Here's the real deal: in the old days, they gave you a separate visa on a paper most of the time. In those days for some unknown reason my passport was stamped twice, on separate pages, on one exit at HAV, even as other Americans' passports were not stamped.:confused:

No problem. I was there legally, I declared to USCBP, and though I think I recall being asked a couple of questions about my visiting Cuba by USDHS during my Global Entry renewal application interview, they seemed to be more interested in my recent travel to Romania, Turkey and Ukraine than Cuba (one of the first three triggered my being called in for an interview, rather than being granted renewal using the GOES website.

Today, the Cuban authorities will most likely stamp your visa into your passport.

When you arrive in the USA, DO declare Cuba on the U S Customs form 6059B. The USCBP officers generally do not care or give it a second thought. But failing to disclose your travel to Cuba? That's a violation of 18 U. S. Code § 1001, commonly called "making false statements", punishable by up to eight years in Federal Prison.:eek:

Remember Rod Blagojevich, I. Lewis "Scooter" Libby, Bernard Madoff, Jeffrey Skilling or Martha Stewart? They went to prison because they were found guilty of violating 18 U.S.C. § 1001. Definitely not worth the risk - particularly if you have or desire US Global Entry, TSA PreCheck, etc. because even if you don't get draconian persecution you will lose the right to these.

Wife and I would very much like to take a 4 - 5 night trip to Cuba in 2017, BEFORE the flood gates open, it becomes Disneyworld South. We are NOT big on structured tours or cruises, would like to spend 2 days scuba diving, 1 day bicycle riding, remainder of the time taking in the sites, participating in some of the authorized activities so the trip meets current US regulations. I have contacted a few tour operators, who insist that it is necessary to strictly observe their structured itinerary - although I am not sure what recourse they may have if we don't. Our primary concern is risking Global Entry / PreCheck privileges - no trip is worth losing them.

Any suggestions?

Read the wikipost at the top of the page, go to OFAC etc. sites to see how you can get (self-licensed) situated within the twelve authorized categories. What you're describing above is classical tourism:

Now: as I stated above, I've not been questioned by USCBP about Cuba when returning to the USA, and a number of people who have written "Cuba" in the countries visited portion of their Form 6059B. And GE doesn't ask, other to verify your arriving flight information.

The biggest trouble you could make for yourself, in my opinion, is to NOT fill in Cuba on your form 6059B, or if asked where you've been to fail to disclose your visit to Cuba.

Technically, "up to five years in Federal prison" as you have just violated 18 U.S. Code § 1001, a felony. OK, highly doubtful you'll go to Federal prison, like Martha Stewart did for violating this statute (not insider trading), but you would most likely lose KTN / GE / Sentri / Nexus / PreCheck and never have it back.

Invest time in studying so your trip can be construed as licensed travel. Tour companies have filed their itineraries etc. with OFAC or whoever abd they've been approved; if they give you a variance and allow you to go on your own, they can lose their license and lucrative if hard to get licensure to conduct Cuba tours.

Try for November. After hurricane season, low season so fewer crowds and hordes of European tours.

Two days of diving? Fuhgeddaboudid! You might get out to Isla de la Juventúd for a couple of days. You could go to Jardines de la Reina, eve, but you'll be stuck labdside or on an anchored liveaboards that take you to blah, overcrowded sites. (For spectacular diving, check out Michael Aw's trips - you'll dive with Silky Sharks, American Crocodiles on a licensed trip afaik with truly amazing and expensive diving on a trip of a lifetime. We've dived for years and accompanied Paul Humann and Ned and Anna DeLoach far and wide, but haven't gotten around to join Michael Aw for Cuba diving.)

Looking for something between amazing and expensive diving on a trip of a lifetime and anchored liveaboards that take you to blah, overcrowded sites - at least for our first trip. Wife does not do well on the water, reluctant to take her on a liveaboard, would also like to get in at least one day of road bicycle riding (30 - 60 miles).

