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I Always Wanted To Go To Cuba.

Posted: Wed Feb 05, 2020 9:06 pm
by TC6969
Wouldn't it be cool to go there and have some nice Cuban food in a little hole in the wall restaurant then go outside with a glass of rum and a fat cigar and watch all those 53 Chevy's go up and down the street?

Not so fast.


Re: I Always Wanted To Go To Cuba.

Posted: Wed Feb 05, 2020 9:11 pm
by Cubanstang50
A non cuban going there it will be like a normal vacation. A cuban born there its a little different feeling and more expensive. I would love to go but its just not worth for me to go.

Re: I Always Wanted To Go To Cuba.

Posted: Wed Feb 05, 2020 9:30 pm
by TonyR
Possibly going in April with my buddy on his boat,a 45' Trawler, as first mate,as a support vessel for a sailing regatta leaving out of Key West.Still waiting to hear about approval of permits.

Re: I Always Wanted To Go To Cuba.

Posted: Wed Feb 05, 2020 10:58 pm
by avmech
Left Cuba on a boat in 1960, not going back.

Re: I Always Wanted To Go To Cuba.

Posted: Thu Feb 06, 2020 12:04 am
by Tenzing_Norgay
Image

Re: I Always Wanted To Go To Cuba.

Posted: Thu Feb 06, 2020 10:46 am
by Taco
It's not much different than most of the islands. Tourism centers are built up to take in cash, the rest of the island suffers because the funds stay in the tourism area and what little gets out goes to the people who control the army.

I was planning a trip, but timing never worked out. I did a bunch of research that I will share:
Anyway, if you're going, there are two currencies -local and tourist. Tourists can't use local and locals can't use tourists. To buy tourist currency, there is a 10% premium charged to US currency, so bring Euros, Canadian, or Pesos. You will spend 'reasonable' amounts for everything in the tourist areas, $1 equivalent water bottles, $5 equivalent quick food, $1-10 equivalent drinks depending on how high on the shelf they go, etc. The locals then convert the tourist funds to local funds, the government keeps 90-97% in taxes and is sure to keep good records of conversion to prevent skimming. Tough life.

Re: I Always Wanted To Go To Cuba.

Posted: Thu Feb 06, 2020 11:04 am
by rentprop1
Cubanstang50 wrote: Wed Feb 05, 2020 9:11 pm A non cuban going there it will be like a normal vacation. A cuban born there its a little different feeling and more expensive. I would love to go but its just not worth for me to go.
I would tip them to keep your ass :mrgreen:

my mom and sister went last year on a cruise, they pretty much kept everyone in the tourist areas, yes they have those old cars available for a cruise, they enjoyed it, I wanted to go but couldn't get away.

Re: I Always Wanted To Go To Cuba.

Posted: Thu Feb 06, 2020 12:11 pm
by photohause
NFW.

Re: I Always Wanted To Go To Cuba.

Posted: Thu Feb 06, 2020 12:20 pm
by Flame Red
My sister-in-law and her hubby took my MIL there before Trump stopped direct US travel. She went via cruise ship. Her hubby speaks fluent Spanish so she had a better experience then others that no habla. Lot of beggars and rip-offs. She like it far much better than going to that Image of Jamaica, or Haiti. She "eh" about it. Would go again if the ship stopped there but nothing great. Would not go out of her way to go there again.

Re: I Always Wanted To Go To Cuba.

Posted: Thu Feb 06, 2020 7:21 pm
by 305tillimoved
I go there every 3-4 mos. Going back for the cigar festival.
Dont believe everything you hear on the news.