov/e/eb/tfs/spi/cuba/cubarestrictedlist/275331.htm

Essentially, you can't use anything or any service that associated with the Cuban govt. Private businesses, like HavanaCars is OK. For now....

Go while you can!

CeleBrat

The new sanctions could possibly mean that ship excursions to the Tropicana Night Club, which is owned by the Cuban government, will no longer be allowed. So glad I did that excursion in October before these new rules came out!

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The new sanctions could possibly mean that ship excursions to the Tropicana Night Club, which is owned by the Cuban government, will no longer be allowed. So glad I did that excursion in October before these new rules came out!

 

 

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Yes, the ship's excursion might no longer exist, but if there is still a way to get away on your own, then you could just take a cab there. It's more fun that way, anyway. Someone on another thread said they called Carnival and asked them what might change as far as stuff like getting off and going on your own and the agent said they knew about the rule changes but Carnival wasn't planning on making any changes to the way they've been doing things. So, every cruise line is playing it differently. Royal already rolled out their update. A little more strict, but there's still a way to do private tours.

Incorrect--that the new restrictions require that they activities must be run by a USA based tour guide. Any activity/business transaction that a traveler partakes in must not be affiliated with "Cuban military, intelligence, or security services or personnel with which direct financial transactions would disproportionately benefit such services or personnel at the expense of the Cuban people or private enterprise in Cuba." --taken from the updated SANCTIONS section of the us.gov website.

**Full list of prohibited locations/businesses here:

https://www.state.gov/e/eb/tfs/spi/cuba/cubarestrictedlist/275331.htm

Essentially, you can't use anything or any service that associated with the Cuban govt. Private businesses, like HavanaCars is OK. For now....

Go while you can!

CeleBrat

Like I said, the devil is in the details, and in this case the details are in the people to people program which is how the cruiselines can offer the trips to Cuba. The restriction I listed are included in that section of Number 45's newest cluster "love" proclamation.

I just checked Carnival's website and it states that you cannot disembark without an excursion .After the excursion you can wander . We are doing an overnight leaving at noon the following day and according to Carnival you cannot disembark without doing three hours of an excursion.Plus Carnival is offering very few excursions . I am seriously thinking of cancelling .

According to the Carnival web site you can not disembark in Cuba without a planned three hour excursion that meets the requirements.After you fulfill the requirements you are allowed to wander for that day only . We are doing an overnight so each day requires three hours of an excursion that meets the requirements or you cannot disembark.Carnival is offering very few excursions.We planned a private excursion for the first day but now at a loss of what to do on the following day. I am seriously thinking of cancelling .

According to the Carnival web site you can not disembark in Cuba without a planned three hour excursion that meets the requirements.After you fulfill the requirements you are allowed to wander for that day only . We are doing an overnight so each day requires three hours of an excursion that meets the requirements or you cannot disembark.Carnival is offering very few excursions.We planned a private excursion for the first day but now at a loss of what to do on the following day. I am seriously thinking of cancelling .

Carnival has not updated their site since the new rules when into effect as they currently are not calling on Cuba. The above language has always been there.

You cannot meet the new requirements with a three hour tour. You must have a full time schedule of educational activities provided by a entity subject to US Jurisdiction - unless you meet some other exception to the embargo or you are grandfathered. I would think Carnival will follow RCI and Oceania in modifying their travel affidavit and providing email/letters updating their booked passengers - but that remains to be seen.

Carnival has not updated their site since the new rules when into effect as they currently are not calling on Cuba. The above language has always been there.

 

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They have updated their website .The new rules are under destinations Cuba then scroll down to things you need to know and the new rules are there . They have a cruise to Cuba in Feb,

I just checked Carnival's website and it states that you cannot disembark without an excursion .After the excursion you can wander . We are doing an overnight leaving at noon the following day and according to Carnival you cannot disembark without doing three hours of an excursion.Plus Carnival is offering very few excursions . I am seriously thinking of cancelling .

There have been changes imposed with visits to Cuba (all) to ensure they comply with the "meet the people" agenda.

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They have updated their website .The new rules are under destinations Cuba then scroll down to things you need to know and the new rules are there . They have a cruise to Cuba in Feb,

Could you post links to what you are seeing. There should be a Q&A document and a Guest Affidavit. Below are links to what I see and they do not reflect the new requirements.

https://help.carnival.com/ci/fattach/get/1685686/1500309254/redirect/1/filename/A%20%20cubaguestQA%20(17%20Jul%2017)%20CLEAN.pdf

https://help.carnival.com/ci/fattach/get/1553089/1497626123/redirect/1/filename/guest-affidavit-final%20(13.Apr.17)-%20FINAL.PDF

Those are the old requirements . If you go to destinations pick Cuba then scroll down you will see" things you need to know " and that is where the new requirements are

Those are the old requirements . If you go to destinations pick Cuba then scroll down you will see" things you need to know " and that is where the new requirements are

Could you post links please.