State Dept Cuban warning

The US Treasury states the same in at least 3 places. I think the key to the question is when one booked.

That's what I am understanding as well. If you booked AFTER 6-16, your ONLY option for tours is through Royal. How in the world are they going to administer that?

:cool: My main concern is our cabins getting transferred correctly from Empress to Majesty, as the deck plans are somewhat different. We had 7 OV (obstructed) cabins on Deck 7 on Empress, so hoping for the same or better on Majesty.:rolleyes:

I'm guessing we may see the cabin assignments late next week. I plan on logging in a couple of times over the holiday. It should be an interesting thread or two that pops up. In your case with 7 cabins it will be interesting. At least there are no previous cruisers already booked and maybe they will put all 7 of you together,

I read the RCI letter to say that you can take an “organized tour” and I have confirmed with Havana Journeys that they meet that standard. How could RCI prevent you from leaving the boat, with the proper Visa, etc, to do that?

I wish I knew? When did you book your cruise? There appears to be something magical about whether or not you booked before June 16.

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Ok one thing I wonder about all of this. Canadians and others from countries outside the us don't have these restrictions. So I'm assuming people who aren't us citizens can just get off the ship and wander around?

This all seems so strange to me. Cuba is the place everyone I know goes to for a cheap beach vacation.

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Yes, the RCI Cuba FAQ section now clearly states that you can take excursions other than theirs ONLY if you booked before June 16, 2017.

We sail this Monday on the Empress, docking in Havana Friday. My TA told me that after our RCCL tour (4-hour bus trip) we were free to wander around and talk to people as we wished. I don't think anyone will bother us. We will shop and snack and chat a lot (our group all speaks Spanish.)

I read the RCI letter to say that you can take an “organized tour” and I have confirmed with Havana Journeys that they meet that standard. How could RCI prevent you from leaving the boat, with the proper Visa, etc, to do that?

Actually it would be pretty easy. When you get on gangway they scan your card. No excursion booked, no departure. They could program that into your card for those who booked before the date mentioned or possibly even for non American passengers.

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Yes, the RCI Cuba FAQ section now clearly states that you can take excursions other than theirs ONLY if you booked before June 16, 2017.

Reading this, I am so glad I booked a last- minute cruise on another line and sailed Oct 16. We did a ship excursion for 4 hours, then wandered around a bit at the harbor plaza before going back to the ship. We did an evening ship excursion to the Tropicana Nightclub. I had heard about it for years, and finally got to go. It is now owned by the Cuban government, so will probably no longer be a ship excursion. The 2nd day we just wandered around a bit on our own, since ship left at 12 Noon. Booking last minute was pricey to get a suite. But we were worried that things would be quickly changing and wanted to do the Cuba cruise before that happened. Now I am so happy we did our cruise last month.

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Ok one thing I wonder about all of this. Canadians and others from countries outside the us don't have these restrictions. So I'm assuming people who aren't us citizens can just get off the ship and wander around?

 

This all seems so strange to me. Cuba is the place everyone I know goes to for a cheap beach vacation.

 

 

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It is because Cuba doesn't trust Americans.

Everyone gets to travel to Cuba freely except Americans. There is tourism! Always. It is NOT this isolated place at all!

I have been going to Cuba for the last 10 years with USA passport. I fly from Guatemala or Costa Rica. You get your visa and entry stamp on a piece of paper. You exchange money at the airport. Then you are good to go!! Go back to Central America and fly to USA. I have never been questioned upon USA arrival.

I would never go to Cuba on cruise line or one of those guided American 'baby-sitter' tours. They have the same laws in places like Tibet, North Korea, Iran. All it does is jack up the price by 1,000's of dollars! Cuba Visa on arrival is $20. Travel companies already charging at least 3 times this price.

I think Land Based tours for Americans start at $2,500 for a week. Whaaaaat??? I can do Cuba comfortably for about $500 a week staying in a Casa. Then the people from the Casa people take you out to all the local places.

It is purely political.

It means they want all Americans escorted to minimize 'spy' activity. They don't trust us wandering about unescorted in their countries....hence, why we need to legally be on 'organized' tours. hahahah!

You are safe!!!! If you speak Spanish, you will have the time of your life! If you look Cuban, you can get away paying in Cuban pesos, too! ;')

Ok one thing I wonder about all of this. Canadians and others from countries outside the us don't have these restrictions. So I'm assuming people who aren't us citizens can just get off the ship and wander around?

 

This all seems so strange to me. Cuba is the place everyone I know goes to for a cheap beach vacation.

