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Despite U.S. Ban on Cruises, You Can Still Travel to Cuba

6/26/2019

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Horse carriage in Havana, Cuba
U.S. travelers can still visit Cuba with companies that hold special licenses.
By John Roberts
The U.S. government in early June 2019 implemented a ban on cruise travel to Cuba, thus halting a three-year run that started during a hopeful period of warming of relations between the two countries.

Over these recent years, cruise lines rushed to add itineraries to the largest Caribbean island, and U.S. travelers eagerly booked cruises to finally visit a destination just off the tip of Florida. For decades up until 2016, the United States and Cuba had put in place restrictive regulations that made it virtually impossible to explore on a leisure trip.  The cruise offerings were a wonderful way to finally see the island and a chance to connect with the warm and friendly people.


We were lucky enough to go on a cruise to Cuba and had an amazing time (check out our video of the experience). We are also hopeful that U.S. travelers will eventually be able to go back on a cruise.
Music in Havana, Cuba, bar
You can still take immersive tours in Cuba. These trips connect you with young music artists among other citizens in the Caribbean island nation.
But with relations again strained, cruise ships won't be going to Cuba any time soon, so U.S. travelers again are left longing for a way to visit a place that has long held a certain aura of romanticism and intrigue.

There is a way to go, though. If you'
re still interested in how to travel to Cuba, I thought I'd let you know one way that that you can consider.

Look for a "Support for the Cuban People"
 license (SCP).

Global tour operator Friendly Planet Travel still brings travelers to Cuba through a Support for the Cuban People license. While the new U.S. regulations eliminated the "people-to-people" travel license on which Friendly Planet used to operate, the company's Cuba programs were already compliant with several other licenses, allowing Friendly Planet to 
continue bringing travelers to Cuba.

In 2011, Friendly Planet Travel was among the first U.S. tour companies to be awarded a license for educational tours to Cuba and since then has brought thousands of Americans to Cuba on small, intimate and immersive group trips. Friendly Planet Travel has the knowledge, experience and relationships to ensure that these trips conform to the law. The best part: You get unique and inspiring encounters with the people of Cuba that will give you memorable experiences.


Friendly Planet's various Cuba packages include meeting up-and-coming Cuban artists in their private studios; visiting the fascinating Afro-Cuban neighborhood of 
Regla; meeting talented fashion designers and woodcraft experts in their home workshops; joining Cubans for a neighborhood block party; and watching a rehearsal by one of Havana's well-known dance companies.

Check out Friendly Planet's three 
Cuba travel packages, which include round-trip flights, Cuban health insurance, Cuba entrance visa, departure tax, and a U.S. Treasury Department License Certification and Authorization letter - all mandatory for Cuba -- as well as accommodations in a traditional Cuban casa particular, daily excursions and multiple meals.

To help you learn more about what the U.S travel ban to Cuba means and how you can still travel to Cuba, we offer a Q&A with Peggy Goldman, president and founder of Friendly Planet Travel. Goldman is also an expert on American travel to Cuba.


Q: What exactly does the new government restriction on travels to Cuba mean for Americans interested in visiting the island?

A: In 2011, the People to People travel license became the most popular license for Americans wishing to visit Cuba. We were permitted to stay in certain hotels (those not part of the Cuban Military, which controls a part of the tourism sector) and we were able to travel around the country as long as we complied with the rules of the license. Every tour had to be accompanied by a tour manager, who was responsible for making sure that our passengers participated fully in the program. On June 5, 2019, that license was eliminated, but travelers can still visit Cuba with certified tour operators under many other licenses, including a Support for the Cuban People license.


Q: What alternatives do travelers have now?

A: Fortunately, the programs Friendly Planet offers are already compliant with several other licenses, so our travelers can continue to visit Cuba with our 100 percent compliant programs. As long as we continue providing the experiences that comply with available licenses, there's no reason why travelers can't continue visiting Cuba. Going forward, we will make small adjustments to our itineraries to be completely sure that every activity we schedule is according to the rules of the license. We have a lot of experience in this regard, as we've been operating legal tours to Cuba since 2011, and in those years, we've built many relationships among Cuban community groups, artists, architects, farmers and many, many others who provide us with plenty of valuable experiences for our travelers. In every case, these experiences are arranged with, and benefit directly, the individuals, not the government. There are many alternatives that exist, so happily, travel to Cuba will continue.

Q: Why is travel to Cuba so important to you and Friendly Planet?

A: Consider an entire country where the people are the living example of the glass half full, where being poor and having very little in the way of material things doesn't stop the locals from creating amazing art, music, dance and in general, enjoying life despite the disadvantages they live with. When you visit Cuba on a legal, authorized program, you get to meet the Cuban people where they live, work and play. It is an incredibly immersive experience that gives you a chance to get to know what it's like for the Cuban people -- and where you can admire them for the way they choose to live. And it is completely 100 percent legal to have this wonderful travel experience, if you do it according to the rules that our government has set up for us.

