shaytravels

Just curious, I've heard rumors that Americans are not allowd to visit Cuba. Is this true? Any experiences?

virginia

shay, i was thinking that everyone knew about the travel embargo that has existed since the 60's. and as i read through your posts it seems you are from sonoma, calif so can't figure out how this could be a surprise to you???

shaytravels

born quite a bit later than 1960, and still new to traveling.The government hardly suprises me anymore, in the way they try to control our lives.So I guess it doesn't suprise me that they try to tell us where we can and can't visit. Sad really. Oh, and I'm from Sonora not Sonoma. Sonora has about population of 4500 people, and as much as I love it, I try to get out and see as much as I can. There isn't much to do here for someone my ageI will do more research about Cuba though. Thanks for the reply.

Reisender

Does this indicate the problems in the schools of Snoring Sonora?

virginia

very basically. early 60's - nikita kruschev ran russia. kennedy was our president. the russians/castro appeared to be building nucleur lauching systems on cuba (90miles from miami). spy planes confirmed this. kennedy sent our navy to blockade all ships from entering cuba and went to the UN. for 2 weeks most of the world thought WW111 was imminent. people were seriously scared! castro and kruschev backed down.
re the embargo: eisenhower started it banning trade of sugar, oil & arms in 1960 and advocating the overthrow of castro. kennedy banned all trade in 62. and banned travel in 63. after jkf was killed his brother rfk tried unsuccesfully to lift the travel ban. in 77 carter dropped the ban but in 81 reagan put it back.
my mother went when she was in her 20's, in the 1930's. apparently she had a fabulous time in the nightclubs and said the beaches were gorgeous.
i'd love to go as soon as our govt gets over their thing with castro. (we did after all keep trading with communist russia)
and the rest of the world is free to travel there now.
sonora is a desert town yes? i've read you will have a magnificient flower bloom this spring. >something to do...perhaps with a glass of wine from sonoma?

shaytravels

Reisender, yes unfortunatly I had a terrible history teacher. You know,the monotone type. I don't think I learned anything at all that year. Incidently, he is no longer working there!
Virginia, thanks for the wealth of information. I hope they do lift the travel ban someday. I think Cuba is somewhere I would like to visit. Sonora, is a small little town in the foot hills of California. About 50 miles north east of Modesto. I get asked all the time when I travel if I am from Sonora Mexico. We're a ways from the deserts of southern CA and Arizona. I wonder if you are thinking of the area around Death Valley for flowers. It is supposed to be beautiful! Something else that is on my future to do list.

chris813

okay, so you CAN go to cuba but should realize the risks. you can get there quite easily from Canada. Canada does not have any travel bans, and if you've ever been to Europe you'll see lots of ads there for Cuba tourism, too. You used to be able to get to Cuba from Grand Cayman but it's been some years since I live there so not sure if you still can. The deal is that when Americans go through Customs in Cuba, the Customs official stamps a piece of paper and inserts it in your US passport. If your US passport gets a Cuba stamp, you might as well kiss it goodbye. My husband is Canadian and has a Cuba stamp in his passport, but no big deal and the US doesn't care as Canadians are allowed to go there. The other risk is that should anything happen to you while in Cuba, you don't have the protection of the US government's arms, because you are there at your own discretion.

virginia

under the current laws its not your passport you'd be kissing goodbye. it would be your freedom!

travelme

Ok, Shay, blame your History teacher for you not knowing about Cuba. Ya, its all the teacher's fault. Give me a break!

MJOB1976

It's possible to go to Cuba from Miami IF your reason for travel is very specific like athletic competition, cultural exchanges, reporters, etc. I flew non stop (an hour) from Miami to Havana. It's a step back in time with all the 50's cars still running.

tower

Shay...as the poster above states...there are several different ways you can go into Cuba..three years ago, wife and I volunteered to carry medical supplies into Cuba....and made arrangements through a California Travel Agency specializing in this kind of quasi-clandestine entry.
(Escapes Unlimited, Orange County)

The recipients, members of one of the only two synagogues in Havana, were overjoyed with the heart, diabetes, asthma , etc. meds. There is a marked shortage of these in Cuba for the general population.

stu t.

stu t.

camelbak

Yes you can still get to Cuba through Grand Cayman, and no Cayman will not stamp your passport (and ditto Cuba) when you go through customs.

However, don't even dream of coming back across the US border with anything Cubian or your caught.

I'm Canadian, so it wouldn't matter for my passport (and I want to fill that thing with stamps!!!) but yes there are ways to get to Cuba without the US finding out.