WASHINGTON — Americans can visit Cuba, but there are a limited number of options to access the communist nation that has been long been off-limits to U.S. tourists.
Thawing relations between the U.S. and Cuba has generated intense interest among tourists wanting to visit the Caribbean county, which lies just a mere 90 miles off the coast of Florida.
CBS News Travel Editor Peter Greenberg, who has been traveling to Cuba for more than 35 years, says many Americans want to make the trip now in order to appreciate unadulterated Cuban culture, much like the Canadians and Europeans who regularly vacation there.
“You want to go before Kentucky Fried Chicken gets there. You want to immerse yourself truly in the Cuban culture because it is a robust, rich culture,” he says.
Although the trade embargo remains in effect, changes in U.S. policy have relaxed many restrictions including those applying to credit cards. Now, MasterCard, Visa, Discover and American Express cards can be used legally in Cuba if retailers accept them or have the card readers that will process the payments, he says.
And the more of those credit card machines that are installed or upgraded, the more commercial the island will become.
Existing U.S. law limits travel to Cuba for specific reasons including religious, educational, research and medical travel, Greenberg says. Vacations aren’t among them.
But tour operators offer trips that comply with those restrictions. These trips are all inclusive and the price includes airfare on chartered planes, hotel, ground transportation and more, he says.
And Carnival Corp. recently announced it would run cruises direct from Florida to Cuba beginning next spring. The cruise trips will meet current travel restrictions.
Unlike typical tours, travel operators offer a controlled and rigid schedule for Cuban trips, Greenberg says.
He says anyone interested in taking advantage of these tours can find them online. But he recommends that travelers ask if the tour operator is sanctioned by the U.S. departments of Commerce, State and Treasury. If they are licensed, then travelers should feel free to go, he says.
He says U.S. air carriers such as Jet Blue and American Airlines fly to Cuba, but the flights aren’t available to the general flying public and are chartered flights only.
