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FLIGHTS from the USA to Cuba!!!


Axiom2001
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Hurrah! Hurrah! Men, I plan to go to Havana, Cuba in February 2015, on an authorized tour which allows one some independent time while there. I had proceeded in making arrangements to fly from San Francisco [sFO] to Cancun and take my Cuban charter flight from there. About an hour ago, I spoke with my travel company which is based in Vancouver, Canada. The travel assistant relayed to me that I do NOT have to travel to Cancun to take the charter; I can go via Miami or Tampa or Ft. Lauderdale. I am ecstatic; thus I thought I'd share this with you.

 

If I can get a reasonably priced first class ticket, I'll go to Miami and stay a few days before departing for my initial destination which is some 90 miles away. While in Miami, I'll be able to play!

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Hurrah! Hurrah! Men, I plan to go to Havana, Cuba in February 2015, on an authorized tour which allows one some independent time while there. I had proceeded in making arrangements to fly from San Francisco [sFO] to Cancun and take my Cuban charter flight from there. About an hour ago, I spoke with my travel company which is based in Vancouver, Canada. The travel assistant relayed to me that I do NOT have to travel to Cancun to take the charter; I can go via Miami or Tampa or Ft. Lauderdale. I am ecstatic; thus I thought I'd share this with you.

 

If I can get a reasonably priced first class ticket, I'll go to Miami and stay a few days before departing for my initial destination which is some 90 miles away. While in Miami, I'll be able to play!

 

 

I was hoping that some poster would have contradicted the misinformation posted recently in three different threads related to Americans traveling to Cuba. I have not seen any contradictions, only encouragement.

 

Please see the below web address for the U.S. Department of State bulletin dated March 25, 2014.

 

Reading through the bulletin are several alarming warnings. One particular warning should be sufficient cause to abandon any thoughts of entering Cuba unlawfully via a third country.

 

“Travelers who fail to comply with Department of the Treasury regulations could face civil penalties and criminal prosecution upon return to the United States.”

 

I urge those who are considering visiting Cuba for unsupervised tourism to read the entire current State Department bulletin found here:

 

http://travel.state.gov/content/passports/english/country/cuba.html

 

Here is a bit from an article concerning Americans traveling to Cuba.

 

"Many Americans do travel illegally to Cuba. The Cuban government welcomes Americans to visit with a passport, and Cuban customs and immigration officials know not to stamp the passports of Americans entering the country. The most common way that Americans circumvent the Cuba travel ban is to fly to a third country that has regularly scheduled flights to Cuba, such as Canada, Mexico (Cancun is nearby and a popular Cuba gateway), or the Bahamas (Nassau). You can get a Cuban tourist card at airports in these countries, good for up to 30 days visiting Cuba.

Several companies located in Canada and elsewhere operate specifically to help Americans who want to travel independently to Cuba to book hotels and make other travel arrangements. Examples include USA Cuba Travel and CubaLinda.

Keep in mind, however:

If you are caught traveling illegally to Cuba you could face hefty fines and an uncomfortable experience clearing U.S. customs.

Credit and debit cards issued by U.S. banks will not work in Cuba. That requires U.S. visitors to carry cash or travelers’ checks with them, which can be risky. The U.S. dollar is accepted everywhere, however.

If you get in trouble in Cuba there’s no U.S. embassy there to help you.

Cuba is ruled by an authoritarian, sometimes paranoid government. Many of the rights you are used to as a U.S. citizen don’t exist in Cuba."

 

Here is the web address for the full article:

 

http://gocaribbean.about.com/od/cuba/a/How-To-Travel-To-Cuba-If-You-Are-An-American.htm

 

Personally, I think it would be great to visit Cuba. However, considering the consequences if caught visiting Cuba illegally, I will wait until the law is changed. Hopefully, that won't be long.

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I'm surprised by how even handed the US government's official site is about visiting Cuba. They even give you information about how to go about it!

 

If you get in trouble in Cuba there’s no U.S. embassy there to help you.