 

 

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I asked Royal through their Twitter account and everyone on board regardless of nationality is subject to the same restrictions for the tours.

It is because Cuba doesn't trust Americans.

 

Everyone gets to travel to Cuba freely except Americans. There is tourism! Always. It is NOT this isolated place at all!

 

I have been going to Cuba for the last 10 years with USA passport. I fly from Guatemala or Costa Rica. You get your visa and entry stamp on a piece of paper. You exchange money at the airport. Then you are good to go!! Go back to Central America and fly to USA. I have never been questioned upon USA arrival.

 

I would never go to Cuba on cruise line or one of those guided American 'baby-sitter' tours. They have the same laws in places like Tibet, North Korea, Iran. All it does is jack up the price by 1,000's of dollars! Cuba Visa on arrival is $20. Travel companies already charging at least 3 times this price.

 

I think Land Based tours for Americans start at $2,500 for a week. Whaaaaat??? I can do Cuba comfortably for about $500 a week staying in a Casa. Then the people from the Casa people take you out to all the local places.

 

It is purely political.

It means they want all Americans escorted to minimize 'spy' activity. They don't trust us wandering about unescorted in their countries....hence, why we need to legally be on 'organized' tours. hahahah!

 

You are safe!!!! If you speak Spanish, you will have the time of your life! If you look Cuban, you can get away paying in Cuban pesos, too! ;')

If your a US Citizen, why would you openly violate the restrictions placed upon you?

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It is because Cuba doesn't trust Americans.

 

Everyone gets to travel to Cuba freely except Americans. There is tourism! Always. It is NOT this isolated place at all!

 

I have been going to Cuba for the last 10 years with USA passport. I fly from Guatemala or Costa Rica. You get your visa and entry stamp on a piece of paper. You exchange money at the airport. Then you are good to go!! Go back to Central America and fly to USA. I have never been questioned upon USA arrival.

 

I would never go to Cuba on cruise line or one of those guided American 'baby-sitter' tours. They have the same laws in places like Tibet, North Korea, Iran. All it does is jack up the price by 1,000's of dollars! Cuba Visa on arrival is $20. Travel companies already charging at least 3 times this price.

 

I think Land Based tours for Americans start at $2,500 for a week. Whaaaaat??? I can do Cuba comfortably for about $500 a week staying in a Casa. Then the people from the Casa people take you out to all the local places.

 

It is purely political.

It means they want all Americans escorted to minimize 'spy' activity. They don't trust us wandering about unescorted in their countries....hence, why we need to legally be on 'organized' tours. hahahah!

 

You are safe!!!! If you speak Spanish, you will have the time of your life! If you look Cuban, you can get away paying in Cuban pesos, too! ;')

Uh, the restrictions are not from Cuba, they are from the US. Our country is the only one left trying to isolate Cuba and force a change.

The rest of the world stopped worrying when the Soviet Union went away.

Cuba does not care what you do as long as you don’t take pictures of officials. They don’t follow you around off the ship and they don’t ask you what you are going to do.

It’s all on the US.

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Uh, the restrictions are not from Cuba, they are from the US. Our country is the only one left trying to isolate Cuba and force a change.

 

The rest of the world stopped worrying when the Soviet Union went away.

 

Cuba does not care what you do as long as you don’t take pictures of officials. They don’t follow you around off the ship and they don’t ask you what you are going to do.

 

It’s all on the US.

 

 

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Agree. champbord's post is horse hockey. This is all US political drivel aimed at AMCITs, nothing more.

If your a US Citizen, why would you openly violate the restrictions placed upon you?

Maybe the same reason folks drive 56 MPH in a 55 MPH zone.

It is because Cuba doesn't trust Americans.

 

Everyone gets to travel to Cuba freely except Americans. There is tourism! Always. It is NOT this isolated place at all!

 

I have been going to Cuba for the last 10 years with USA passport. I fly from Guatemala or Costa Rica. You get your visa and entry stamp on a piece of paper. You exchange money at the airport. Then you are good to go!! Go back to Central America and fly to USA. I have never been questioned upon USA arrival.

 

I would never go to Cuba on cruise line or one of those guided American 'baby-sitter' tours. They have the same laws in places like Tibet, North Korea, Iran. All it does is jack up the price by 1,000's of dollars! Cuba Visa on arrival is $20. Travel companies already charging at least 3 times this price.

