InsightCuba Cruises Offer a Beautiful Way to Legally Explore the Island

Imagine mile after mile of pristine coastline while you lounge on the deck of a three-mast, motorized sailing schooner. No high rise hotels. No fancy beaches. Just the unspoiled coastline between Cuba's colonial southern coast cities—Trinidad and Cienfuegos—and then continuing on around the western end of the island near Maria Gorda, before finally hugging the north shore en route to Havana.

Does it sound too good to be true? Sound like it can't be a legal way to visit Cuba? Starting on December 6 for lucky boatloads of up to 49 passengers, insightCuba will launch eight-day, seven-night cruises beginning either in Havana or Cienfuegos.

InsightCuba is the leading operator of people-to-people tours to Cuba. The Sail Cuba trips are all fully licensed by the Office of Foreign Asset Control, the U.S. Treasury Department's division charged with the oversight of anything related to travel, or business, with Cuba.

"We saw this opportunity and jumped on it," says Tom Popper, the president of insightCuba. "We are psyched. We have never seen this level of interest, ever. Our current demographic target market is all in on this one."

According to the company, the first two trips in December are already sold out, and a few trips in February are also already full. The cost ranges from a sundeck room at $5,999 for double occupancy, a main deck with 12 cabins for $5,499 and a lower deck with 12 cabins at $4,999.

For single occupancy, travelers should add $1,000 for the top rate, $900 for the main deck and $800 for the lower deck. The price does not include airfare from Miami to the embarkation city (either Havana or Cienfuegos) but insightCuba provides those arrangements for $675, including the Cuban visa and airport taxes.

The itinerary, which remains the same whether you board in Havana or Cienfuegos, includes three nights in Havana, with day trips to interesting sites throughout the city. Each day includes cultural activities that relate to insightCuba's People-to-People tour license with OFAC.

Travelers will get the opportunity to lunch at an urban agriculture center and spend a day in Maria la Gorda on the far western end of the island. Plus, they'll sojourn to Cayo Largo where they'll visit a local medical clinic (the area also has one of Cuba's finest beaches), as well as spend a day in Trinidad, one of Cuba's finest colonial cities, and then on to Cienfuegos for another day. The tour fee also includes all meals while in Cuba, experts guides and drivers, and frequent evening entertainment while onboard the ship.

"We are doing activities on the Sail Cuba trip that we've been doing for 15 years," says Popper. "We've been operating under OFAC rules and we don't want to change the rules, or change our operation in any way. This cruise fits in perfectly."

Source: Cigar Aficionado