 

This is probably the biggest risk from my point of view. Sure, most people wouldn't be stupid enough to proselytize there, but who knows what could get a person into trouble?

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If you get in trouble in Cuba there’s no U.S. embassy there to help you.

 

This is probably the biggest risk from my point of view.

 

The United States is represented by the United States Interests Section, which is technically part of the Swiss Embassy in Havana, though physically separate. It is located in the Vedado district, along the Malecon. They can assist you if you lose your passport or have similar troubles.

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Interests_Section_in_Havana

 

__________________________

 

 

U.S. Travel To Cuba Grows As Restrictions Are Eased

 

Cuba is the only country in the world the U.S. government restricts its own citizens from visiting. Americans can go to Burma, Iran, even North Korea if those places give them a visa.

 

The Obama administration has now relaxed travel rules for Cuba, leading to a surge in U.S.-government approved tours to the island. But in the U.S., some lawmakers staunchly opposed to the Castro government say the travel programs are filled with heavy doses of propaganda.

 

The lobby of Havana's iconic Hotel Nacional is as good a place as any to contemplate the evolution of the 50-year-old American trade embargo against Cuba and its corresponding restrictions on U.S. travel.

 

Every morning, busloads of U.S. visitors, many well into their golden years, gather with tour groups to go out and explore what has long been a forbidden island.

 

This government-owned hotel and others in Cuba have been packed this winter, and one reason is the restoration of a policy that dates to Bill Clinton's years in the White House. It's a policy known as people-to-people travel, designed to bring ordinary Cubans and Americans into closer contact.

 

No Beaches, No Cabaret Shows

 

Last year, some 400,000 U.S. travelers visited Cuba, making the United States the second-largest source of foreign visitors to the island after Canada. Most were Cuban-Americans coming to see family, but the demand for Cuba tour packages among U.S. visitors like William Colon is growing fast.

 

"I don't know if you can call this tourism in the regular way that people come and go to the beach," he says. "Here, this is a learning experience; we are learning all about the Cuban people, and our eyes are wide open. I've been waiting for the last 10 years to do this trip, and finally we are able to do it."

 

Colon is president of the Latino Institute, an educational nonprofit, and he was traveling with a group of 20 other academics, lawyers and students from New Jersey. The U.S. company that arranged their tour, Insight Cuba, claims to be the largest provider of U.S.-government licensed travel to the island, and that means no days on the beach or nights at Havana's Tropicana Cabaret.

 

Instead, the group goes to hospitals, schools and historic sites, all with a tour guide appointed by the Cuban government in order to keep a pro-Castro spin on things.

 

For instance, when talking about Cuba's cigar festival, a guide points out that cigars signed by Fidel Castro are auctioned off, with the proceeds going to health care.

 

If U.S. travelers buy tickets to the island through Mexico or another third country, they can go almost anywhere, renting rooms in private Cuban homes, eating in private restaurants, and traveling around with taxi drivers, all of which would expose them to the full range of Cuban feelings about Fidel Castro and his brother Raul, Cuba's current president.

 

But those trips are not allowed under U.S. law, and travelers would be risking a fine from the U.S. Treasury Department, which doesn't allow Americans to go to Cuba in an independent, unstructured way.

 

Even the educational tours offered by some of the most respected organizations in the United States are now coming under fire from a push to restore Bush-era travel restrictions.

 

Some U.S. Lawmakers Object

 

A congressional committee is investigating the Smithsonian Institution at the request of Miami Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, a Republican who chairs the House Foreign Affairs Committee. Republican Florida Sen. Marco Rubio says the Cuba programs verge on "indoctrination."

 

Renee Reed, a librarian from Minnesota on her second visit to Cuba, says it is up to travelers to make up their own minds about what they see on their visits.

 

"It's our responsibility to try to educate ourselves to the best of our abilities so we can have a more balanced perspective," Reed says.

 

 

Those who want to limit American travelers to Cuba say that unrestricted American tourism to Cuba would throw an economic lifeline to the Castro government.

