Cuba

[legalgirl]

Booked on a February 2019 Azamara cruise to Cuba. We spend 3 days in Havana. Researching ship sponsored shore excursions. Wondering if we can do an off ship tour with a reputable tour guide and how to arrange this? Lastly, is it possible to spend a day at a nice Havana beach?

[Grandma Cruising]

I suggest you look at a number of the Journey Roll-Calls for Cuba cruises. On several of these there has been quite a lot of discussion about tour options and possibilities in Cuba.

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Forums

[Globehoppers]

Yes to all your questions. You may still need to purchase the visa through Journey and take a Journey sponsored tour. That tour requirement appears to change regularly. Once you have the visa you can go ashore on your own or catch a locally arranged tour, to include tours offering classic cars trips and beach excursions. Currently currency is limited to CUC for foreigners - Convertible Pesos. The exchange rate using USD still requires a 10 percent conversion penalty. Other currencies do not, so if you have Euros or CAN dollars they offer the best exchange rate.

[ellbon]

Please read the Cuba board threads. some good ideas there for day and night

[DandDM]

Booked on a February 2019 Azamara cruise to Cuba. We spend 3 days in Havana. Researching ship sponsored shore excursions. Wondering if we can do an off ship tour with a reputable tour guide and how to arrange this? Lastly, is it possible to spend a day at a nice Havana beach?

 

 

 

Curious what you find out, we are cruising with you! Cheers,

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Forums

[barryw1111]

I’ll be cruising to Cuba 02/20 with 7 other couples from Owings Mills Md

WE hope to leave the ship in Havana for our own Jewish themed tours.

[eyemd1]

I am looking for independent tour guides as well. Let me know if you find any.

Gordon

[doubled]

Check Cuba boards in Ports of call.  We used Raul from Blexie Tours 2 days in Havana and Hector in Cienfugos who is a translator both had excellent English.  We also had Roberto Jimenez who owns his own Taxi.  Hope to use the same when we go back.

 

Art

[Phxazzcruisers]

On 8/4/2018 at 12:39 PM, barryw1111 said:

I’ll be cruising to Cuba 02/20 with 7 other couples from Owings Mills Md

WE hope to leave the ship in Havana for our own Jewish themed tours.

Enjoy your cruise.  There are  lot of interesting Jewish tours possible.  There is even a Hotel very near the ship tat is Kosher and is beautiful.  We had drinks on the roof top terrace.  There is beautiful stained glass and all of the rooms are named after historic Jewish people.  The facade of the Hotel is also very impressive

[kcscrapper]

On 8/4/2018 at 11:39 AM, barryw1111 said:

I’ll be cruising to Cuba 02/20 with 7 other couples from Owings Mills Md

WE hope to leave the ship in Havana for our own Jewish themed tours.

I'd suggest you contact "Blexie" - Havana Tours

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g147271-d11950395-Reviews-Havana_Tours_With_Blexie-Havana_Ciudad_de_la_Habana_Province_Cuba.html

 

We used him in Havana in November and he is a bright, articulate, well organized young man - and already has information about Jewish theme tours in Havana. 

[DiamondDiva]

Another pleased Blexie tour person here from our recent Nov 24 Journey visit. We also used Out of the Box in Santiago de Cuba.  Both tours top notch and I reviewed them on Trip Advisor for more details. They are both flexible to what you want to do.

[tgg]

We had an excellent Blexie guide. The only thing we didn't like was that we told him we wanted a casual light lunch and he took us to a place that caters to tourists and serves more than enough for dinner. If your guide does this just split the meal. It will be more than enough to eat.

[mnocket]

I took this Food Tasting & Cultural Walking tour in January

https://www.foodtourshavana.com/

I highly recommend it.

[donaldsc]

I am not sure what the current rules are with regard to going to the beach.  Under the old long standing rules, you could visit Cuba on  a people-to-people tour but you couldn't go to the beach.  Under the Obama rules, I still don't think you could go to the beach but the touring rules were liberalized.  Trump tightened the touring rules but I don't know if he changed the beach rules.

