Thanks for the response. I am familiar with the 12 categories and thought somehow I could finagle my way into making the trip for educational purposes and doing something educational in Cuba. However, I don't know how this works. Can someone elaborate on the categories? More specifically, is going with a tour group generally necessary for someone like me who has no ties to Cuba? I don't understand why it would be necessary to go with a tour group except perhaps because these groups add legitimacy. Frankly, the price seems onerous to travel this way.

Traveling via another country - how does one keep it legal? Going to Canada seems counter-intuitive since that's the opposite direction from NY.