 

Cuba's economy is already being buoyed by Venezuelan fuel subsidies. China and Brazil are making major investments, too, and a Spanish company has started drilling for oil off Cuba's north coast.

 

Gonzalo Perez, the son of Cuban immigrants who grew up in New Jersey, says tourists from all over the world are already visiting the island.

 

"Europeans can come here if they want, so the money comes in from that direction, so I don't think my contribution is going to really make a big difference in the big scheme of things," he says.

 

Perez says his family wasn't too happy about his Cuba trip, especially his grandfather, who he says had to work four years in the sugarcane fields before the Castro government let him leave for the United States in 1970. But Perez says that like his fellow American visitors, he wanted to see Cuba for himself.

 

 

source: http://www.npr.org/2012/02/06/146474813/u-s-travel-to-cuba-grows-as-restrictions-are-eased

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First, there are plenty of legal ways to travel to Cuba, but they seem to be more restrictive (all sorts of compulsory activities because the trip has to be "educational") and more expensive. If you're worried about 3rd-country travel to Cuba, I wouldn't sweat it. Fines for travel to Cuba are so rare that even an American who tried to get arrested for his travel to Cuba couldn't. The last known case of a fine levied for travel to Cuba was during the GW Bush administration, and it seems this traveler got busted for failing to submit a form, which in turn brought his Cuba trip to light. Just don't be stupid and post all your vacation pix on Facebook when you get back. I wouldn't bring back cigars either, just smoke a few while you're there.

 

Steven, thanks for the reminder that there is a US presence in Cuba. I remember now that our Cuba travel contact, the person who facilitated all the arrangements for my cousin's wedding in Havana, told me about it as a formality, but I forgot all about it because by the second day in Havana, it became very clear just how much both the Castro regime and the Cuban people wanted us American travelers in their country. The regime desperately needs the hard currency we spend in Cuba, and the people desperately need the money and goods we give/spend/trade. I can't say that problems never arise for Americans in Cuba, never say never, but rest assured, it's extremely unlikely. Also, while any traveler should always think about his safety, it's easy to let your guard down in Cuba. Because the government is so starved for our hard currency, it makes any crime committed against a tourist an extremely serious offense. When I was there, stealing even one US dollar from a tourist meant a 4-year prison sentence. Imagine the penalties for bigger thefts or physical assaults. Whether we actually were immune from crime or just enjoyed the delusion that we were, you can't imagine what a stress release it was.

 

Here's an odd little travel tip: just because a cubano looks at you and adjusts his crotch, it doesn't mean he's cruising you. If you look foreign, Cubans will stare at you. Don't take it as rude; don't take it to mean anything at all. They check out tourists because tourists are the primary source of money and goods. Also, it seems in Cuba that it's perfectly acceptable for a man to grab at his package in public. Sure, we do it in the US too, but usually with at least some attempt at stealth. For cubanos, adjusting your crotch seems to be socially comparable to blinking.

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In conjunction with BSR's salient information, I'd like to add some valuable websites to consult if you're interested in traveling to Cuba authorized as well as unauthorized. First, a reputable company to use for traveling as a gay man would be http://www.out-adventures.com. This company is based in Canada and can make arrangements for you to travel to Cuba before the tour and assist you in extending independently if you care to do so. I've been in touch with the owner via email and internet chat during the past six months. I've also consulted an independent gay guide in Cuba whose family has a bread n breakfast facility; he serves as a guide but does not help with providing men for one's sexual proclivities. [http://www.gaycuba.me] If I were to use his services, I would have him show me as well as accompany me to some gay-friendly venues [parties] in Havana as well as accommodating me with my cultural interests. Go and read what he has on his website. In his recent email to me, his rates per guiding seemed reasonable to me as well. Sorry I can't remember his fee, what if any of us travel to Cuba, we can afford what he cited.

