Caribbean Vacation

[JohnGalt]

Travel to Mexico and fly into Cuba ("please dont stamp my passport!"). Nothing is more exciting and romantic than doing something you are not supposed to do with someone you love...all the while over-indulging in salsa dancing, rum, coffee roasted pork, and long strolls through Habana.

This. Definitely this. Everyone should see Cuba before it finally opens up. The music and food are fantastic and the general atmosphere is fascinating. And you don't have to worry about the passport stamps...they don't stamp anyone's passports.

I've done a couple of the bareboat sailing trips through the BVIs and I thought Anegada was lovely (but very rustic and pretty isolated). And I remember thinking that Virgin Gorda would be a wonderful location to rent a cabana/house/condo. It's where The Baths are.

[fuse]

Travel to Mexico and fly into Cuba ("please dont stamp my passport!"). Nothing is more exciting and romantic than doing something you are not supposed to do with someone you love...all the while over-indulging in salsa dancing, rum, coffee roasted pork, and long strolls through Habana.

I'll naively ask if this is really a thing- "don't stamp my passport"?

The idea of Cuba is certainly a cool one- would be able to enjoy some nice cigars for sure.

I am impressed with your risk management/bravado if you do something like this.
I'd be concerned to be the one getting flagged somehow and having to sort out the consequences.

[JohnGalt]

I'll naively ask if this is really a thing- "don't stamp my passport"?

The idea of Cuba is certainly a cool one- would be able to enjoy some nice cigars for sure.

I am impressed with your risk management/bravado if you do something like this.
I'd be concerned to be the one getting flagged somehow and having to sort out the consequences.

They don't stamp anyone's passports...regardless of where you're from. They give you a little immigration card that they stamp, you keep with your passport, and then return when you exit the country. The days of having to request that they don't stamp your passport are gone. I will admit that the process is a little eery: you have to walk into the immigration booth alone to be scrutinized solo.

My girlfriend's cousin recently had her passport stolen in Havana and she had to go over to the Swiss embassy [I believe] to get it sorted out. It's technically not illegal to travel to Cuba though. The embargo states U.S. citizens aren't allowed to make transactions in Cuba...i.e., buy anything or receive gifts. But since you have to pay a departure tax to get out, it's essentially impossible to travel there without violating the law...and that obviously assumes you were able to eat and move about in Cuba without spending any money or receiving services in order to do it.

[weezie]

I owe Mrs. Turk a trip as well.

Tack on a spa visit for her! Surely you owe her far more than you can ever put into words!
I'll bet she's a super catch for a guy like you....
I kid, I kid