 

Another thing.  Cuba is such an interesting country that I can't imagine why you would want to spend some of your very limited time at the beach.  You can do the beach at any of the other Caribbean islands.  Just my opinion.

 

BTW - this post is not to be construed as a political statement but a statement of information so let's not start a political argument re Cuba.

 

DON

[Grandma Cruising]

Just wondered who’s going to check up that you went to the beach!

[Phxazzcruisers]

5 hours ago, Host Grandma Cruising said:

Just wondered who’s going to check up that you went to the beach!

The Cubans do not check anything.  You are free to get off the ship with your Visa and passport and go anywhere you like.  There are taxi's and tours available.  We loved the trip there and will definitely go again

[rallydave]

2 hours ago, Phxazzcruisers said:

The Cubans do not check anything.  You are free to get off the ship with your Visa and passport and go anywhere you like.  There are taxi's and tours available.  We loved the trip there and will definitely go again

 

Correct but, it is the US Government should they choose to audit your visit at a later date that you will have to prove you did an acceptable tour with an acceptable tour company.  Without that proof one could be in trouble.  Highly unlikely but, the possibility exists as the visits of anyone on a cruise ship beginning in the US and visiting Cuba has to meet the requirements of the US Government and not Cuba or the cruise line.

[mnocket]

1 hour ago, rallydave said:

 

Correct but, it is the US Government should they choose to audit your visit at a later date that you will have to prove you did an acceptable tour with an acceptable tour company.  Without that proof one could be in trouble.  Highly unlikely but, the possibility exists as the visits of anyone on a cruise ship beginning in the US and visiting Cuba has to meet the requirements of the US Government and not Cuba or the cruise line.

True, but even "highly unlikely" probably  overstates the chance of being audited by the government.  It's probably somewhere between minuscule and infinitesimal.

[Phxazzcruisers]

19 hours ago, mnocket said:

True, but even "highly unlikely" probably  overstates the chance of being audited by the government.  It's probably somewhere between minuscule and infinitesimal.

I agree 100 %

[tgg]

22 hours ago, mnocket said:

 

oops

Edited December 23, 2018 by tgg

[ellbon]

Just  left Havana at 430 today. Did not do any tours. The crew were telling me what  museums and bars to go too. Only problem museums close early on Sunday and like most places not open on Monday. 

[seattle sojourner]

My only caveat is this:   Most/all? of the recent Cuba cruises originally scheduled for 3 days in Havana have changed their itinerary  to reduce it to 2 days (one overnight).  Azamara has not been consistently good at notifying passengers, and in fact we learned of our cruise change via this board.  This will impact you if you have a pre-arranged/paid private tour that goes past 4 o'clock.  They have also changed the Amazing Evening on every Cuba cruise for the past 3 months, also impacting prepaid private tours.   Our cruise departs on January 5 and we were notified December 23 that the special event would be on our only night in Havana instead of in Santiago de Cuba.  We had to make a choice between keeping our original non-refundable private arrangements or going to the ballet presentation they arranged in Havana.  We're excited to visit Cuba, but have been frustrated and disappointed in Azamara so far. 

[ellbon]

At least yours is in Cuba. Mine was in Columbia and a long bus ride.stayed on ship.  Columbia is all taxis and adds up in cost. I thought private Cuba tours were paid in cash that day. So you should be able to cancel them. 

 

The best is Cuba is Hemingway’s House and a show. The rest you can do on your own.

[gersy]

On 8/4/2018 at 12:39 PM, barryw1111 said:

I’ll be cruising to Cuba 02/20 with 7 other couples from Owings Mills Md

WE hope to leave the ship in Havana for our own Jewish themed tours.

try Blexie for jewish tour. 

[uktog]

On 12/28/2018 at 3:04 PM, ellbon said:

At least yours is in Cuba. Mine was in Columbia and a long bus ride.stayed on ship.  Columbia is all taxis and adds up in cost. I thought private Cuba tours were paid in cash that day. So you should be able to cancel them. 

 

The best is Cuba is Hemingway’s House and a show. The rest you can do on your own.

The Food tour mentioned above in this thread is paid in advance in dollars and according to their website is non cancellable