Tag Archives: Cuba Travel

international travel, Responsible Travel

State Department Reclassifies Cuba’s Travel Advisory to Level 2, No Longer Recommending Americans ‘Reconsider Travel’

Tour operators welcomed the US State Department’s reclassification of its Cuba’s travel advisory to a Level 2.

The U.S. State Department updated its travel advisory rating for Cuba from “Level 3: Reconsider Travel” to “Level 2: Exercise Increased Caution.” The move, which took place in August, was welcomed by a coalition of U.S. tour operators and organizations that have seen educational exchanges between the U.S. and Cuba deeply hurt by the State Department’s level 3 classification. However, other measures are still in place, including a warning in the travel advisory to “avoid” the popular Hotel Nacional and Hotel Capri. The updated rating came as part of the Department’s mandatory six-month review of the Cuba travel advisory, which was last evaluated on March 2, 2018.

“We are pleased that the State Department has made this common-sense decision,” said Martha Honey, Executive Director of the Center for Responsible Travel (CREST), which has coordinated the coalition’s advocacy work. “Cuba is one of the safest countries in the world, and people-to-people exchanges, which began to flourish under the Obama administration, ground almost to a halt when the travel restrictions were imposed last year.”

Ahead of the State Department’s review, the coalition sent a letter to the State Department advocating for this change to Cuba’s travel advisory. The group argued that the “Level 3: Reconsider Travel” rating was unwarranted given the realities of travel to Cuba and explained the travel advisory’s far-reaching negative impacts for the Cuban people as well as for U.S. travelers and travel businesses. For the first half of 2018, U.S. travel to Cuba – not including travel by Cuban Americans – declined by 23.6% compared to the same period in 2018. In a survey conducted by CREST in early 2018, 84% of U.S. tour operators cited the State Department’s travel advisory as the main reason for this drop in U.S. travel to Cuba.

“As travel professionals, we have seen firsthand the benefits of people-to-people travel to Cuba, which puts revenue directly into the hands of Cuban households while providing U.S. travelers with outstanding cultural and educational experiences…We are concerned about how the decline in U.S. travel to Cuba is hurting Cuban entrepreneurs and curtailing invaluable exchanges between American travelers and the Cuban people,” the coalition said in their letter to the State Department.

Cuba’s travel advisory rating was designated at “Level 3: Reconsider Travel” after U.S. embassy personnel in Havana were stricken with unexplained health ailments. However, as the coalition’s letter explains, there have been no confirmed cases of similar ailments among visitors to Cuba.

The update to the Cuba travel advisory rating is a critical step forward for the Cuban people and recognizes the importance of educational and people-to-people travel. Kate Simpson, President of Academic Travel Abroad in Washington, DC notes, “This move on the part of the State Department, placing Cuba in the same category as most of Europe, should reassure American citizens that it is legal and safe to travel to this unique and compelling destination.”

The Center for Responsible Travel (CREST) is a policy-oriented research organization dedicated to increasing the positive global impact of responsible tourism. CREST assists governments, policy makers, tourism businesses, nonprofit organizations, and international agencies with finding solutions to critical issues confronting tourism, the world’s largest service industry (responsibletravel.org).

Wilderness Voyageurs Cuba Cycling Tours 

Meanwhile, Wilderness Voyageurs has announced new tour dates for its popular Cuba Clasico Bike Tour, a fully supported and legally licensed tour that starts and finishes in Havana. Along the way, the tour visits 3 UNESCO World Heritage Sites (Havana Vieja, Trinidad and Zapata National Park); Old Town Havana; Museo de Ernesto Hemingway; and sea kayaking on the coast. The dates are December 1, 2018 and March 30, 2019.

The company also is offering Quintessential West Cuba Bike Tour, starting March 23, 2019.

Wilderness Voyageurs, 103 Garrett Street, Ohiopyle, PA 15470, 724-329-1000, 800-272-4141, wilderness-voyageurs.com.

