Time involved in exchanging currency in Cuba

I'm a bit confused on the process. From reading it looks like you get off the ship and can exchange your currency right there. How is there enough time for you to get to your tours if the entire ship disembarks at the same time and everyone is standing in line for currency?

I'm a bit confused on the process. From reading it looks like you get off the ship and can exchange your currency right there. How is there enough time for you to get to your tours if the entire ship disembarks at the same time and everyone is standing in line for currency?

Did not take long. Line for immigration was 5 people ahead. Several booths. Security check was very quick. Wait in money change line was also 5 minutes. They have several booths and were moving people very fast. . I found it very fast and pretty well organized. We were on the Veendam. They did a staggered disembarkation for tours, sending out people in groups so that there was no crowding inside the terminal and no long lines. This was my experience.

Thanks for the info.....was curious how the process would work!

Just off the NCL Sky and had a similar experience. Walked off the ship around 9:00 a.m. Three people ahead of me at immigration, no line at money exchange (they had like 10 windows open).

What was time consuming was waiting in queue at the ship’s theater to debark and go through Cuban customs and immigration. We waited about 20-30 minutes inside the theater before being allowed to get off the ship. Then it was another 30 minutes standing in line to go through customs (in a very hot and humid terminal). After that, exchanging money didn’t take more than 5 minutes. There are many booths for money exchange and they process people fast. From the money we walked into the theater to queue for debarkation until we were standing outside the cruise terminal took about an hour.

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

Will be in Cienfuegos before arriving in Havana. Will we still need to go through customs in Havana second time upon arrival?

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

Every time you get off the ship in Cuba you go through customs/immigration. We stopped in Santiago de Cuba, Cienfuegos and Havana. We went through customs a total of 5 times.

Was just on the Majesty of the Seas. As above, you will spend more time waiting in line ON the ship waiting to get off than you will to go through customs and change your money. As soon as you get off, you are on a large covered deck. There, a line will lead into the customs area. They move you through quickly -- your passport is stamped and your picture is taken and you move along. Walk to the other end of the terminal and change your money -- it is quicker than customs.

Tip: get Euros from your bank to change instead of dollars. On Euros, you will only pay the standard 3% exchange fee. On US dollars, you also get hit with a 10% tax. Even though the "official" exchange rate on USD to CUC is 1:1, it comes out, in practical terms, to 0.87:1.