Travel

Why Americans can’t vacation in Cuba

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While diplomatic relations with Cuba have been restored since January 2015, Americans still do not have permission to travel to the island for tourism purposes. All visits must be legally declared educational.

According to CNN, “U.S. citizens can legally travel to Cuba if they are engaging in 12 categories of activities such as professional research, participating in an athletic event, performing in a concert, working on a humanitarian project or taking part in educational activities.”

CNN reports that U.S. cruise lines such as Carnival have considered offering cruises for  Americans with educational tours and several ferry operators want to begin re-establishing regular service between Florida and Cuba.

According to Huffington Post, If you are planning an educational trip to Cuba, it will have to be a people- to- people trip. This means you must meet Cuban citizens in “real” settings, such as schools and community centers. In the past, Americans had to prove their educational purposes with a full cultural itinerary typically booked by a tour company, which could be costly.

Travelling to Cuba has become more simple. There are several daily flights from Miami. More flights are being added from destinations such as Tampa, New York and Orlando operated by major carriers including American and JetBlue. The seats must be booked by a third- party charter companies because seats cannot be sold until a new civil aviation agreement is made between U.S. and Cuba.

Huffington Post offers a pricing list here.
It says, “Spending a week in Cuba will cost you approximately $315, but with pricey chartered  flights averaging $717 per ticket, your grand total will reach an estimated $1,032.”

Cuba does not have the best internet and cell phone services for Americans. According to Huffington Post, Google is in the early stages of equipping the island with high- speed internet. Only Verizon and Sprint offer roaming cell phone coverage on the island. Communication can be costly and limited during the trip.

Prices are expected to drop as relations continue to change between Cuba and The U.S.

Sources:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/gobankingrates/can-americans-travel-to-c_b_9525858.html
http://www.cnn.com/2015/07/17/travel/cuba-travel-feat/

 

 

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Josey graduated from Malone University with a communication arts degree with an emphasis in public relations and marketing minor. She was the editor in chief of the student newspaper, The Aviso. When she was about 12 years old she read her first magazine and instantly knew she wanted to write for one. She absolutely loves telling a story through her writing.

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