 

For other insightful information, consult http://www.cubaabsolutely.com, http://www.cubatravelforamericans.com, http://www.cubaeducationaltours.com, the company that I am using for my trip. This company is based in Canada but does authorized travel trips which can include Americans. ...spoke to one of the agents the other day and told him that I am pleased that I'll be able to travel independently while in Habana, Cuba during my too-short educational tour.

Do a google check to find out what's out there; read what's on http://www.tripadvisor.com related to restaurants in Havana as well as hotels and "Things to Do"--etc. [CUBAN TOUR GUIDE: Go to Bing.com and type in gay cuban tour guide or gay guide in cuba or gaycuba.me.]

Again, I thank all who have chimed in. If you have other websites for one to consult, please add here.

 

We know about the flights; now it's time to pursue the adventures themselves, cultural and otherwise!

 

[The "crotch grabbing" is indicative of many men in South and Central America as well as in Italy. As BSR mentioned, we do it here, too, to free those "gems!"]

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Steven, thanks for the reminder that there is a US presence in Cuba. I remember now that our Cuba travel contact, the person who facilitated all the arrangements for my cousin's wedding in Havana, told me about it as a formality

 

You're welcome, BSR. I remembered from my International Law lectures that Switzerland represents the US interests in Cuba and Iran. The United States Interest section in Cuba function as de facto Embassy. I think the article on About.com saying that "If you get in trouble in Cuba there’s no U.S. embassy there to help you" could be more detailed and specific.

 

 

If you have other websites for one to consult, please add here.

 

I'd add Wiki Travel: http://wikitravel.org/en/Cuba

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First, there are plenty of legal ways to travel to Cuba, but they seem to be more restrictive (all sorts of compulsory activities because the trip has to be "educational") and more expensive.

 

 

More restrictive? Americans are not legally permitted to mingle among Cubans unsupervised. Considering the restrictions placed on Americans traveling to Cuba, how in the world will an American be able to legally meet any of the supposed available Cuban men that are discussed by some members?

 

I previously contacted a licensed agency about my taking a possible trip to Cuba. After my spending hours of research and reading the material furnished by the agency, I learned that my evenings would not be free to mingle among the Cuban people. Rather, all my activities away from the hotel (chosen by the tour operator) would be supervised by the tour operator.

 

 

If you're worried about 3rd-country travel to Cuba, I wouldn't sweat it. Fines for travel to Cuba are so rare that even an American who tried to get arrested for his travel to Cuba couldn't. The last known case of a fine levied for travel to Cuba was during the GW Bush administration, and it seems this traveler got busted for failing to submit a form, which in turn brought his Cuba trip to light. Just don't be stupid and post all your vacation pix on Facebook when you get back. I wouldn't bring back cigars either, just smoke a few while you're there.

 

 

The USA Today news article (cited by the OP) focuses an an American who has an agenda in testing federal laws. The American supposedly and eventually wants to have a court case to test the validity of the restrictions on Americans visiting Cuba. What an insurmountable task for one citizen to take against the United States federal government.

 

I find it difficult to believe that any reasonable person would risk being fined, and/or being arrested and/or being put on a watch list each and every time, in the future, he leaves and reenters the U.S.

 

This is a great forum for discussing and sharing useful and LEGITIMATE information. I find the discussion of encouraging members to intentionally violate laws to be very disturbing.

 

An unsupervised trip to Cuba would probably be exciting and wonderful. However, the consequences for knowingly, willingly and intentionally violating federal laws that prohibit such travel simply is not worth the risk.

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More restrictive? Americans are not legally permitted to mingle among Cubans unsupervised. Considering the restrictions placed on Americans traveling to Cuba, how in the world will an American be able to legally meet any of the supposed available Cuban men that are discussed by some members?

I previously contacted a licensed agency about my taking a possible trip to Cuba. After my spending hours of research and reading the material furnished by the agency, I learned that my evenings would not be free to mingle among the Cuban people. Rather, all my activities away from the hotel (chosen by the tour operator) would be supervised by the tour operator.

