Travel Questions and Advice

[Haunted]

Hi,

I'd like to ask if any American travelers here have applied for the Global Entry ID card, which avoids you from being interviewed by the customs agent at the airport when you come back to the USA they say you just place your fingerprints on the screen and quickly pass with no questions asked. Any info will be truly appreciated.

Thank you.

It's a great card to have. Highly recommend. Yes, you beat the long customs and immigration lines. I use nexus which is the Canadian / American global entry. It uses retina scan to zip you through.

Highly recommended.

[Bart1]

I really feel bad about you Americans living in the country of 'Freedom' and being told by your government that you cannot travel where you want! I don't think that Trump will be of any help concerning Cuba in the next 4 years. Sorry again!

You can always join us in Canada. Hey! I am leaving on Friday Qubec-City to Varadero $519 CAD (about $390 US) basic hotel all included. What a deal! Now, let's talk business, any fresh info about chicas in Have born-Playa del Este Area? First time in Cuba without Fidel being around. Will it make a difference?

I luv re your quote "living in the land freedom" cannot travel where you want to go and the only one of two countries in the world that you are taxed on your world wide income, the other being Japan, I thank some higher being that my great father from Rhode Island left there to go to Alberta Canada and become a whiskey trader in the late 1880's, and I was to born north of the 49th. We canadians read history books, we didn't have to ask the french " how did it for for you boys in french indochina, a disaster when you usa cowboys when in vietnam, the same with we didn't have to ask the ussr how did it go for you guys in Afghanistan, or ask again to the french how did your boys do in Libya. I almost forgot the Bay of Pigs, the story is the generals looked at fotos and thot it was a sandy beach, no thot to ask cuban exiles in Florida what the beach was, no full steam ahead and the landing crafts piled in the hidden rocks in the bay, then they sent fidel an exploding cigar and by then he had quit smoking, good intel from the cia.

[Capichon2010]

Hi,

I'd like to ask if any American travelers here have applied for the Global Entry ID card, which avoids you from being interviewed by the customs agent at the airport when you come back to the USA they say you just place your fingerprints on the screen and quickly pass with no questions asked. Any info will be truly appreciated.

Thank you.

[Mondo707]

To be fair, the Bush administration (and the Clinton administration also) didn't pay too much attention to it either. Very few people have been penalized for going to Cuba throughout the years. Trump might (or might not) talk tough about interaction with Cuba, but my guess is it will continue to be very much open for our visits (whether technically legal or not).

Hey Combo,

Sure for most mongers that went for fun times there would not be that much difference between Clinton & Bush but I'll tell you it was quite a bit harder under Bush that it's under Clinton. Specially if you had family on the island and wanted to help them out, remittances were cut to the bone and travel for Cuban-americanos was also restricted to close family circles, in other words no travel allowed for going to see uncles, cousins and other relatives that weren't in the "close" family category. Not only that but "legal" family trips were restricted to once every 3 years!

As a monger going to Cuba, these things didn't come into play since most went there thru 3rd countries and didn't have to deal with all the other stuff since their main goal was getting fun times with Cubanas and coming back incognito as far as having been to Cuba.

As far as Trump goes I'll wait until he does whatever, not going by what he's saying either way. The one thing that might be an issue is all the Cuban / American politicians that want to go back to the hard-line confrontational days of yore. Then again Trump being a business oriented kind of guy might frown on that, we'll have to wait on that one.

Mondo.

[Coco Des Iles]

To be fair, the Bush administration (and the Clinton administration also) didn't pay too much attention to it either. Very few people have been penalized for going to Cuba throughout the years. Trump might (or might not) talk tough about interaction with Cuba, but my guess is it will continue to be very much open for our visits (whether technically legal or not).

I really feel bad about you Americans living in the country of 'Freedom' and being told by your government that you cannot travel where you want! I don't think that Trump will be of any help concerning Cuba in the next 4 years. Sorry again!

You can always join us in Canada. Hey! I am leaving on Friday Qubec-City to Varadero $519 CAD (about $390 US) basic hotel all included. What a deal! Now, let's talk business, any fresh info about chicas in Havana-Playa del Este Area? First time in Cuba without Fidel being around. Will it make a difference?

[Combo]

Hey Cap,

I am flying from LAX directly on Alaska Air (non-stop) doesn't get much better than that since all my previous trips had to go thru either Cancun or Mexico City which for me were a pain, plus the hassle of dealing with the chance of being shaken down with "mordidas" while going thru immigration. They know that you are carrying all cash since CC are not allowed in Cuba coming from the states.

I don't know much about the categories since I mark "family visit" and that's end of story, at least till now. A buddy went for a week with his SO and told me they had no issues coming back and marked the category educational activities, learning Espaol, and had no problem whatsoever. As far as I know the Obama administration ain't paying too much attention to it, with El Trompo, who knows what the policy will be like.

Mondo.

To be fair, the Bush administration (and the Clinton administration also) didn't pay too much attention to it either. Very few people have been penalized for going to Cuba throughout the years. Trump might (or might not) talk tough about interaction with Cuba, but my guess is it will continue to be very much open for our visits (whether technically legal or not).

