Cuba as a Resort Destination

[disney junky]

This has always intrigued me. I wish Cuba would open its doors to Americans as a resort destination. It would be so convenient, their people would prosper. Am I naive?

 

[Eeyore'sthebest]

They would love to take our money. Citizens of many other countries do go there as a resort destination. Its supposed to be quite nice in the resort areas. It is the caribbean after all.
We still have the embargo and are prohibited from traveling there.

 

[MosMom]

They would love to take our money. Citizens of many other countries do go there as a resort destination. Its supposed to be quite nice in the resort areas. It is the caribbean after all.
We still have the embargo and are prohibited from traveling there.

What she said.

 

[saremca]

I would love to travel to Cuba, as would my cigar-loving DH.

 

[pr surfer]

This has always intrigued me. I wish Cuba would open its doors to Americans as a resort destination. It would be so convenient, their people would prosper. Am I naive?

Cuba's doors have always been open to the US.

It's the US who put up a locked fence in our backyard

We [SIC] are prohibited from traveling there.

No we're not. We're prohibited from spending even a penny there without prior authorization. But if an American goes there without spending a single cent, and be able to prove it if caught (which in itself is unlikely if you have half a brain) they'll be fine.

 

[Eeyore'sthebest]

No we're not. We're prohibited from spending even a penny there without prior authorization. But if an American goes there without spending a single cent, and be able to prove it if caught (which in itself is unlikely if you have half a brain) they'll be fine.

How do you go to any country and not spend even a penny?

 

[pr surfer]

How do you go to any country and not spend even a penny?

You can't. That's the caveat

You can't even buy a plane ticket to get there, since part of the price you pay goes to Cuba in the form of taxes.

You can't go by boat, because you have to pay marina fees, etc.


However, many Americans go a year, and very VERY VEEEEEEEEEERY few of them get caught. Just bring cash, since US credit cards aren't accepted, make sure they don't stamp your passport, and spend at least a day going there and coming back from whichever country you're using for transit to Cuba.

Or get OFAC permission

 

[JARNJ3]

How do you go to any country and not spend even a penny?

You can't. Hence why no one from USA travels there.

There's talk of changing it - but I don't see it happening in the near future - there are still pols fighting changing the policy. NJ's senator being one of them.

 

[pr surfer]

Hence why no one from USA travels there.

 

[Eeyore'sthebest]

You can't. That's the caveat

You can't even buy a plane ticket to get there, since part of the price you pay goes to Cuba in the form of taxes.

You can't go by boat, because you have to pay marina fees, etc.


However, many Americans go a year, and very VERY VEEEEEEEEEERY few of them get caught. Just bring cash, since US credit cards aren't accepted, make sure they don't stamp your passport, and spend at least a day going there and coming back from whichever country you're using for transit to Cuba.

Or get OFAC permission

Okay thanks. I think I'll pass on Cuba for now. I'll stick to the DCL. Much easier.

 

[Golf4food]

Cuba is a beautiful country. They could make millions per year (or billions) on tourists from the US.

We should have just taken over the country in the 1890s during our war with Spain and been done with it - Florida would be a better place now, haha.

 

[Olaf]

When Castro lets all of the people he has jailed for political reasons out, and allows his own people to travel freely, then and only then, would I consider spending my hard-earned money in that country.

 

[perdidobay]

When Castro lets all of the people he has jailed for political reasons out, and allows his own people to travel freely, then and only then, would I consider spending my hard-earned money in that country.

Same here.

 

[pr surfer]

When Castro lets all of the people he has jailed for political reasons out, and allows his own people to travel freely, then and only then, would I consider spending my hard-earned money in that country.

If it hasn't happened yet, it's likely that our policy isn't working.

What a better way to spark the seeds of a democratic revolution than by letting common Cubans see happy American tourists spending their dollars there?

 

[HamTown]

There are religious mission teams that have been allowed (by the U.S. and Cuban governments) to go for a week at a time to do hurricane relief. Getting supplies is a little tricky, but it's the only legal way to go now that I know about.

 

[castleview]

Many Canadians and Europeans vacation in Cuba. Americans could too if Florida had only three electoral votes instead of 20 - not saying Florida should only have three electoral votes, but that's the reason the embargo is still in place.

 

[BCDisneyFanatic]

When Castro lets all of the people he has jailed for political reasons out, and allows his own people to travel freely, then and only then, would I consider spending my hard-earned money in that country.

Not that I support Castro or his policies...but just to stir the pot... Isn't your own government preventing you from traveling freely with their boycott on Cuba? Why is that acceptable, but Castro's travel policies aren't?

 

[pr surfer]

There are religious mission teams that have been allowed (by the U.S. and Cuban governments) to go for a week at a time to do hurricane relief. Getting supplies is a little tricky, but it's the only legal way to go now that I know about.

There are other ways. When I went it was to attend a conference, and I was able to get OFAC permission.

 

[KristiKelly]

I would love to go there, I've seen traveler photos on Tripadvisor and it looks like a beautiful place.

 

[scnana]

I have a letter that was sent to my brother in the late 1950's from Cuba. He was president of his senior class (very small achool in Fla.) and Cuba wanted to be the destination for their Senior trip. I went to the same school during the 60's when we were terrified of Cuba, so I always thought this was strange.