For more travel features, visit:

goingplacesfarandnear.com

goingplacesnearandfar.wordpress.com

moralcompasstravel.info

www.huffingtonpost.com/author/karen-rubin

travelwritersmagazine.com/TravelFeaturesSyndicate/

goingplacesfarandnear.tumblr.com/

instagram.com/krubin0830/

instagram.com/famtravltr/

‘Like’ us on facebook.com/NewsPhotoFeatures

Twitter: @TravelFeatures

cruises, Cuba Travel

Regent Seven Seas Cruises Adds Cuba Calls for 2018-19 Caribbean Season

The Nov. 11, 2018 sailing of Seven Seas Navigator, the Regent Seven Seas’ most intimate ship with just 245 suites, also will immerse guests in Cuban culture on the 14-night Eastern and Southern Caribbean itinerary © 2017 Karen Rubin/goingplacesfarandnear.com

Regent Seven Seas Cruises has just announced the addition of Cuba calls to six itineraries in the line’s 2018-19 Caribbean season. Travelers can visit Havana on select itineraries aboard Seven Seas Mariner, Seven Seas Voyager and Seven Seas Navigator, which depart Miami from October 2018 through March 2019. Guests on these voyages can choose among a variety of free and unlimited shore excursions to learn firsthand about the lives, history and culture of the Cuban people during their visit. The only North American luxury cruise line approved to visit Cuba, Regent Seven Seas Cruises first called on Havana in April 2017 with Seven Seas Mariner.

“There is so much culture and history in Cuba, and Regent Seven Seas Cruises is delighted to expand our itineraries with calls on Havana to provide our guests a more complete Caribbean experience,” said Jason Montague, president and chief executive officer of Regent Seven Seas Cruises. “Three of the six itineraries feature midnight departures from Havana Harbor, so guests have ample time to personally learn about Cuba’s authentic nightlife.”

Travelers can visit Havana on a 22-night voyage, sailing on Oct. 10, 2018 from Miami to Honolulu aboard Seven Seas Mariner. On this itinerary, guests also will transit the Panama Canal and call at some of the most beautiful, ecological destinations of Central America and the Mexican Riviera along the way.

The Nov. 11, 2018 sailing of Seven Seas Navigator, the line’s most intimate ship with just 245 suites, also will immerse guests in Cuban culture on the 14-night Eastern and Southern Caribbean itinerary.

For its part, Seven Seas Voyager will sail four round-trip, Caribbean voyages that include calls on Havana from December 2018 through March 2019. The Dec. 6, 2018 voyage takes guests on a 10-night Western Caribbean itinerary, while the Dec. 16, 2018, 12-night voyage throughout the Eastern Caribbean will celebrate Christmas on board. A seven-night Western Caribbean itinerary, sailing Feb. 6, 2019, will also take guests to Costa Maya and Cozumel, Mexico; and Roatán, Honduras, while a similar Mar. 5 itinerary replaces Costa Maya with Great Stirrup Cay, Bahamas. The Dec. 6, 2018, and Feb. 6 and Mar. 5, 2019 sailings feature midnight departures from Havana to offer time to experience the city’s evening culture.

As part of the Regent Seven Seas Cruises’ most-inclusive luxury experience, guests have a wide selection of expertly crafted shore excursions, offering an authentic Cuban experience that explores the people, music, art, history and culture of the city and are in compliance with the Office of Foreign Assets Control’s (OFAC) regulations.  To provide guests with even greater insights into Cuba and its people, guest scholars and expert lecturers will deliver compelling presentations about Cuba’s past, present and future.

Celebrating its 25th anniversary in 2017, Regent Seven Seas Cruises is the world’s most inclusive luxury experience with a four-ship fleet that visits more than 450 destinations around the world. Regent Seven Seas Cruises is currently undergoing a $125 million fleetwide refurbishment that will elevate the level of elegance found throughout the fleet to the standard set by Seven Seas Explorer, which entered service on July 20, 2016, and has since been recognized as the most luxurious ship ever built. The cruise line’s next industry game-changing ship will launch in 2020.

A leader in luxury cruising, the line’s fares include all-suite accommodations, round-trip domestic air or business-class air on intercontinental flights from U.S. and Canada, highly personalized service, exquisite cuisine, fine wines and spirits, unlimited internet access, sightseeing excursions in every port, gratuities, ground transfers and one-night, pre-cruise hotel package for guests staying in Concierge-level suites and higher.

