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    LaChavalinaAnna Merlan
    1/15/15 11:08am

    Your assessment here is very much at odds with the details as reported in the New York Times: http://www.nytimes.com/2015/01/16/wor...

    "Under the new regulations, Americans will now be allowed to travel to Cuba for any of a dozen specific reasons without first obtaining a special license from the government."

    So, yes, you don't have to get a special government license, but you still have to claim you're going for one of the 12 authorized reasons (i.e., under a "general license")—A direct contradiction of your headline and assertions in this article. Also, at this time, commercial flights are still not allowed from the U.S. to Cuba, so you'll have to go charter. #corrections

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      Anna MerlanLaChavalina
      1/15/15 11:25am

      You no longer have to certify to the government that you're going for those reasons, which is the entire point of today's announcement. Thanks though!

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      PrinceGumballAnna Merlan
      1/15/15 11:28am

      If you're not going for one of those reasons then you have to lie to the customs agents, which is not a smart thing to do in this day and age. And just because you don't need preapproval doesn't mean that they won't ask you for some proof at customs.

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    LizTaylorsEarringsAnna Merlan
    1/15/15 10:58am

    As the token Canadian here: booooooo!

    Sure, some of you get to see family that you haven't seen in a long time, but please, think of our gloriously American-free vacation spots.

    WONT SOMEBODY PLEASE THINK OF THE CANADIANS (and other non-American vacationers) ?!?!

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      surlyqbearLizTaylorsEarrings
      1/15/15 11:03am
      GIF

      I came here to say the SAME thing! No offence Americans but Cuba's been our for soooo long! LOL

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      BoredHagLizTaylorsEarrings
      1/15/15 11:21am

      As an American, I understand. American tourists ARE the worst. Sure some (like me of course) are fine but so many are loud douchebros or loud visor-and-fanny-pack-with-4-kids types that I do feel bad for yall. And Cuba. Just wait until the tacky resorts take the place over like other islands out there....

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    CaptOtterAnna Merlan
    1/15/15 1:56pm

    That keening sound you hear is thousands of American dudes holding a forlorn, empty Cuban cigar box to their collective chests and weeping with joy.

    Or are they keening with joy because they can now travel directly to one of the biggest sex tourism destinations on the planet? Have fun directly and materially contributing to the continued oppression of the Cuban people, everyone!

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      shamelaCaptOtter
      1/15/15 2:36pm

      Is Cuba one of the biggest sex tourism destinations on the planet? I had not heard that. I've been there - admittedly on a resort - but did a lot of research before I went, and don't recall that little tidbit.

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      CaptOttershamela
      1/15/15 2:59pm

      Can't google the appropriate search terms from the office, but it is my understanding that it's wayyyyyyy up there with places like Bangkok, Pattaya, Cartagena, and Rio de Janeiro.

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    adultosaur married anna on the astral planeAnna Merlan
    1/15/15 10:51am

    i

    need

    that

    car

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      lime_greenadultosaur married anna on the astral plane
      1/15/15 10:56am

      Now that's a car that I'd be proud to drive up to a valet.

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      JosephFinnadultosaur married anna on the astral plane
      1/15/15 11:12am

      I want to drive around in that car wearing Chris Pratt's suit.

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    fightinginfishnetsAnna Merlan
    1/15/15 11:18am

    One of the strangest things about the Cuban economy is that tourists have to use a different form of currency than Cubans. I can't describe it well, but my mother went to Cuba last year and wrote a lot about it. So, I'm just going to quote her.

    Cuba has two currencies, the Cuban Peso (CUP) and the Cuban Convertible Peso (CUC). Cubans are paid in CUPs and shop, pay bills, and save money in this "soft" currency. The CUC is Cuba's hard currency; it's the one tourists receive in exchange for their local currency and the only one they can use during their stay. Cubans can't spend CUCs; tourists can't spend CUPs. However, Cubans who can acquire CUCs can exchange them for CUPs. Confusing? Quite, except I'm sure Cubans are used to this dance, while most tourists are barely aware it exists.

    (To be honest, the only time I thought about it was when I wanted to buy a newspaper from a street vendor. I realized I didn't have CUPs with which to pay her; it was unlikely she'd have CUCs to give me back as change, anyway.)