That's exactly my issue with these sanctioned tours: they seem to be far too restrictive. I'm sure the educational tours are interesting, but museum and architecture tours are not the reason to visit Cuba, in my opinion.

 

This is a great forum for discussing and sharing useful and LEGITIMATE information. I find the discussion of encouraging members to intentionally violate laws to be very disturbing.

An unsupervised trip to Cuba would probably be exciting and wonderful. However, the consequences for knowingly, willingly and intentionally violating federal laws that prohibit such travel simply is not worth the risk.

From one of those motivational posters: "Opportunity always comes with some risk. You can't steal 2nd base while keeping your foot on 1st." When I went to Cuba in 2004, over 400,000 Americans were making illegal trips to Cuba per year. That year, the only people caught and fined were a couple stupid enough to create an entire website dedicated to their Cuban travel experience. The GWB administration's enforcement of the travel ban was pretty thin, and apparently the Obama administration's enforcement is even thinner.

 

I am a fairly well-traveled person. I grew up in Asia, Canada, and the US. I've been to Europe eight times, plus a year living in Spain. And I've been to Australia & New Zealand. But the most amazing, eye-opening, mind-blowing, and emotional travel experience I've ever had was the trip to Cuba. I could go on for pages and pages about how unbelievably different life is for the average Cuban compared to the average American (or Canadian, or European, or almost anybody) yet still fall far short of describing it fully. In a country with a superb educational system and a vast wealth of natural resources, children go without milk and walk around barefoot. Almost nobody (the exceptions always include members of the Communist regime, their families, and their cronies) takes a hot shower because heating water is too expensive. Forget laptops, tablets, and smartphones, almost nobody even has a phone. Most Cubans rely on one payphone for an entire neighborhood. Nobody has a TV or Internet access. Most people lack decent shoes or clothing, basic medicines (like aspirin, cough syrup), and toiletries. Yet through all the suffering, Cubans find a way to be happy because of the indomitability of the human spirit. It's beyond amazing.

 

My experience was mind-blowing, yet I didn't have a chance (because of family obligations) to sample the escort scene. And trust me when I say that cubanos are scorching hot, like surface-of-the-sun H*O*T!! A hundred bucks a day for a beautiful, sexy cubano companion 24/7?? Most gents on this board will think they died and went to heaven.

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When I went to Cuba in 2004, over 400,000 Americans were making illegal trips to Cuba per year. That year, the only people caught and fined were a couple stupid enough to create an entire website dedicated to their Cuban travel experience.

 

 

With all due respect, you have no way of knowing how many illegal travelers to Cuba were "caught" to use your word. The federal government does not publish all such offenses.

 

 

 

I am a fairly well-traveled person.

 

My experience was mind-blowing, yet I didn't have a chance (because of family obligations) to sample the escort scene. And trust me when I say that cubanos are scorching hot, like surface-of-the-sun H*O*T!! A hundred bucks a day for a beautiful, sexy cubano companion 24/7?? Most gents on this board will think they died and went to heaven.

 

 

I, too, am well traveled. I frequently travel to many parts of the world. I am presently in Brazil on my 117th trip here. I come here, legally, and have a wonderful time. I do not have to worry whether I will have trouble with immigration when I return to the U.S.

 

My having the "Trusted Traveler" status known as "Global Entry" with the United States Customs and Border Protection, I am allowed to return from my many foreign trips without the hassle of going through traditional Customs and Immigration. If I were to illegally enter Cuba, as has been suggested herein, I would lose my special status and goodness knows on how many watch lists my name would be added. Here is a brief article concerning Global Entry - http://www.cbp.gov/travel/trusted-traveler-programs/global-entry

 

Incidentally, you mentioned how great the Cubans look. If one were to travel to Barcelona and visit Sauna Thermas, one would find many available Cubans and other nationalities (and many Brazilians also), all without the worry of being "caught" for violating the laws of the United States.

 

I encourage those considering entering Cuba unlawfully to abandon the idea. The consequences are far too great. There are so many other places to visit where we can go without fear of breaking U.S.laws.

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