For more information or to make a reservation, contact a professional travel agent, visit www.RSSC.com, or call 1-844-4REGENT (1-844-473-4368).

 

For more travel features, visit:

goingplacesfarandnear.com

www.huffingtonpost.com/author/karen-rubin

goingplacesnearandfar.wordpress.com

moralcompasstravel.info

travelwritersmagazine.com/TravelFeaturesSyndicate/

goingplacesfarandnear.tumblr.com/

instagram.com/krubin0830/

instagram.com/famtravltr/

‘Like’ us on facebook.com/NewsPhotoFeatures

Twitter: @TravelFeatures

Cuba Travel

6 US Airlines Approved to Begin Scheduled Service to Cuba as Early as Fall

Southwest Airlines is one of six US airline companies that have been approved to offer service to Cuba © 2016 Karen Rubin/news-photos-features.com
Southwest Airlines is one of six US airline companies that have been approved to offer service to Cuba © 2016 Karen Rubin/news-photos-features.com

WASHINGTON – As part of the Obama Administration’s efforts to normalize relations with Cuba, the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) has approved six domestic airlines to begin scheduled flights between Miami, Fort Lauderdale, Chicago, Philadelphia, and Minneapolis/St. Paul and Cuba as early as this fall.

“Last year, President Obama announced that it was time to ‘begin a new journey’ with the Cuban people,” said U.S. Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx.  “Today, we are delivering on his promise by re-launching scheduled air service to Cuba after more than half a century.”

On February 16, 2016, Secretary Foxx and Department of State Assistant Secretary for Economic and Business Affairs Charles Rivkin signed a non-legally-binding arrangement to re-establish scheduled air service between the two countries.  At the time of the signing, the administration announced that scheduled service would begin later in 2016.

The carriers receiving the awards are American Airlines, Frontier Airlines, JetBlue Airways, Silver Airways, Southwest Airlines, and Sun Country Airlines.

The five U.S. cities that will receive new scheduled service to Cuba are Miami, Fort Lauderdale, Chicago, Minneapolis/St. Paul, and Philadelphia.  The nine Cuban cities are Camagüey, Cayo Coco, Cayo Largo, Cienfuegos, Holguín, Manzanillo, Matanzas, Santa Clara, and Santiago de Cuba.

Under the new arrangement, each country has the opportunity to operate up to 10 daily roundtrip flights between the U.S. and each of Cuba’s nine international airports, other than Havana, for a total of 90 daily roundtrips.  Longer term, the arrangement also provides for up to 20 daily roundtrip flights between the U.S. and Havana.  Collectively, U.S. carriers have requested nearly 60 flights per day to Havana, thus requiring DOT to select from among the proposals.  A decision on the Havana routes will be announced later this summer.

You can view the DOT’s decision, track the progress of the case, and view the publicly available documents online at regulations.gov, Docket DOT-OST-2016-0021.

A fact sheet on this issue may be found here.

Cuba Travel

Abercrombie & Kent Launches Private People to People Journey to Cuba

Abercrombie & Kent has introduced its first private people-to-people journey to Cuba.
Abercrombie & Kent has introduced its first private people-to-people journey to Cuba.

DOWNERS GROVE, IL –Travelers now have the opportunity to experience Cuba as it currently is, still untouched by time, on Abercrombie & Kent’s first private journey, Signature Cuba: A Private People to People Journey. On this 7-day privately guided itinerary, you and your chosen travel companions will travel with a dedicated A&K Program Director and local guides who reveal the spirit of this island nation through meaningful interactions and people-to-people connections.

The program is designed to enable you to uncover the Havana only a long-time resident would know. Explore the city by foot with a local architect who offers authentic insights into its charming, historic styles. Dine at a paladar (family-run restaurant) where the owners share their passion for Cuban cuisine and discuss what is involved in running a private business in Cuba – an opportunity that, historically, was all but unheard of. Join renowned Cuban painter and ceramicist, José Fuster on a neighborhood walk, followed by a discussion of the role of the arts in contemporary Cuban culture.

