Two Highly Recommended Tour Companies for Travel to Cuba
Jul 17th, 2017, 03:22 PM
#21
Join Date: Jul 2014
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What IS very premature is to PANIC potential travelers into thinking that the only way to travel to Cuba from the US is some overpriced group tour.
The tour companies themselves are attempting to do this. They don't need help.
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You originally said: "After or before the travel, I'll devise my own itinerary and travel independently."
And I replied: "According to what's been published so far, that would not be allowed."
If you are traveling on a tour, time before or after it does not fall under the control of the tour company (How would they be able to swear to OFAC that what you were doing fell under the guidelines for their P2P license when no one from the tour company was supervising your activities?) and a traveler would need to apply independently.
If P2P is no longer an option for individuals, the Support category is the next best thing for independent, culturally oriented travelers.
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"you're missing my point. "Support for the Cuba" was rigidly defined under the pre-Obama rules. Until 2015, it was never about going to Cuba on your own ....... If the new rules revert to the pre-Obama rules, it will be a difficult category for the average person to claim.
"These are the current regs that were put into place under Obama's opening to Cuba two years ago"
You have not quoted what the pre-Obama rules actually were, so how is anyone to know what is the accurate pre-Obama wording of the Support category? Just take your word? Right.
Most travelers had to apply to OFAC for a specific license, yes, but what was the actual definition of the activities fulfilling the category,to see if it was more "rigid" than at present or not?
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Personally it makes no practical difference to me, since I fell under neither of those two categories.
But I do not like the intimidation that is implied by stating that some ridiculously overpriced tour company may be the only way to go to Cuba in future.
The tour companies themselves are attempting to do this. They don't need help.
--------
You originally said: "After or before the travel, I'll devise my own itinerary and travel independently."
And I replied: "According to what's been published so far, that would not be allowed."
If you are traveling on a tour, time before or after it does not fall under the control of the tour company (How would they be able to swear to OFAC that what you were doing fell under the guidelines for their P2P license when no one from the tour company was supervising your activities?) and a traveler would need to apply independently.
If P2P is no longer an option for individuals, the Support category is the next best thing for independent, culturally oriented travelers.
--------------
"you're missing my point. "Support for the Cuba" was rigidly defined under the pre-Obama rules. Until 2015, it was never about going to Cuba on your own ....... If the new rules revert to the pre-Obama rules, it will be a difficult category for the average person to claim.
"These are the current regs that were put into place under Obama's opening to Cuba two years ago"
You have not quoted what the pre-Obama rules actually were, so how is anyone to know what is the accurate pre-Obama wording of the Support category? Just take your word? Right.
Most travelers had to apply to OFAC for a specific license, yes, but what was the actual definition of the activities fulfilling the category,to see if it was more "rigid" than at present or not?
-------------------
Personally it makes no practical difference to me, since I fell under neither of those two categories.
But I do not like the intimidation that is implied by stating that some ridiculously overpriced tour company may be the only way to go to Cuba in future.
