Travel to Cuba with Insight Cuba

Portland, Oregon
3 posts
Travel to Cuba with Insight Cuba
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I've been reading the posts reviewing traveling with this company and I've noticed the numerous comments that were deleted by Trip Advisor. Are these "inappropriate comments" strong complaints about Insight Cuba or are they about something else? If they are derogatory statements about this tour company, I'd like to know before I book with them. Thanks

Old Havana
Historic Walking Areas
Fabrica De Arte Cubano
Points of Interest & Landmarks
Nova Scotia, Canada
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1. Re: Travel to Cuba with Insight Cuba
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From my recollection, the deleted posts were not at all related to Insight Cuba. If anything, people who had traveled with that company made positive comments, albeit that it was among the most expensive of the tours advertised from the USA fpr licensed travel.

Huntington Beach...
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2. Re: Travel to Cuba with Insight Cuba
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Insight is one of the agencies organizing multiple People to People tours to Cuba for Americans. Among the others offering very similar tours are Distant Horizons Welcome | Distant Horizons

www.distant-horizons.com/ and National Geographic Expeditions http://www.nationalgeographicexpeditions.com/expeditions/cuba-cultural-tour/detail?utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=NGExpeditions&utm_content=General&creative=17279137298&adpos=1t1

The deleted posts did not have negative comments about Insight.

Most of the regulars on this board think it is ridiculous for Americans to travel on the licensed tours rather than coming in illegally. I went on a licensed tour organized by Distant Horizons and I was quite pleased with

it overall. My only gripe was that I would have rather spent the entire 8 days in Havana and the surrounding area because there was so much to see, rather than taking 2 days to travel back and forth to Trinidad for just one day there.

Calgary, Canada
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3. Re: Travel to Cuba with Insight Cuba
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LSCats

" Most of the regulars on this board think it is ridiculous for Americans to travel on the licensed tours rather than coming in illegally "

I don't think thats true at all. I think most people(regulars) on here just think its ridiculous to pay the prices you do when there are cheaper options.

Cheers

Portland, Oregon
3 posts
4. Re: Travel to Cuba with Insight Cuba
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Thank you for responding. Harriet

Huntington Beach...
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5. Re: Travel to Cuba with Insight Cuba
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bergerman,

The prices on tours to Cuba are not out of line with comparable escorted tours to anywhere else. The price difference has to do with the elements of the tour. If you choose to travel independently, the cost is less but you then add on the cost of extras to the basic travel costs.

Legal travel for Americans has to be with a license. Yes, illegal travel is possible and may not have criminal consequences. However, many of us have our own reasons for wishing to travel legally. We should not be made to feel that we have to justify those reasons on this board.

Having made the choice to travel with a license, the licenses are available for independent travel only for family members, researchers, journalists, religious workers, and others who fall into specific categories. For those of us who do not fall within those categories, the structured People to People tours are available and they are now being offered at many price points depending upon what is included in the tour.

The OP has made their choice to travel legally.

It would be more helpful to give us your insight regarding the destinations than to criticize us for our decisions on how to get there.

Edited: 9 years ago
Grosse Pointe Park...
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6. Re: Travel to Cuba with Insight Cuba
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My wife and I will be on an Insight Cuba trip from Feb. 25-March 3 to Havana and Pinar del Rio and will post our impressions when we return. Several years ago, which people-to-people trips were legal, we arranged our own trip for a group of 10 through Insight, and they did well. My son and I also took a long weekend trip devoted to music through Insight Cuba several years ago, and it was just fine. The only wrinkle this time is that Insight Cuba just told us that what was supposed to have have been a travel group of no more than 16 has now been increased to 22 travelers.

I've heard good things about trips sponsored by the Center for Cuban Studies in New York, but have not taken one personally.

montreal
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7. Re: Travel to Cuba with Insight Cuba
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Insight seems to charge about 3000 a week with no airfare.

That is about 430 per day for room and board and guide services entrance fees etc. it seems slightly expensive.

But lets not forget that all your paperwork is taken care of and you do not have to slog through the redtape of dealing with the U.S. Treasury dept..

Grosse Pointe Park...
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8. Re: Travel to Cuba with Insight Cuba
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For less expensive legal trips, I found, after I'd booked Insight, that a licensed provider called Witness for Peace sponsors week-long trips for around $2,000.

9. Re: Travel to Cuba with Insight Cuba

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Removed on: 12:46 pm, February 29, 2012
Calgary, Canada
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10. Re: Travel to Cuba with Insight Cuba
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By any measure the tours offered by companies like Distant Horizons are ridiculously expensive compared to a well research independent trip.

That said, not everyone is comfortable travelling on their own. Throw in the added misconception about the possibility of getting into trouble with an "illegal" trip and bingo, these companies are (for now) making money. (Even though the illegal aspect is immaterial and has been for years.)

Have fun.

Cheers,

Terry

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