Gain a deeper understanding of the island’s cultural traditions through its art and music. Join in a private salsa lesson and one-on-one talk with a Cuban salsa instructor. Visit the neo-classical-style Museo de Artes Decorativas, an arts museum in the former residence of the Countess of Revilla de Camargo. Explore the Muraleando Neighborhood Community Project, meeting members and seeing firsthand the art projects and significant restorations that are underway.

Compare the distinct differences and similarities between Cuba and the United States with a briefing on the history of U.S.-Cuban relations by a Foreign Service scholar in Havana. Explore Las Terrazas eco-community with resident specialists for a better understanding about Cuba’s environmental commitments at this unique UNESCO Biosphere Reserve.

Land arrangements for 7 days from $10,795 per person (Pricing available for four guests from $8,295 and six guests from $6,995 per person). Discover this enigmatic destination with family and friends on Abercrombie & Kent’s Signature Cuba: A Private People to People Journey. Call 800.554.7094 to speak with a travel consultant, go to www.abercrombiekent.com or contact your travel professional.
For more travel features, visit:

www.examiner.com/eclectic-travel-in-national/karen-rubin

www.examiner.com/international-travel-in-national/karen-rubin

goingplacesfarandnear.com

goingplacesnearandfar.wordpress.com

moralcompasstravel.info

travelwritersmagazine.com/TravelFeaturesSyndicate/

‘Like’ us on facebook.com/NewsPhotoFeatures

Twitter: @TravelFeatures

cruises, Cuba Travel

Group IST Adds Sailing Dates to Havana to Cienfuegos Cruise in Cuba

Group travel provider Group IST is adding more sailing dates to its Havana to Cienfuegos people-to-people program, an eight day cruise of western Cuba, beginning in December 2015. With under 100 passengers per sailing, Group IST is offering Americans the only small ship cruise of Cuba, affording passengers an intimate experience of the island nation via the hospitable and welcoming setting of a mega-yacht. The program is an opportunity to step back in time to a country that has been closed to Americans for nearly half a century.

With two small ships–the Panorama and the Panorama II–sailing in opposite directions from Havana and Cienfuegos each week through April 2016, travelers explore the western part of a country renowned for its culture, music, warm people, art and, of course, cigars. The cruise offers passengers both a rich and meaningful cultural exchange program and an opportunity to relax in the beautiful natural scenery of Cuba, with chances to go swimming and snorkeling. Group IST is also adding new excursions to the popular program, including visits to Ernest Hemingway’s former home, Finca Vigia, and to one of Cuba’s largest cigar factories.

Joining the program will be an on-board Cuba specialist and an interpreter to facilitate in making people-to-people connections and meaningful exchanges between the American travelers and Cuban citizens. Emphasizing and promoting cultural exchange, the program includes excursions to venues such as museums, private art galleries, community centers, concerts, religious centers, schools and ecological centers. Program participants will have a chance to meet and get to know Cuban historians, artists, preservationists, religious leaders, educators, musicians and many typical Cuban citizens throughout eight days.

Group IST has been issued a license by the Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control to conduct people-to-people programs in Cuba.

Havana to Cienfuegos is available from between $4899 – $5999, depending on cabin class. Price includes seven nights on either the Panorama or Panorama II, all meals from arrival in Cuba to breakfast on day of departure, mandatory Cuban medical insurance and transportation as per itinerary. For a complete itinerary, please visit: http://www.groupist.com/cuba/

Group IST (International Specialty Travel) produces content-rich, original, thematic, educational and interactive travel programs that are tailor-made for organizations and groups. The company features one-of-a-kind land and waterborne venues around the world. With a staff of tourism professionals who are recognized travel experts and scholars, Group IST is passionate about its areas of specialization.

 

For more travel features, visit:

www.examiner.com/eclectic-travel-in-national/karen-rubin

www.examiner.com/international-travel-in-national/karen-rubin

goingplacesfarandnear.com

goingplacesnearandfar.wordpress.com

moralcompasstravel.info

travelwritersmagazine.com/TravelFeaturesSyndicate/

‘Like’ us on facebook.com/NewsPhotoFeatures

Twitter: @TravelFeatures