Did a quick online search for Michael Aw Cuba diving, stumbled on to an organization that will arrange custom Cuba tours for as few as 2 people - http://oceandoctor.org/cuba-travel-program/#customtrip. Understand it won't be cheap, but I am willing to pay a premium if it helps avoid complications upon our return.

Comments?

Interesting travel consideration:

With the opening of the San Diego border crossing to TIJ, HAV is very accessible from Southern California - a sample full fare, one-stop biz/first ticket is less than $800 RT on AM, which should earn AS miles. No need to deal with overpriced charters from Miami.

It may well not earn AS miles at this time, unless things have changed significantly with OFAC and U.S. airlines disallowing miles earning to and from Cuba. But for southern Californians, the CBX pedestrian bridge could be a boon.

http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/mexic...j-airport.html.

AA and other U.S. airlines begin commercial service to Cuba in September, U.S. airlines' flights to CFG, CMW, HOG, SNU and VRA / Varadero have been announced and tickets will be sold this summer, USDOT has chosen to hold back the orders for the scrum of flights to HAV / La Habana until "sometime this summer".

This seems both legitimate (Washington, D.C. based, has proper OFAC licensing, etc.) and interesting. I'd definitely trust these folks!

Not at all like my friends who used ScubaCan in Canada and got hoisted by the U.S. authorities for writing about their scuba diving in Cuba. :eek: (Yes, they did.)

P.S. My wife is susceptible to motion sickness as well, and we've done a number of liveaboards. We always take crystallized ginger (or ginger in any form) on the recommendation of Ron Storro-Patterson, who has spent many rough hours off the California West Coast - e.g. "The Potato Patch" out of San Francisco Bay - while researching whales. :o

Yes, but I do not expect the fares to be nearly as competitive as those out of TIJ, all flights become domestic Mexico, MUCH less hassle clearing USCBP.

https://www.alaskaair.com/content/mi...eromexico.aspx

Would like to believe that it should be possible to earn miles on at least the TIJ-MEX segment.

From AS website for AM flights: Qualify for mileage accrual

Flights must fall within the eligible flight number range below and be marketed, operated, and ticketed by Aeromexico.
Eligible flight numbers - 1–1799, 2000–3799
Considering the flight numbers (MEX-HAV: AM451, HAV-MEX: AM452), it appears to be a pretty good bet.

Hopefully it has changed but I wouldn't bet on any miles for Cuba flights yet.

My wife and I flew WS Canada-Cuba last year and got miles on DL and AA for all flights except the ones to/from Cuba.

AA explicitly still doesn't. DL doesn't but there must be some escape clause.

I somehow think there will be no miles even if there are scheduled flights until after the embargo is lifted.

Do let us know!

Why am I having a hard time understanding this?

Does this mean I can apply to OFAC use whatever reason I want and once approve fly there as tourism. As long as when I return to the states that i declare honestly that I have been to Cuba?

Can someone explain in simple terms :(

According to http://www.farecompare.com/news/amer...uba-flights/#?, there are some excellent fares, peaked my interest.

We are warming up to the idea of creating our own conforming itinerary to Cuba, based on information found online. Concern is that most all is based in and around Havana, wondering if anyone can offer similar suggestions for one or more of the airports listed above.

It is now possible to develop your own, "legal" itinerary for a self-guided visit to Cuba, provided it conforms to one or more of the stated criteria. There is no requirement to obtain a formal license in advance, all indications are that US CBP does not scrutinize such details - only that your declarations upon return to the US are truthful.

If you go this way, FPMiles, you are required to keep a log of all your activities and keep it for five years. Whether anyone official will ever ask to see it is another story. I went as a journalist last year and dutifully kept a journal of every place I visited and everything I did. No one has asked to see it and I doubt they ever will. But I complied with the law. I will be going back again and again, and I want to do it right. ^

To comply with the law, you cannot go as a leisure tourist. Your trip still has to fit into one of the 12 approved categories.