I am tentatively going to go to a wedding in Cuba around Xmas/New Years week.
What are the cheapest cities to do this from? Right now I have found a $432 fare on Lacsa YYZ-HAV, and I can get to YYZ from ORD for about $250.

Would it be better/cheaper to go through Mexico? If so what cities? Cancun seems to be very expensive. Any feedback or experience will be helpful. Thank you in advance.

ENTRY REQUIREMENTS/TRAVEL TRANSACTION LIMITATIONS: The Cuban Assets Control Regulations of the U.S. Treasury Department require that persons subject to U.S. jurisdiction be licensed to engage in any transaction related to travel to, from and within Cuba. Transactions related to tourist travel are not licensable. This restriction includes tourist travel to Cuba from or through a third country such as Mexico or Canada.

The following categories of travelers are permitted to spend money for Cuban travel and to engage in other transactions directly incident to the purpose of their travel under a general license, without the need to obtain special permission from the U.S. Treasury Department:

- U.S. and foreign government officials traveling on official business, including representatives of international organizations of which the U.S. is a member;

- Journalists and supporting broadcasting or technical personnel regularly employed by a news reporting organization;

- Persons making a once-a-year visit to close family relatives in circumstances of humanitarian need;

- Full-time professionals whose travel transactions are directly related to professional research in their professional areas, provided that their research : (1) is of a noncommercial academic nature; (2) comprises a full work schedule in Cuba, and (3) has a substantial likelihood of public dissemination;

- Full-time professionals whose travel transactions are directly related to attendance at professional meetings or conferences in Cuba organized by an international professional organization, institution, or association that regularly sponsors such meetings or conferences in other countries;

- Amateur or semi-professional athletes or teams traveling to Cuba to participate in an athletic competition held under the auspices of the relevant international sports federation.

The Department of the Treasury may issue licenses on a case-by-case basis authorizing Cuba travel-related transactions directly incident to marketing, sales negotiation, accompanied delivery, and servicing of exports and reexports that appear consistent with the licensing policy of the Department of Commerce. The sectors in which U.S. citizens may sell and service products to Cuba include agricultural commodities, telecommunications activities, medicine, and medical devices. The Treasury Department will also consider requests for specific licenses for humanitarian travel not covered by the general license, educational exchanges, and religious activities by individuals or groups affiliated with a religious organization.

Unless otherwise exempted or authorized, any person subject to U.S. jurisdiction who engages in any travel-related transaction in Cuba violates the regulations. Persons not licensed to engage in travel-related transactions may travel to Cuba without violating the regulations only if all Cuba-related expenses are covered by a person not subject to U.S. jurisdiction and provided that the traveler does not provide any service to Cuba or a Cuban national. Such travel is called "fully-hosted" travel. Such travel may not by made on a Cuban carrier or aboard a direct flight between the United States and Cuba.

Failure to comply with Department of Treasury regulations may result in civil penalties and criminal prosecution upon return to the United States.

Mikey-
Thank you. I am aware of these restrictions. I assure you that my trip is going to be 100% legal. I have already done research on this and will be able to obtain permission to travel to Cuba.

A friend who went to CUN last week advised that for $200 US cash, you could fly round trip CUN-HAV on Air Cubana.

That's how I'd do it . . .

I was just giving you a hard time, g_leyser. I forgot the .

Our church recently sent a group to Cuba on a "missionary trip." I am opposed to "evangelism," so I was pleased to learn that the trip was mostly about Cuban culture, mojitos, and buying guyaberas.

I was not able to go.

Other options are to fly to MBJ or KIN, Jamaica, I believe Air Jamaica has at least 2 flights per day to Havana.
However the cheapest alternative may be to fly to Nassau, Bahamas and take a Cubana flight from there last time I saw the R/T from Nassau were under $200.00
Be prepared for the culture shock, visiting Havana is like being transported back to 60's.
Mike

There are charter flights that are cheap from yqg(windsor) across from detroit. seeing that you are in chicago, this would be the closest to you.

I think you're more likely to do hard time for cutting the tag off a mattress than for violating this law. Can anybody cite a single case in the last 10 years where somebody has actually been prosecuted under this law for going to Cuba as an "illegal tourist"?

I've heard of people having their passports confiscated when US authorities saw a Cuban stamp in them. (Just as bad as prosecution if you travel abroad for a living) Nevertheless, Cuba is on my "must-see" list.

Yes +-30!!

If you request it you can get your passport stamped on a sheet of paper stapled to a page and therefore easily removed.
Mike

My sister and brother-in-law went to Cuba a couple of years back. A separate piece of paper was stapled into their passports by Cuban immigration officials and the stamp on it was removed on departure. Cuba wants dollars and I'm sure it didn't take them long to devise this method of avoiding stamping the passport itself.

Yes, I know someone who was prosecuted. I also know several folks who sail to Cuba, have a letter from Hemingway Marina saying they are being fully hosted, and upon return have basically had their boats torn apart by US officials. At the same time, I know many more people who've gone and never had a problem.

What was the resulting sentence/fine?

He wasn't sentenced to any jail time, but he was fined. I can't remember how much, but he was someone who was flaunting his travel and his fine was several thousand dollars. This wasn't someone I knew, but someone from my community and his travels and travails were reported in my local paper.

I found this on the Internet, which might give you a little better idea of the fines.

The people I know who had their boats torn apart actually suffered far worse financially even though they weren't fined.

I've paid attention to US reactions to travel to Cuba to some degree because there's a fully hosted sailboat race from Florida to Havana each year and I've wanted to participate. At first US was great about it, but not long ago they issued a cease and desist order and threatened participants with prosecution. I haven't kept up since they started cracking down. It seems it goes in waves. Everyone looks the other way for a while; then they crack down.

[This message has been edited by letiole (edited 09-11-2002).]