Menu

01/24/13 - Havana Journal (blog) - First US approved people to people Cuba cruise tour will set sail in April

Rob Sequin | Havana Journal

The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York has been granted a people to people
license from OFAC to take participants on a 9 day cruise/culture trip to, around
and through Cuba.

Participants will fly to Jamaica and then board the The MV Sea Spirit on the
evening of April 5.

The ship will take the US approved people to people participants to Santiago de
Cuba, arriving on April 6.

The MV Sea Spirit will then sail west to Santa Cruz del Sur on the south side of
Camaguey on April 7 then on to the port at Casilda on April 8.

Overnight on the ship again and disembark at the port at Cienfuegos followed by
port stops at Pinar del Rio and Maria la Gorda in the following days.

The port of Havana is the last stop for the MV Sea Spirit and the participants
will spend a couple days in Havana before flying to Miami.

One has to assume that the MV Sea Spirit does not have an itinerary that
includes any ports in the United States for 60 days since it would be a
violation of US federal law.

People to People Cuba Cruise Overview

The official, [1]member's flyer describing the Cuba cruise tour says "Experience
Cuba from a unique perspective as we explore this beautiful island by ship!
(pending final approval from the Cuban government).  This spring, sail aboard
the exclusively chartered yacht Sea Spirit on a historic people-to-people cruise
program.  Call at various ports and meet with Cubans from all walks of life-from
students, to farmers, to celebrated artists.

Board the ship in Montego Bay, Jamaica, and sail to Santiago, Cuba's second
largest city, to visit the oldest house on the island-now an art museum.  At a
nearby village, join religious pilgrims in a ceremony honoring the country's
patron saint.  Connect with local artists in Trinidad, Cienfuegos, and Isla de
la Juventud.  Learn about ecology from marine conservationists in Maria La
Gorda, located at the westernmost end of the island on a peninsula that is a
biosphere reserve, and visit a tobacco farm in Piñar del Río.

Lastly, spend three days docked in the heart of Old Havana, where encounters
with architects, students, curators, diplomats, historians, and others will give
us a rich perspective on contemporary life in Cuba.  Specially arranged music
and dance performances will enhance our visit, as will lectures on Cuban art.

Current Restrictions on Travel and American Travelers to Cuba

There are substantial restrictions on travel to Cuba from the United States and
for all Americans citizens and American residents.  These restrictions apply
regardless of where you are traveling from on your way to Cuba or where you
travel to following a visit to Cuba.  The restrictions include persons who are
citizens of other countries as well.  Only those who are authorized by the U.S.
Treasury Department's Office of Foreign Assets Control, known as "OFAC," may
legally travel from the United States to Cuba.

Participants on this Cuba trip will be traveling under a Specific License from
OFAC.  The Metropolitan Museum of Art has been granted a Specific License for
educational exchanges not involving academic study pursuant to a degree program
to promote people-to-people contact.  Its members travel under this license and
must have a copy of the license in their possession at all times while traveling
to and from Cuba.

Other Cuba Trips from The Metropolitan Museum of Art

This [2]Cuba cruise is being offered immediately again following the above
dates, running from April 15 to 25.

You can go on a [3]Havana, Matanzas and Varadero Cuba trip or a [4]Havana,
Trinidad and Cienfuegos Cuba trip.

For additional information, contact Academic Arrangements Abroad (an OFAC
licensed Travel Service Provider) at 212-514-8921 or 800-221-1944 or
.(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address).

References

Visible links 1.  Members flyer describing the Cuba cruise tour
http://www.metmuseum.org/~/media/Files/Events/Travel%20with%20the%20Met/2013/Met%20Havana%20Beyond%20April%202013.ashx
2.  Cuba cruise is being offered immediately again
http://www.metmuseum.org/en/events/travel-with-the-met/havana-and-beyond-2 3.
Havana, Matanzas and Varadero Cuba trip
http://www.metmuseum.org/en/events/travel-with-the-met/cuba-havana-and-matanzas
4.  Havana, Trinidad and Cienfuegos Cuba trip
http://www.metmuseum.org/en/events/travel-with-the-met/cuba-havana-cienfuegos-trinidad


Original Source / Fuente Original:
http://havanajournal.com/travel/entry/first-us-approved-people-to-people-cuba-cruise-tour-will-set-sail-in-april/