Do you plan to visit Cuba? How will you be getting there?


Thanks for reading,

JR
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Cruising to Havana on Norwegian Sky for Our First Trip to Cuba

5/24/2017

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Havana, Cuba, skyline
You'll be almost immediately transfixed with the city of Havana when you make your first trip to Cuba,
By John Roberts 
The smell of sweet aromatic cigars wafted in the gentle warm night air as we watched the twirl of costumed dancers and singers come at us -- wave after wave for more than two hours. We found ourselves amid an orgy of oranges, golds, purples, greens and yellows. Feathers and chandelier headdresses. Tantalizing twirling tassels and too-tight thongs.  

I poured myself another rum and coke and turned to Colleen. She was already smiling back and giving me a dreamy nod. This was our night at the Tropicana. Crackling energy filled the large open-air arena. The constant applause for the performance and the swaying of people moving in their seats let us know that we had truly arrived in Cuba.  

Cruise lines are racing to add ships and more itineraries in Cuba, the Caribbean's largest island, which has been opened to ships sailing from the U.S. for just over a year. I sailed on Norwegian Sky's inaugural voyage to Cuba. The ship makes weekly stops for two days and one night in Havana before taking passengers for a day at Norwegian Cruise Line's Great Stirrup Cay, a private beach resort in the Bahamas. 

On my first trip to Cuba, I was able to explore Havana on foot, in a classic car and during an arts tour arranged through a ship excursion. Plus, that amazing night at the Tropicana, one of the most legendary and historic entertainment venues, which recalls the golden era of cabaret music and dancing entertainment. The club dates to 1939 and has seen performances by Paul Robeson, Xavier Cugat, Liberace, Carmen Miranda and Nat King Cole as well of generations of conga players and sequined showgirls. 
Norwegian Sky cruise ship arrives in Havana, Cuba
Passengers were excited for their first visit to Cuba as we arrived into Havana Harbor.
Upon sailing into Havana harbor, I felt as if I was approaching any other Caribbean island nation. Like everyone else, I had heard so much about Cuba over the decades during which Americans essentially were banned from visiting as tourists. I knew of the politics and embargo and general animus the governments of the U.S. and Cuba shared for one another.  

But Cuba looked and felt welcoming to me as I looked over the city skyline at sunrise. Crumbling building facades and the 1950s colorful classic cars came into view as another morning got underway in Havana. 

I always aim to put politics aside when traveling. I want to meet the real people of a place, and the Cubans who I chatted with in the streets and at the bars during my time in Havana were so friendly and helpful. We stepped off the ship with no set plans for the day. Colleen, JD (a fellow travel journalist) and I decided to wander together on our first morning in Cuba, to see what kind of trouble we could get into. 

I'll tell you about our two days in the city and some of the best tips and tricks for visiting Havana that I think will help you when you go. (Also, check out a video of our trip at the end of this post.) Norwegian Sky pulls into a spot at the pier in the heart of the city, and we crossed a main street to find a town square.
Havana, Cuba, horse carriage and Che Guevara mural
Classic car and church in Havana, Cuba
Live music at Dos Hermanos in Havana, Cuba
Mojito at Dos Hermanos bar in Havana
This "super strong" mojito at Dos Hermanos nearly "knocked me on my ass," Colleen said.
Wander. Explore. Get. Lost. 
We arrived on the biggest cruise ship to visit the island in decades, and the city was abuzz in the early morning. The sun was already hot, too, as we started to stroll. Guitarists approached serenading the new visitors. Sly whispers beckoned from street corners: "Do you want to buy cigars?" 

We walked on, much too early to make a commitment one way or another, for cigars, classic car rides or any other set itinerary during our first moments in Cuba. Instead, we would stroll, down this alley, then that, boring deeper into the heart of the city, into neighborhoods farther away from port. We saw people carrying on their shopping, construction workers already dusty and sweating as they tried to shore up a crumbling wall -- and other visitors pointing their cameras in all directions, just like we were. 

Havana is extremely walkable. If you are staying for more than one day, it's worth the time to take a morning and just meander through the city. We walked about six miles and found pharmacy museums, city parks, town squares, markets, numerous paladars (tiny eateries) and finally the perfect bar to get some relief from the sun and quench our thirst after a thrilling day exploring. 

