Cuba: History, Culture & Contemporary Life, People-to-People Cultural Experience

• Die unten stehenden Informationen sind derzeit gültig. Änderungen können jedoch jederzeit ohne vorherige Informationen der jeweiligen Regierungseinrichtungen auftreten. Bitte kontaktieren Sie Ihre zuständigen Behörden für Informationen zu Visa- und Gesundheitsbestimmungen.

• Ihr Reisepass muss bis mindestens sechs Monate nach Reiseende gültig sein und mindestens zwei leere Seiten für jedes benötigte Visum enthalten. Befleckte Seiten oder Seiten mit Stempelabdrücken von schon genutzten Seiten sind nicht verwendbar. Reisende, die von geplanten Einschiffungs- und Ausschiffungshäfen abweichen, sollten sich über die Einreisebestimmungen des jeweiligen Landes informieren. Sollten Sie nicht im Besitz der nötigen Ausweispapiere sein, ist PONANT von Gesetzeswegen verpflichtet, Ihnen zu verweigern an Bord zu gehen und Ihnen steht keine Erstattung des Kreuzfahrtpreises zu.

• Wichtiger Hinweis zur Benutzung von Drohnen: Die Benutzung von Drohnen ist an Bord der PONANT-Schiffe strengstens untersagt, sowohl während der Fahrt als auch im Hafen oder an Anlegestellen. In der Arktis und Antarktis ist die Benutzung von Drohnen durch die internationalen Polar-Regelungen auch an Land strengstens untersagt. In den anderen Regionen unterliegt eine eventuelle Nutzung von Drohnen dem Erhalt einer Genehmigung bei den zuständigen Behörden der einzelnen Länder und der durchquerten Gebiete sowie dem Vorliegen eines Drohnenführerscheins, den der Benutzer in seinem Herkunftsland erwerben muss. Der Erhalt dieser Genehmigungen geht zu Lasten der Passagiere. Die Genehmigungen müssen jederzeit vorgezeigt werden können. Passagiere, die gegen diese Genehmigungspflicht verstoßen, machen sich strafbar.

• Cuba : Participants must complete and sign a People-to-People Application Form and a Certificate of Travel to Cuba (both of these forms will be supplied) and return them to PONANT together with a copy of your passport no later than 45 days prior to travel. Those documents are necessary in order to obtain the Cuban visa/tourist card, which you will receive prior to your flight to La Havana. Cuba requires all visitors to have medical insurance, this insurance is included as part of the air ticket.

• USA: your flights are transiting via the US, a visa may be required. Please contact USA consulate website for details.

16 March 2018 - MIAMI/HAVANA

Fly from Miami to Havana and check into your hotel. Enjoy an orientation walk along the Malecon, the city’s three-mile coastal boulevard and an evening gathering place for Habaneros.

17 March 2018 - HAVANA

Become acquainted with Havana, one of the most alluring cities in the Western Hemisphere. An architectural historian will guide our walking tour through in the heart of Old Havana, a UNESCO World Heritage site founded in 1519. We will learn about the city’s colonial history, its ongoing restoration, and see more of its vibrant street life. View the handsome main squares including Plazas Vieja, de San Francisco, de la Catedral, and de Armas with its stately Palacio de los Capitanes Generales. Enjoy lunch in Old Havana at a paladar and learn about domestic cuisine and small business ownership. After lunch, see the baroque inner cloister of the Seminary of San Carlos y San Ambrosio. Finally, visit the Gaspar Melchor de Jovellanos Workshop/School for discussions with artisans specializing in monument restoration.

18 March 2018 - HAVANA | SIERRA DEL ROSARIO | HAVANA | EMBARK

Drive to the Sierra del Rosario, a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve region and mountain range in the provinces of Pinar del Río and Artemisa, and the settlement of Las Terrazas, a sustainable village which originated as a reforestation project in 1968 and is now Cuba’s main ecotourism center. Meet the residents to learn about small town life in Cuba. Visit a large reforestation program and experience the reserve’s rich biodiversity.

Return to Havana and embark Le Ponant in the late afternoon.

Travelers will attend a briefing, including the program schedule and reaffirmation of the obligatory requirement of participation in all activities. 

19 March 2018 AT SEA

Today attend lectures and enjoy the amenities of Le Ponant as we sail toward Punta Frances.

20 March 2018 PUNTA FRANCES

Today we visit one of the most remote and beautiful beaches on Cuba, where we take advantage of the excellent swimming and snorkeling.  The beach is part of Parque Nacional Marino de Punta Frances Punta Pederales, a marine conservation area established in 1978.  We will have an opportunity to meet and talk with Cubans concerned with preserving the natural environment and fragile ecosystem of the island.

21 March 2018 CIENFUEGOS

Guests will have a choice between an excursion to Bay of Pigs and Korimacao or staying in Cienfuegos, a UNESCO World Heritage site, to learn about architectural conservation, visit the Palacio de Valle, and meet with local folk artists. If choosing the first option, drive to Bahia de Cochinos (Bay of Pigs) and Playa Giron. The Bay of Pigs was the site of the ill-fated Bay of Pigs invasion, where in 1961, 1,300 armed Cuban exiles were thwarted in their attempt to overthrow Fidel Castro. We will also spend time at the Korimacao Community Arts and Cultural Project, which provides free art, music, theater, dance, and poetry to young artists. If choosing the second option, guests will view the Cienfuegos city center, considered to be the best example of 19th century urban-planning in Spanish America. Learn how the buildings have been conserved for current use. Visit the Palacio de Valle, an architectural jewel reminiscent of Spanish-Moorish art. Meet with local folk artists to learn about their art. 

22 March 2018 TRINIDAD

Trinidad is the crown jewel of Cuba’s colonial towns. Founded in 1514, it is now a UNESCO World Heritage site. Its cobblestoned streets are lined with neoclassical and baroque homes and buildings embellished with wrought-iron grillwork. A walking tour will be led by Office of the City Historian representatives, with resident interactions along the way. Highlights include the Plaza Mayor; Museo Romantico’s wonderful collection of antiques; the Architecture Museum; the church of the Convent of San Francisco; and Plaza Santa Ana. Meet with an owner of a free-enterprise “casa particular” (Cuban bed and breakfast) and learn about this relatively new form of independent business in Cuba. We will also learn about the owner’s family history as it is tied to the home he has transformed into a casa particular. Trinidad is steeped in religiosity, including Santeria and other Afro-Cuban religions. We will explore these belief systems with practitioners. Continue to the Santander Family Ceramics Workshop/Studio to meet with local artisans.

23 March 2018 AT SEA

Today attend lectures and enjoy the amenities of Le Ponant as we sail toward Santiago de Cuba.

24 March 2018 SANTIAGO DE CUBA

Set at the head of a spacious bay that is surrounded by mountains, Santiago, Cuba’s second largest city, is one of the island’s oldest cities, founded in 1515. The city is known for its eclectic architectural styles that range from Colonial to Art Nouveau, as well as for its flourishing artistic and cultural scene. Visit the Ateneo de Santiago, an important organization of artists. Meet with the organization’s members, each representing different professions within the arts, and discuss Santiago’s contemporary arts scene. Our exploration, in the company of local cultural leaders, continues at Parque Cespesdes, a charming square where in the 18th-century town hall Fidel Castro delivered his victory speech in 1959. Le Ponant docks overnight.

25 March 2018 SANTIAGO DE CUBA  

Disembark by 9h00. Transfer to the airport in Holguin. Flight Holguin/Miami included.