Cuba Excursions

ill be cruising to Cuba in December via MCS cruise line. I've been told by one of their employees that unless I have a voucher for an excursion ( either purchased through the cruise line or privately) we will not be allowed to leave the ship while in Havana. Does anyone have a definitive answer regarding this.?

I would ask on the MSC forum

they may have different rules than other lines or just scare tactics

Generally all you need is your passport & the Tourist Card which most cruise lines provide for a fee

I have seen this over and over here on CC. And NCL did this to me in 2017 ... but everyone is able to take private tours in Cuba. I can't see how MSC would be able to coerce their customers to pay for their shore excursions when ALL other cruise lines can not do that.

I took private tours only in Cuba. It was important to me that my spending money went into the people's hands and not NCL's hands.

ill be cruising to Cuba in December via MCS cruise line. I've been told by one of their employees that unless I have a voucher for an excursion ( either purchased through the cruise line or privately) we will not be allowed to leave the ship while in Havana. Does anyone have a definitive answer regarding this.?

Depends on your nationality.

What passport do you have?

JB :)

I have seen this over and over here on CC. And NCL did this to me in 2017 ... but everyone is able to take private tours in Cuba. I can't see how MSC would be able to coerce their customers to pay for their shore excursions when ALL other cruise lines can not do that.

 

I took private tours only in Cuba. It was important to me that my spending money went into the people's hands and not NCL's hands.

OP says that they can get off if they have a private tour. You just can't get off and wander around on your own, if you are a US citizen.

OP says that they can get off if they have a private tour. You just can't get off and wander around on your own, if you are a US citizen.

We did that too. Took the hop on / hop off bus at will ... walked around Havana on our own and shopped. And I am a US Citizen.

OP says that they can get off if they have a private tour. You just can't get off and wander around on your own, if you are a US citizen.

Sure you can

the Cubans do not care if you wander on your own

So the messages here vary as well. Does anyone know for sure? Are you allowed to leave a cruise ship in Havana without a tour voucher?

I would ask on the MSC forum

 

they may have different rules than other lines or just scare tactics

 

Generally all you need is your passport & the Tourist Card which most cruise lines provide for a fee

Where can I find the MSC forum?

Where can I find the MSC forum?

https://boards.cruisecritic.com/forumdisplay.php?f=80

So the messages here vary as well. Does anyone know for sure? Are you allowed to leave a cruise ship in Havana without a tour voucher?

From my experience .... Yes.

So the messages here vary as well. Does anyone know for sure? Are you allowed to leave a cruise ship in Havana without a tour voucher?

We got off of Norwegian Sky this past September without any problem. We contacted the gentlemen that our son met about a month earlier and had them be our tour guides.

No organized cruise line excursion/voucher, no problems.

We also went back to the ship in the late afternoon and went back on shore in the evening with even fewer hassles.

I went to Cuba in NCL... no one asked me if I had a tour or anything.  There were LOTS of people that had set up private tours.. (the tour people wait across the street from the terminal)  They are all standing there with name signs  :)

And I did have a private tour set up... but again,  no one asked me. 

Many cruiselines have used this same scare tactic so that passengers will buy their tours...it's not true. All you need is your passport and Cuban visa (not sure what a tourist card is, but we didn't get one).  Just walk off the ship, go through immigration and walk out of the terminal.  No one in Cuba cares if you have a ship tour, private tour or just wander around.  We did all of those during our 4 days in Cuba.

This topic has been discussed many, many times on the Cuba board...go over there for lots of info from people who have actually cruised  to Cuba recently.

I just got off NCL cruise to Cuba. Have your passport, have your tourist visa - no one questioned me either *leaving* the boat itself or when I was going through immigration. I did a private classic car tour which was WAY less expensive than through the cruise line.

Keep track of where you go, what you do (I took pictures of establishments I visited/patronized) for your records.  

MSC is not same as NCL or RCCL. They may have different policies when it comes to excusions in Cuba.