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I've booked a cruise that stops in Cuba. I have never been there and it's not too likely that I'll go again, so I definitely want to get some souvenirs when I'm there.
Can someone explain the money situation to me? I know we can use USD or our US credit cards, but that's pretty much all I know. What should I buy while I'm there? I'd love something decorative for our house. How much money do you think I should get? I want to get something nice, but I don't want to convert a ton of money and then not actually spend it. I will only be in Cuba for one day on the cruise and we're doing a tour for most of the day.
Cuba is a fascinating place. Anthony Bourdain once did a show on Cuba and I wanted to visit, so I did an overnight trip there a few years ago from a neighboring Island. The people are very nice, although kind of grim. Being a female traveling alone and only staying overnight, got me singled out from airport security. They asked a lot of questions, but eventually decided I was not there to smuggle drugs or do espionage.
If old chevies are your thing, you’ll see them there. One of the best hotel breakfasts I ever had was in Cuba. The room was large and there were different food stations, US, European, Cuban. I tried as many new exotic foods as I could fit on my plate, sat down and looked over at an American couple at the next table eating corn flakes. Oh well..
I took a day tour of the city. I’m a Hemingway fan and it was fun to see where he hung out. The island has a lot of beautiful homes that are in decay. As far as souvenirs, I couldn’t find a lot of tourist stores to buy things, I did pick up a local wood carving in one of the stores. The downtown area will have the shops, but don’t expect shopping like in Hawaii. Cash is probably best for buying, not sure if all merchants accept plastic.
I went to the Copacabana and was seated with a Cuban family, I didn’t speak their language and they didn’t speak mine, but we enjoyed the show and when they left, I got hugged. I finally got to ride in one of those old chevies back to the airport. A fitting end to one of the most interesting trips I’ve ever had. Brush up on your Spanish and take pictures. Hope you enjoy your visit!
We just got back from cuba . It was great , one of our best trips ever .there is a lot to know about money or you will be charged a lot to convert dollars.
There is a tax on dollars . You can only convert to the cuban cuc there . There is a 10% tax and 3% conversion fee so a cuc is only .87 cents .
Be smart , we were in cuba one day so we got about 200 dollars in euros from chase bank and took that . There is no 10% tax on eurosin cuba just the 3% conversion fee in and out . When we left cuba we converted back to euros . Make sure you convert the cuc before leaving . You can not convert cuc here to dollars.
VERY IMPORTANT ,YOU CAN NOT USE AMERICAN CREDIT CARDS IN CUBA . NOT ONLY DON' T THEY TAKE THE CARDS , YOU ARE NOT ALLOWED TO USE THEM . OUR CRUISE SHIP ACTUALLY HAD TO SHUT down all on board atms when in cuban waters . No exceptions , no credit cards are allowed to be used while in cuba .
I asked chase ,capital one and fidelity if i needed to tell them we were going to cuba . They said no as we
were not allowed to use them anyway.
Last edited by mathjak107; 04-17-2018 at 03:25 AM..
We just got back from cuba . It was great , one of our best trips ever .there is a lot to know about money or you will be charged a lot to convert dollars.
There is a tax on dollars . You can only convert to the cuban cuc there . There is a 10% tax and 3% conversion fee so a cuc is only .87 cents .
Be smart , we were in cuba one day so we got about 200 dollars in euros from chase bank and took that . There is no 10% tax on eurosin cuba just the 3% conversion fee in and out . When we left cuba we converted back to euros . Make sure you convert the cuc before leaving . You can not convert cuc here to dollars.
VERY IMPORTANT ,YOU CAN NOT USE AMERICAN CREDIT CARDS IN CUBA . NOT ONLY DON' T THEY TAKE THE CARDS , YOU ARE NOT ALLOWED TO USE THEM . OUR CRUISE SHIP ACTUALLY HAD TO SHUT down all on board atms when in cuban waters . No exceptions , no credit cards are allowed to be used while in cuba .
I asked chase ,capital one and fidelity if i needed to tell them we were going to cuba . They said no as we
were not allowed to use them anyway.
I'm toying with a cruise that stops in Cuba for next year, so this is very good info!!
Question, can you convert to Euro's or CUC on ship? I know it's more expensive then going to a bank but a bank not worth the hassle for $200 in Euros
I'm toying with a cruise that stops in Cuba for next year, so this is very good info!!
Question, can you convert to Euro's or CUC on ship? I know it's more expensive then going to a bank but a bank not worth the hassle for $200 in Euros
Think of CUC as Monopoly money. It's only good in Cuba, and has zero value anywhere else. You can't get it at a bank or anywhere other than Cuba, and you can't sell it anywhere but Cuba. Take Euros or $CAD, and you can change it in country, or if you're hitting the markets, etc. they may take the $$ straight up.
Thanks. So it sounds like I should get some CAD or Euros before I go. I hope I can find something cool to take back, but if not, oh well. I read somewhere that some stores will take CAD or Euros, but I forget where I even saw that before.
We did not use the euros there. We traded a little bit at at a time. Lunch was great and was like 15 cuc. We gave them 20 and they were thrilled.
We converted about 100 of the euros in to cuc and held back 100
Woodwork and art are two of the biggest things to bring back. The market in Havana has some amazing artwork. It is a bit of a needle in a haystack though. If you buy cigars, don't buy them from anywhere other than a Casa de Habanos store. Everything else is likely to be fake garbage, and at times difficult to tell, unless you know exactly what you're looking for.
I'm toying with a cruise that stops in Cuba for next year, so this is very good info!!
Question, can you convert to Euro's or CUC on ship? I know it's more expensive then going to a bank but a bank not worth the hassle for $200 in Euros
You cannot convert to cuc anywhere but in cuba. I would think you can do euro's on the ship but i don't know what the cost is.
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We cruised to Cuba last summer. It was great, and I hope to go back again! As soon as you get to the port, you can exchange money there - American dollars, Euros, Canadian dollars, etc. We exchanged Canadian. There isn't a ton to buy in Cuba, but artwork is definitely one that may be worth buying. There is a flea market type place right near the ship (to the far right when you get off) that sells touristy Cuba license plates, magazines, key chains and stuff like that. There is also a touristy street nearby that has small shops sells that kind of stuff. But for something authentic, I think artwork is your best bet.
Of course, you can always buy rum and cigars. We brought a bunch of those home for gifts. We were hoping to buy Cuban candy or cookies or something to bring back, but there really isn't any. The private markets that we went into only had imported food. The state-owned markets are very bare - think sugar, coffee, and random item of the week that they happen to produce.
It's an amazing, interesting place. I highly suggest reading up on Cuba before you go. Our cruise had lectures onboard which was a great background. When I got back, I read Havana Nocturne which tells the story of the mob's influence in Cuba which was fascinating. Great read!
Have fun! Oh, and the best part about Cuba is that despite the poverty (you'll feel like you are in the inner city), it is totally safe. No gun violence, no worries about pickpockets, etc. We felt totally safe there.
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Oh well..
