Getting to Cuba from Grand Cayman?

[Jaronoff]

My wife and I are going to Grand Cayman in January, and while I;m going to be doing some diving while i;m there... we were also interested in possibly taking a day trip to Cuba. We're american, and I know that from the US you can't get there, but i've heard that you can from other places. Anyone ever take such a trip and if so, would you recommend any tips or advice as to how to get there and what to expect?

Thanks!
-J

 

[O'Malley]

...just read an article last week in November issue of Caribbean Travel & Life about someone who traveled to/from Cuba through Mexico. One year later...$7,500 fine for violating the Trading with the Enemies Act. I, too, would love to experience Cuba but my luck...well, I wouldn't be hangin' around the dive shop for quite some time.

 

[Jamdiver]

They're flights from Kingston/Montego Bay to Havana, couldn't inform you of the schedules though. But from word of mouth they seem to be very unreliable.

It's some charter airline I believe?

 

[vertaqua]

My wife and I are going to Grand Cayman in January, and while I;m going to be doing some diving while i;m there... we were also interested in possibly taking a day trip to Cuba. We're american, and I know that from the US you can't get there, but i've heard that you can from other places. Anyone ever take such a trip and if so, would you recommend any tips or advice as to how to get there and what to expect?

Thanks!
-J

I've never been but make sure they don't stamp your passport and make sure the trip is fully sponsered by the operator in the cayman's. This may be incorrect but I was under the impression that its not illegal to visit, just illegal to spend money there(hence the fully sponsered trip). There was a company called Scubacan that used to run fully sponsered cuba dive trips out of canada, but they got shut down. Do a SB search on scubacan and see what you find.

 

[mike_s]

your US issued credit cards won't work in Cuba either. So if your flight gets canceled and you get stranded, good luck trying to get out or get a hotel for the night unless you have lots of cash.

I think that Cuba also officially switched over to the Euro for cash also. I think part of this was to stop the use of US cash in Cuba. Apparantly US cash in cuba was more common than the Cuban Peso was. Part of the problem was that a lot of the US cash was conterfiet and caused problems....

 

[MichaelBaranows]

I also really want to go to Cuba. I am sure it won't be long until Castro dies and then we will all be able to go to Cuba.

 

[vertaqua]

I also really want to go to Cuba. I am sure it won't be long until Castro dies and then we will all be able to go to Cuba.

Everyone says that; as soon as Castro keels over the US is going to reverse their policy on Cuba. I'd like to believe that because I want to dive there, but I'm not so sure its going to happen like that. Don't you think that Castro will choose a worthy successor to carry on his regime. It doesn't seem to me that there's going to be a drastic change in their government as soon as Castro dies.

 

[mike_s]

I also really want to go to Cuba. I am sure it won't be long until Castro dies and then we will all be able to go to Cuba.

Actually you can go to Cuba now, you just have to sign up with the United States Marine Corp and request that as your duty station.


In reality though, when Castro dies, (which the US has been anticipating for years), I'm afraid that the "condo developers" will swoop down on that country and ruin it, putting up high rise condo units all up and down the beach.

 

[vertaqua]

Actually you can go to Cuba now, you just have to sign up with the United States Marine Corp and request that as your duty station.


In reality though, when Castro dies, (which the US has been anticipating for years), I'm afraid that the "condo developers" will swoop down on that country and ruin it, putting up high rise condo units all up and down the beach.

You can ask for duty at guantanamo, but they'll probably send you to sunny Baghdad instead.
I'm sure Cuba would welcome an end to the embargo(and start getting some of those us tourism dollars); but I think the ball is really in the United State's court right now.

 

[Jamdiver]

I heard that Fidel's brother Raul is tipped to succeed him when he dies?