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+--- Thread: OT: don't ask me why, but I have always wanted to go to Cuba (/showthread.php?tid=126211)
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Re: OT: don't ask me why, but I have always wanted to go to Cuba - macphanatic - 10-30-2011
hal wrote:
My uncle's family has been there many times and love it - claim the food is better than anywhere else in the world - what's with the BS healthcare comment?
Because they can't bill US health insurance providers for any services rendered. Not really BS.
The real BS is that there is still a travel restriction by the US.
Re: OT: don't ask me why, but I have always wanted to go to Cuba - Paul F. - 10-31-2011
I did some reading on this very subject a few months ago, also out of curiousity.
Yes, there is a "tourist fee" on leaving, but it's modest.
Also, there is the requirement to have non-US based health insurance... because US based insurance companies cannot pay claims to Cuba.
There ARE legal ways to go to Cuba legally, but it's very paper-work heavy, and there are no permits granted for "tourism", only educational, documentary, scientific or humanitarian reasons.
That all being said, it is VERY common, and VERY easy to fly into Cuba from Canada, Mexico, the Bahamas, most of the Carribean, etc.
Flights from Mexico City are 4-5 times a week.
It's not legal under US law, but prosecutions are virtually ZERO, unless you try to bring back obviously Cuban material such as a couple bottles of Cuban Rum, and a box of Cuban Cigars...
Cuban Customs will not stamp your passport unless you specifically ask them to.... which, by the way, is the OTHER "stupid thing" you can do to get prosecuted. But you have to TRY HARD to get your passport stamped, and get into trouble on your return.
Here's a little technical tidbit on the US Law; it does NOT ban TRAVEL to Cuba.. it bans American Citizens from spending MONEY in Cuba.
The catch 22 of that is that if you travel to Cuba, you are ASSUMED to have HAD to spend money in Cuba to live; eat, sleep, stay, travel, etc. And they're right... it's virtually impossible to prove that you didn't spend ANY money to get to, stay in, or return from, Cuba.
It appears that if one does get "caught" returning from Cuba, you'll get a letter from the State Dept in the mail assessing you a fine for violating the US travel restrictions to Cuba. People have been able to negotiate that fine down to a few hundred dollars.
I'm not going to get into whether the travel ban and boycotts of Cuba are good national policy or not... (I'm actually of two minds on that... but no matter).
It would be a VERY interesting place to visit! Which is why I did some research.
It seems that it's trivialy easy to get there, and no one in Cuba gives a rats rear if you're American; they welcome you, and your dollars.
Re: OT: don't ask me why, but I have always wanted to go to Cuba - archipirata - 10-31-2011
A couple friends have done some documentary photo work there and I am always so jealous as the landscape, historic architecture, and local culture look amazing.
Re: OT: don't ask me why, but I have always wanted to go to Cuba - Dennis S - 10-31-2011
"Also, there is the requirement to have non-US based health insurance"
How is this done?
Re: OT: don't ask me why, but I have always wanted to go to Cuba - Paul F. - 10-31-2011
Cuba has announced that as of May 2010 it will start requiring visitors to have non-U.S. medical insurance, and will sell a temporary policy to those who do not have it.
Thats how...
Re: OT: don't ask me why, but I have always wanted to go to Cuba - decocritter - 10-31-2011
A friend went over when he was in Cancun. He had no problem.
I want to go, love the music.
Re: OT: don't ask me why, but I have always wanted to go to Cuba - N-OS X-tasy! - 10-31-2011
decocritter wrote:
A friend went over when he was in Cancun. He had no problem.
I want to go, love the music.
...and the food, and the women...
Re: OT: don't ask me why, but I have always wanted to go to Cuba - Mike V - 10-31-2011
You really should go.
Even just going to Havana for a week is well worth it.
I went about 10-15 years ago.
It was amazing.
It's difficult to get around and the food is really terrible.
But it is worth it.
There were heaps of US citizens there when I went coming and going via Cancun (very short flight).
I'm Australian so the rules didn't effect me.
I wish I could post some images, but back then I was shooting film.
I would love to go back with digital.
Re: OT: don't ask me why, but I have always wanted to go to Cuba - Grace62 - 10-31-2011
Dennis S wrote:
"Also, there is the requirement to have non-US based health insurance"
How is this done?
You can buy a very cheap international traveler's health care policy before you leave for your trip, runs less than $20/week and will cover you wherever you go during your trip. You only have to buy it from the Cuban gov't if you show up without a policy, and they charge something like $4/day while you're in the country.