    CUCs and CUPs are not exchanged 1 to 1. The exchange rate on xe.com today was 1 CUC = 26.5 CUP. We were told the average Cuban makes 350 CUPs a month. It's easy to do the math: getting ahold of just a few CUC every month can raise a family's income substantially. And who most likely to get CUCs in Havana than tour guides, hotel workers, servers and bartenders in establishments catering to tourists, musicians and other performers, artists, craft fair vendors, and taxi drivers. Everybody else, good luck.

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      LizTaylorsEarringsfightinginfishnets
      1/15/15 11:22am

      yup,"Tourist" money. So the industry workers can't hide their income (if you need to exchange it to use it).

      We also took a few American bills down with us for tips. The grey market would take that directly, no need to exchange.

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      adultosaur married anna on the astral planefightinginfishnets
      1/15/15 11:30am

      damn

      DAMN

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    The GaysianAnna Merlan
    1/15/15 11:04am

    I am, however, slightly concerned about the historical preservation of character and buildings in Cuba, especially with such a huge influx of tourists. I do not want Cuba to suddenly turn into the next Hawaii.

    I'd also say go now before the developers build massive resorts and turn the island into a construction zone. You can still find inns and bed-breakfasts for 59-79 dollars a night.

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      Snacky_OnassisThe Gaysian
      1/15/15 11:09am

      My first thoughts were similar to these...then I became worried I was fetishizing their hardship for my own romantic notions it's old worldliness.

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      PrinceGumballThe Gaysian
      1/15/15 11:12am

      There are already massive resorts in Cuba. Did you think Americans were the only people that like tropical islands?

      ETA: as noted elsewhere in the comments, you still can't just up and go to Cuba. All they are doing is making the process easier for people who have government approved travel plans, so really no difference at all. And even if they were opening up the flood gates, so to speak, there are tons of great places in the Caribbean that you can already travel to, like the Honduran bay islands, that aren't ruined by tourism.

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    elgordo47Anna Merlan
    1/15/15 12:11pm

    As a Canadian I love my American brothers and sisters, really. But at the same time, like in any family, I'm familiar with my sibling's, let's say...quirks. Having been to Cuba many times the one thing I have to admit I've particularly enjoyed is the absence of American tourists (don't get me wrong. The Russian, French and Canadians do try hard to fill the void). I mean there's nothing quite like the nasally whine of some New Yorker loudly complaining at front desk that the towel sculpture doesn't adequately represent a goose and that their screaming four year old's vacation is ruined now. The Cubans, at least in the hotel industry, are in for a literal rude awakening.

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      AliceInWunderlandelgordo47
      1/15/15 12:53pm

      I went to Turkey a couple years and did a culinary tour one day in Istanbul - it was specifically the "market" tour so we visited a couple open air markets on THE WATER. At the beginning of the tour, our guide asked if anyone had any food allergies and OF COURSE the American dude said, "I don't like fish." I swear I died a little on the inside. As an American, I an often embarrassed by my fellow citizens on trips abroad. His wife also spent the whole time filming and didn't even bother eating half the food. Ugh.

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      Never_Nudeelgordo47
      1/15/15 2:45pm

      I recently traveled through three European countries on a brief vacay with my hubby (I'm American). There were far more Russians than I've ever seen in these destinations. They were...interesting.

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    BoredHagAnna Merlan
    1/15/15 11:17am

    I just tried to look up airfare to Cuba and it routed me to Buffalo,NY. I feel like that is passive aggressive and Cuba should be pissed.

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      frickinehBoredHag
      1/15/15 11:37am

      Damn, Buffalo? That's just rude. They could've routed you somewhere good.

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    frickinehAnna Merlan
    1/15/15 11:43am

    My husband isn't going to ever be allowed to go, sadly. At least not until he's out of the military and no longer working a job with a security clearance.I would still probably go without him but I'm pretty sure he could get in trouble for that, too, especially given how much his boss enjoys getting all up in people's personal lives. We're probably going to have to wait until we're retired for that trip (which should be right around the time general travel is approved anyway).

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      GELLA - LLAPAnna Merlan
      1/15/15 11:03am

      I always wanted to go on vacation to Cuba, i wouldn't have problems going there with my old passport which is now expired :((

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