Just came back from 2 weeks in the Havana area. This was my second trip to cuba,the first was to Verandero. things have changed very much in 8 years, and for the worst!!!!. With many Americans traveling to Cuba this winter, my advise DO NOT GO. The prices on most things are at least double what they are in the DR, and the quality is half. the food was bad and in short supply. Mi girl fren and I tried to leave after 2 days, and return to the DR. I was told by the Airlines{COPA} that we could change our return date on our tickets for a fee, about $2000 Dollars.us. Soooo what you you do is stay for the full 2 weeks, as they are holding you ransom. Remember when you travel to Cuba As a american , everything is paid in full, in advance. Immigration at havana airport didnt even stamp my passport, just gave me a tourist visa??. I think that cuba is no threat to DR tourism, at this point, or the near future. They are only a threat to themselves. And I take back anything good I have said in the past about cubas tourism........................DOC..................
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cuba is no threat to DR tourism
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Well you paid the Gringo prices, if you know how to get around in Cuba you wouldn't have that problem.
Cuba is still "virgin", wait and you'll see.
Cuba is still "virgin", wait and you'll see.
I used to have lengthy conversations on the beach in Sosua with a (very well known) American expat
who?s made dozens of trips to Cuba. He would always say.. Once Cuba opens the door for Americans
to travel into Cuba without the government?s restrictions, the days of being able to vacation there
on ?the cheap? will be over.
What the OP has stated sounds very plausible. The DR has a well established tourism infrastructure/
market. May be quite some time before Cuba is able to catch up.
who?s made dozens of trips to Cuba. He would always say.. Once Cuba opens the door for Americans
to travel into Cuba without the government?s restrictions, the days of being able to vacation there
on ?the cheap? will be over.
What the OP has stated sounds very plausible. The DR has a well established tourism infrastructure/
market. May be quite some time before Cuba is able to catch up.
The rest of the world has been going to Cuba since the 60s. It's only the US that hasn't been going legally, and some people from the US have still gone.
More Canadians go to Cuba than the DR. Remember, it is about AIs. (2013 numbers)
http://www.statcan.gc.ca/tables-tableaux/sum-som/l01/cst01/arts37a-eng.htm
http://www.statcan.gc.ca/tables-tableaux/sum-som/l01/cst01/arts37a-eng.htm
Wow $2,000 to change your return flight! Did you stay at an AI during either of your two trips? Did you stay in a hotel or Casa particular in Havana? It is hard to get a clear idea of your experience and make a comparison. Varadero and Havana are completely different experiences.
The $2000 fee to change the day of the return flight was for 2 tickets. Remember if you make reservations for a flight, and hotel, all has to be prepaid in full, with no refunds. I talked with other tourists that had the same treatment, I was told it is one of the governments new ploys to stop you from leaving early. I did not stay at a A.I on either trip. In havana we stayed at the Memories miramar , if one must go there stay at the hotel next to it, the Sheraton 4 points. In varadero app. 8 years ago, I cant recall the hotel name. As I said things have changed very much lately, all tourists got the same treatment. Mi girl frien is Dominican with a Dominican passport and was treated the same. The one thing I saw that speaks very loud is all the small neighborhood stores had no food or very little. .....................DOC..................
You should have called the same people that sold you the tickets. I don't believe that the Cuban government is trying to keep any tourist from leaving early. My daughter and I took a tour from Rome to Palermo in 2009 it was for 10 days. I was staying an extra 2 weeks but after a week I caught a cold and wanted to go home. I called the agent in Canada that sold us the tickets and she said it would cost an extra 500. The flight only had been 900. Not the government but the travel agents that have to re arrange things and in your case a refund?
I've been to Varadero. I loved it but I return to the DR because that was my first love.
You said it, "without government restrictions." The Cuban Government will never give up control and allow a free market to exist.
First of all the embargo is in place because the Cuban government confiscated American property without compensation ( usually called stealing) . The Embargo doesn't stop Cubans from building their infrastructure, doesn't stop multiple countries from doing business with Cuba, and certainly doesn't stop the Cuban government from much of anything. Consider the fact that Cuba gets approx 700 million in food a year from American companies...etc. The Cuban government has screwed over Investors from a number of countries.
First of all the embargo is in place because the Cuban government confiscated American property
First of all, the embargo was to prevent Russians from importing weapons into Cuba.
That is no longer a problem.
Most of the people whose assets were nationalized are deceased.
First of all, the embargo was to prevent Russians from importing weapons into Cuba.
That is no longer a problem.
Most of the people whose assets were nationalized are deceased.
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