Dos Hermanos is just across from the main cruise pier, and we stumbled in to find empty seats at the bar. I ordered a Bucaneros beer, and JD and Colleen sipped from the most mint-leaf and rum-filled mojito glass I've ever seen. Colleen said she couldn't believe how strong they had poured her drink. It was cold, refreshing -- and powerful.
Norwegian Sky arrives in Havana
Get up early and get a good spot to see Norwegian Sky arrive in Havana.
Stunning Sail-In. 
When you arrive to Havana on Norwegian Sky, make sure you rise early enough to get a good spot on the rail for your approach into the harbor. It's a stunning sight at sunrise as the city grows closer and closer. If you want to take pictures and video, go to the front of the ship on Deck 11, passing through the Outrigger Lounge to the deck outside. If you want to just chill out and soak in the scenery, try an early-morning dip in the hot tub in the front on Deck 12.
Muraleando art community in Havana
The Muraleando art collective in Havana, Cuba.
Muraleando in Havana, Cuba
Unique pieces are seen throughout Muraleando
Fusterlandia home in Havana, Cuba
The mosaic wonderland of Fusterlandia.
Art Tells a Story.  
Norwegian Sky offers several excursions to help you become acquainted with Havana. We took the "Art of Cuba: Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow" tour that made a stop at the National Museum of Fine Arts before visiting two thoroughly unique and fascinating neighborhoods that have grown into standout tourist stops because of their commitment to a distinct brand of artistry. At the museum, we learned about the top painters, sculptors and other art figures who made their marks with works that depict Cuban life over the past centuries, daring to create commentaries on everything from slavery to recent decades of government oppression.  

Then it was on to see Muraleando and Fusterlandia. These two communities built themselves up as attractions through the collective hard work and vision of the people who live there. Muraleando sits atop a site that had been nothing more than trash, and community members 15 years ago began holding art classes in the streets and murals began to pop up using the neighborhood as a canvas for works highlighting fun and fanciful depictions of Cuban life. Later, community leaders petitioned the government to let them design a resident art project that transformed the garbage into recycled art pieces. Now murals, mosaics and sculpture fill the blocks of the small community, and the art continues to spread throughout the collective, which hosts events such as birthday parties and quinceaneras for its residents at no cost.  

Tourists are greeted by song and dance (you will be dragged onto the dance floor to participate) by the artists who are proud to share their story and spirit with visitors.   

At Fusterlandia, we were transported into a world fitting of a Doctor Seuss book. A street is filled with homes that have been adorned by seemingly millions of ceramic tiles to create hundreds of pieces that glimmer in the sun and make your jaw drop as you wander to explore every surface and sculpture. ​The art project started at the home of artist Jose Fuster, who was subsequently asked by neighbors whether he would "do something for their homes," too. What started more than 30 years ago with just Fuster's studio has spread to more than 50 homes. Fuster does not charge his neighbors for the work and has to make trips out of the country to secure much of the ceramic material to use in the project.  
Tropicana Club in Havana, Cuba
We capped off one busy day in Havana with a thrilling show at the Tropicana Club.
1952 Chevy Deluxe in Havana's Revolution Square
They didn't let me drive, but I had a great ride and tour of Havana in this 1952 Chevy Deluxe.
Havana Nights.  
We visited the famous Tropicana Club for a rousing show that featured a blitz of dancers and singers performing nonstop over two hours. Buena Vista Social Club is another recommended place. This night spot provides a less-touristy and more authentic experience (less expensive, too) than the Tropicana, according to a friendly teacher we bumped into on the street during our strolling.

Also, make sure you get a car tour -- preferably around sunset -- in a classic Cuban car taxi. We loved sitting in the spacious back seat of our 1952 Chevy Deluxe, watching Havana transform from day to night as we rolled through the city.
Havana, street scene
Procesing guarapo juice at a small stand in Havana, Cuba
A worker sends fresh stalks of sugarcane through a press to make guarapo juice.
Good to Know. 
We were able to use U.S. dollars and Euros easily at the places we visited. This is becoming more the norm we have heard. Some of our fellow passengers had been to Havana just months before our visit and said they were not able to use these currencies. Things are changing quickly. We have even heard that people were able to use credit cards at some businesses. This is good to hear because many visitors have faced the hassle of standing in long lines to exchange their money to Cuban pesos (the tourist money CUC), which can be a frustrating waste of time.  

When you use U.S. money or euros or British pounds, though, you are likely to not get the most favorable exchange rates as most vendors do a little rounding in their favor. But we had good experiences with businesses that came close enough, and the convenience factor was huge. You also will get your change back in pesos, though, and any CUC you have at the end of your visit will be heading back home with you as a souvenir or can be used the next time you travel to Cuba. 

Expect to be approached by a person who might ask whether you are interested in cigars or rum. They likely will start a pitch about how the "cooperative" is having a half-price sale on such items -- Today Only! You'll also learn that "when you buy from the cooperative, this helps Cuban people get food vouchers." This "cooperative" is really a private business out of sight of the government, and the hawker might ask to show you where it is and lead you to a room in a private residence where they indeed might have really good deals on cigars. But you should know what is really happening so you can decide whether to go make a purchase. Note: the cigars we saw in these cooperatives can be about $5 each compared with about $10 or more at an official store you can find along the waterfront or other areas in the city.
Cuba street marker on building
Havana Club rum at the Tropicana Club in Havana, Cuba
Havana, Cuba, horse drawn carriage ride
Thanks for reading,
JR

Have you been to Cuba? Planning to go? What are some of your tips and tricks for having the best trip? Would you consider a cruise? Let us know.
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