[Mondo707]

Mondo,

What airport are you departing from, and are you also choosing the people-to-people option to travel? I heard you must have some detailed itinerary with dates and places you think to visit.

Hey Cap,

I am flying from LAX directly on Alaska Air (non-stop) doesn't get much better than that since all my previous trips had to go thru either Cancun or Mexico City which for me were a pain, plus the hassle of dealing with the chance of being shaken down with "mordidas" while going thru immigration. They know that you are carrying all cash since CC are not allowed in Cuba coming from the states.

I don't know much about the categories since I mark "family visit" and that's end of story, at least till now. A buddy went for a week with his SO and told me they had no issues coming back and marked the category educational activities, learning Español, and had no problem whatsoever. As far as I know the Obama administration ain't paying too much attention to it, with El Trompo, who knows what the policy will be like.

Mondo.

[Capichon2010]

Mondo,

What airport are you departing from, and are you also choosing the people-to-people option to travel? I heard you must have some detailed itinerary with dates and places you think to visit.

Thank you.

Hey Cap,

There is no change that will take place until the new Pres takes office on Jan 20th. After that date then things can change but in my opinion it will take some time before Trump can reverse some of Obama travel reforms.

Myself, I will be leaving on 1-11 and coming back on the 25th, so I am not worried about any changes in the interim.

Mondo.

[Mondo707]

I live close to JFK airport in New York, and I'm considering traveling next year in January or February. Please keep updating if this status changing. .

Thank you.

Hey Cap,

There is no change that will take place until the new Pres takes office on Jan 20th. After that date then things can change but in my opinion it will take some time before Trump can reverse some of Obama travel reforms.

Myself, I will be leaving on 1-11 and coming back on the 25th, so I am not worried about any changes in the interim.

Mondo.

[Capichon2010]

I live close to JFK airport in New York, and I'm considering traveling next year in January or February. Please keep updating if this status changing.

Thank you.

Ozzie is correct I just got back from Santiago today. Jetblue had an online questionnaire and a copy of it when I arrived in Fort Lauderdale. I checked people to people and was not questioning about anything. JetBlue charges you $50 for the Visa which is purchased in the airport prior to your flight.

.

[GrownMan1]

I am USA citizen and I have no Cuban relatives. I checked one of the reasons I don't remember which one. Nobody asked anything related to the questions on the form. I purchased my ticket on line from Jetblue. Whole experience was very easy without any problems like travelling to any other country. There is no reason to worry about anything.

Ozzie is correct I just got back from Santiago today. Jetblue had an online questionnaire and a copy of it when I arrived in Fort Lauderdale. I checked people to people and was not questioning about anything. JetBlue charges you $50 for the Visa which is purchased in the airport prior to your flight.

[Ozzie1451]

Ozzie1451,

Are you a USA Citizens or do you have Cuban relatives? So, you didn't need to apply for any of the 12 reasons to travel to Cuba for Americans other than pure tourism? How about purchasing your ticket or boarding the plane, didn't they give you any trouble when you told them you were traveling simply for tourism?

Thank you.

I am USA citizen and I have no Cuban relatives. I checked one of the reasons I don't remember which one. Nobody asked anything related to the questions on the form. I purchased my ticket on line from Jetblue. Whole experience was very easy without any problems like travelling to any other country. There is no reason to worry about anything.

[Capichon2010]

I returned from Cuba last week. I flew from Ft. Lauderdale to Holguin. I simply checked one of the boxes and nobody questioned me for any reason, I kept no receipts. I was asked only one question at the customs " Why did I travel to Cuba" My simple answer was " I was curious to see the country" . Thats all. Extremely easy at both Cuban and USA costums. There is no reason any more to fly from any other country.

Ozzie1451,

Are you a USA Citizens or do you have Cuban relatives? So, you didn't need to apply for any of the 12 reasons to travel to Cuba for Americans other than pure tourism? How about purchasing your ticket or boarding the plane, didn't they give you any trouble when you told them you were traveling simply for tourism?

Thank you.

[Ozzie1451]

Have any USA mongers flown over from USA and simply checked one of the boxes and then mongered in Cuba?

Did you keep receipts? Did you get grilled at customs at JFK -Miami etc?

Curious how strict they are on the new rules. Jetblue kinda says just check a box. We don't give a crap. Its your ass. LOL.

Sounds to me USA mongers are still flying over via Cancun etc.

I returned from Cuba last week. I flew from Ft. Lauderdale to Holguin. I simply checked one of the boxes and nobody questioned me for any reason, I kept no receipts. I was asked only one question at the customs " Why did I travel to Cuba" My simple answer was " I was curious to see the country" . Thats all. Extremely easy at both Cuban and USA costums. There is no reason any more to fly from any other country.

[Steve 99]

Have any USA mongers flown over from USA and simply checked one of the boxes and then mongered in Cuba?

Did you keep receipts? Did you get grilled at customs at JFK -Miami etc?

Curious how strict they are on the new rules. Jetblue kinda says just check a box. We don't give a crap. Its your ass. LOL.

Sounds to me USA mongers are still flying over via Cancun etc.