 

I think Land Based tours for Americans start at $2,500 for a week. Whaaaaat??? I can do Cuba comfortably for about $500 a week staying in a Casa. Then the people from the Casa people take you out to all the local places.

 

It is purely political.

It means they want all Americans escorted to minimize 'spy' activity. They don't trust us wandering about unescorted in their countries....hence, why we need to legally be on 'organized' tours. hahahah!

 

You are safe!!!! If you speak Spanish, you will have the time of your life! If you look Cuban, you can get away paying in Cuban pesos, too! ;')

I thought these were all rules put in place by the us government. Not Cuba. Cuba has no problems with Americans travelling there through Canada.

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If your a US Citizen, why would you openly violate the restrictions placed upon you?

 

 

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The restrictions placed on us citizens are placed on them by the us government. Not Cuba. There are Americans who travel to Cuba from Canada. Cuba doesn't have an issue with it.

It's kind of weird the us restricts where their citizens can go. Your not in danger in Cuba. It's actually much safer then many places travel to.

Not trying to be political. I just don't understand it.

And it's pretty stupid that royal would impose those restrictions on Canadians or Europeans. Guess you won't find any on those cruises. We will just book the cheap week long all inclusive resorts.

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If you check your booking date and it is before June 16, 2017, you should be good to go. At least that is the info from Oceania and Azamara, which both have extensive Cruise Critic threads on this. And since Azamara and Royal are commonly owned, it looks like June 16 is the key date.

Uh, the restrictions are not from Cuba, they are from the US. Our country is the only one left trying to isolate Cuba and force a change.

 

The rest of the world stopped worrying when the Soviet Union went away.

 

Cuba does not care what you do as long as you don’t take pictures of officials. They don’t follow you around off the ship and they don’t ask you what you are going to do.

 

It’s all on the US.

 

 

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Yes, solely a US Regulation. So if US Citizen, why would anyone choose to violate?? Doesn’t matter if you agree with it or not, it is a policy/Regulation.

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If you check your booking date and it is before June 16, 2017, you should be good to go. At least that is the info from Oceania and Azamara, which both have extensive Cruise Critic threads on this. And since Azamara and Royal are commonly owned, it looks like June 16 is the key date.

Correct on the June 16 booking date not having the new restrictions imposed on those passengers, BUT...what kind of logic says that the people in the cabin next to me, who theoretically booked on June 15 have open access to any tours they want, and free reign to wander all over Havana, but me, who booked on July 7, is stuck doing the overpriced, overcrowded Royal tours and then have to return to the ship upon completion? This just seems really really out of whack, and I don't know whose rule it is?

My best guess is that since the lines procure visas for their passengers to Cuba, it will be one more small factoid included.

Whoever goes first, please report back with the correct answer. Thanks.

If your a US Citizen, why would you openly violate the restrictions placed upon you?

 

 

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It is my understanding that it is not 'illegal' to visit Cuba. It is illegal to spend US currency. I exchanged Euros. I worked in China, so the money originated from there not US. US gov't can't stop people from traveling! Who told you this? It is up to the country to allow you enter. This is why Americans go to Cuba. Cuba gives visas to US passport holders.

Things also change with POTUS. When Clinton was POTUS, it wasn't strict. Clinton encouraged students to travel and even gave out grants. It is important to travel freely so that we can better understand the world.

It is my understanding that it is not 'illegal' to visit Cuba. It is illegal to spend US currency. I exchanged Euros. I worked in China, so the money originated from there not US. US gov't can't stop people from traveling! Who told you this? It is up to the country to allow you enter. This is why Americans go to Cuba. Cuba gives visas to US passport holders.

 

 

 

Things also change with POTUS. When Clinton was POTUS, it wasn't strict. Clinton encouraged students to travel and even gave out grants. It is important to travel freely so that we can better understand the world.

I am pretty sure it's the us government restricting the travel by its own citizens. Not Cuba. It was the us government that changed travel restrictions, not Cuba. And that's why Americans have always been always able to travel to Cuba from Canada. The Cuban government doesn't care.

https://www.google.ca/amp/s/www.cnbc.com/amp/2017/11/08/us-takes-steps-to-make-it-harder-for-americans-to-visit-cuba.html

After reading this it sounds like your government is telling you where you can go and where you can spend your money. Not Cuba.

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I thought these were all rules put in place by the us government. Not Cuba. Cuba has no problems with Americans travelling there through Canada.

 

 

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Yes. This is why Americans travel to Cuba.

So if it's ok to travel freely to Cuba, why do people keep saying not to get US passports stamped in Cuba?

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