You Can Still Go to Cuba as an American — But There's a Catch
If you're in despair that the Trump administration dashed your lifelong dreams of drinking daiquiris at La Floridita and finding true love — at least for the week — along the Malecón, then wipe away your tears. Because there's still a way you can make it to the long-forbidden Caribbean island that's perfectly legal. (For now.)
The adventure tour company Intrepid Travel is tweaking its Hola Cuba trip so that it stays within the bounds of the recent ban on most US travel to Cuba, which effectively ended the majority of trips by Americans, stopped cruise visits and upended the plans of countless businesses — both US and Cuban — that had counted on the thawing of relations between Washington and Havana.
"As Intrepid Travel is committed to providing opportunities for its US customers to freely explore the world through sustainable, experience-rich travel, the company has been diligently working to create another option for American citizens to continue to visit Cuba," Michael Edwards, managing director of the Americas and Europe, said in a statement.
An Intrepid spokesperson told The Points Guy they would not comment on the matter beyond the press release.
Before June 5, when the ban took effect, Intrepid's clients went to Cuba under the State Department's "People to People" travel category, which largely let Americans visit the country without an explicit governmental, humanitarian, educational or business purpose. The loophole that the company is exploiting now? The new ban included a vaguely worded exemption for Americans traveling to Cuba under a license called "Support for Cuban People."
The catch is that American tourists now have to stick to a strict plan under the new license — and be able to prove it if confronted by US authorities upon their return. Thus Intrepid's tweaked Cuba trip includes nine days in Havana, Viñales, Cienfuegos and Trinidad — and help documenting participants' interactions with the Cuban people, keeping track of their activities in the country and a diary that they can hand over to federal officials back in the States. (The tour will include scheduled time at the end of every day for travelers to journal.)
Intrepid is offering a 15% discount on its Hola Cuba tour through June 27, or from $2,338 per person.
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| 2X miles | 2 miles per dollar on every purchase |
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Earn 200K miles when you spend $30K in the first 3 months, and an additional 200K miles when you spend $150K in the first 6 monthsLIMITED-TIME OFFER: Earn up to 400K bonus milesAnnual Fee
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Why We Chose It
The Capital One Venture X Business Card has all the Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card has to offer and more. It offers an incredible welcome bonus and requires an equally impressive spend to qualify. In addition, the card comes with premium travel perks like annual travel credit. (Partner offer)Pros
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- In addition, the card comes with many premium travel perks such as an annual $300 credit for bookings through Capital One Business Travel.
- Business owners are also able to add employee cards for free.
Cons
- The card requires significant spending to earn the welcome offer.
- Another drawback is that the annual travel credit can only be used on bookings made through Capital One Business Travel.
- LIMITED-TIME OFFER: Earn up to 400K bonus miles: 200K miles when you spend $30K in the first 3 months, and an additional 200k miles when you spend $150k in the first 6 months
- Earn unlimited 2X miles on every purchase, everywhere—with no limits or category restrictions
- Earn 10X miles on hotels and rental cars and 5X miles on flights and vacation rentals booked through Capital One Business Travel
- With no preset spending limit, enjoy big purchasing power that adapts so you can spend more and earn more rewards
- Empower your teams to make business purchases while earning rewards on their transactions, with free employee and virtual cards. Plus, automatically sync your transaction data with your accounting software and pay your vendors with ease
- Redeem your miles on flights, hotels and more. Plus, transfer your miles to any of the 15+ travel loyalty programs
- Every year, you'll get 10,000 bonus miles after your account anniversary date. Plus, receive an annual $300 credit for bookings made through Capital One Business Travel
- Receive up to a $120 credit for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck®. Enjoy access to 1,300+ airport lounges worldwide, including Capital One Lounge locations and Priority Pass™ lounges, after enrollment
- Enjoy a $100 experience credit and other premium benefits with every hotel and vacation rental booked from the Premier Collection
- This is a pay-in-full card, so your balance is due in full every month