CORNELL ALUMNI ASSOCIATION
TRAVEL PROGRAM
CUBA
A LONG WEEKEND IN HAVANA
DECEMBER 23 – 27, 2015
S EEN THROUGH
THE
M USIC , A RT , C ULTURE & H ISTORY OF THE P EOPLE
Cornell Alumni Association Travel Program presents: Cuba—A Long Weekend in Havana
Visit us online at www.classicjourneys.com
For reservations or information,
contact Dave Van Hook at Classic Journeys, 800-200-3887
CORNELL ALUMNI ASSOCIATION
TRAVEL PROGRAM
Dear Alumni, Parents, and Friends,
The Cornell Alumni Association Travel Program has
been traveling the world with you, your classmates,
your extended families, and your best friends for
more than 40 years. During that time we frequently
have been told that we offer some of the best group
travel experiences to be found. While we carefully
select each destination and itinerary— it’s the
people who travel with us that make these trips
especially memorable. In fact, we’ve adopted the
phrase, “an extraordinary journey in good company”
as our motto.
Whether you are traveling with the Cornell Alumni
Association for the first time, or returning for yet
another adventure, we look forward to welcoming
you and your family and friends on an extraordinary
journey.
Please join us!
Sincerely,
James A. Mazza ’88
Associate Vice President, Alumni Affairs
Cornell University
Cornell Alumni Association Travel Program presents: Cuba—A Long Weekend in Havana
For reservations or information,
contact Dave Van Hook at Classic Journeys, 800-200-3887
Visit us online at www.classicjourneys.com
A LONG WEEKEND IN HAVANA
PEOPLE-TO-PEOPLE CULTURAL EXCHANGE PROGRAM
In the first half of the 20th century, Americans loved
to hop down to Havana for a long weekend, spiced
with the climate and culture of the tropics. Now
that idea is back with this 5-day/4-night cultural
exchange program created to connect you with the
irresistible rhythms and vivid art of Cuba. In one
concise, complete weekend you’ll connect with the
city’s dancers, musicians and artists at an
extraordinary level. We’ll chat with the city’s most
creative people, sit in on rehearsals, get in a salsa
lesson and applaud their performances. We’ll take
time to delve into the rich traditions and discuss
how the arts and humanities have survived and
thrived with the people at the heart of the
movement. From our ideally located hotel in Old
Havana, we’re close to every essential site – from
Hemingway’s home to the oldest cigar factory and
the city’s hottest music club. Throughout, we’ll also
try some of the finest new restaurants, explore the
historic landmarks, and experience the holidays
Cuban style – for a weekend you’ll never forget.
Cuba’s best holiday season
since 1959.
In 2014, the first U.S. move to normalize
relations with Cuba came just a few days
before the year-end holidays—and gave a
quick lift to celebrations. In 2015, the season
promises to be bigger and livelier than any in
generations. Christmas, for example, only
became an official national holiday again in
1998. The island’s religions—Catholicism,
Protestantism, Judaism and Santeria—are
once again an open part of many Cubans’
lives, as you’ll learn in our interactions with
them. On this memorable trip we’ll see how
their celebrations are growing and changing.
If you like, you will be welcome to join in
services as a participant or observer. It’s just
one more way to experience firsthand how
Cuba is evolving at this exciting inflection
point in history.
PICTURE YOURSELF…
• Exploring art-filled streets with painters and teachers
• Watching a rehearsal of a leading dance company
• Taking a salsa lesson
• Learning about Ernest Hemingway’s life in Cuba
Cornell Alumni Association Travel Program presents: Cuba—A Long Weekend in Havana
For reservations or information,
contact Dave Van Hook at Classic Journeys, 800-200-3887
Visit us online at www.classicjourneys.com
DO YOU HAVE
QUESTIONS ABOUT
TRAVELING TO CUBA?
Please see PAGE 6
for a detailed Q & A.
DAY 2 HIGHLIGHTS:
• Interacting with music
students
• Walking the Malecon
promenade to our hotel
• Swaying to the beat at a hot
private music club
DAILY ITINERARY
DEC. 23
DAY 1 - MIAMI, FLORIDA
Your fellow Cornellians and other guests will make their way at leisure to
South Florida today for our first night at the Miami International Airport.
Your advance arrival assures that you are in place for the charter flight that
Classic Journeys has arranged to get the weekend off to an easy start. Your
Host and Tour Leader will also brief you about the lively days ahead.
Overnight: Miami
Meals: NA
DEC. 24
DAY 2 – HAVANA / MUSIC INSTITUTION /
THE MALECON / PRIVE MUSIC CLUB
After breakfast is our one-hour charter flight from Miami to Havana. On the
ground, we dive right into the wonderful music of Cuba. We’ll receive a warm
welcome at the Music Institution where our local hosts explain some of the
originals of Cuban music and how it is interwoven throughout the island’s life.
We’ll also meet and chat with the music students and teachers. In time for
lunch, we join Jose Fuster, widely known as “The Picasso of the Caribbean”.
This visionary artist has turned his home and neighborhood into a unique and
colorful artistic landscape with public sculptures and mosaics he funds from
selling his artworks.
En route to our hotel, we’ll take a Christmas Eve stroll along the Malécon—
the long promenade along the harbor. On any typical day, many of the locals
gather here to mingle with friends, play music and dance. We’ll see how the
tone changes in anticipation of the holiday.
Even in the years when religion was suppressed in Cuba, the holidays such as
Christmas and Hanukkah were marked with family feasts. We join that
tradition tonight with dinner at one of the exciting new crop of privately
owned restaurants known as paladares. Then we’re off to Prive, Havana’s first
private music club many of local musicians love to perform. The atmosphere
is cultured, yet laid back, the acoustics are impressive, and the talent the best
in the country. Jazz standouts like Harold Lopez-Nussa and Michel Herrera
play here regularly, as do Santiago Feliú and Frank Delgado and others who
are stars of trova, one of the most distinctive styles of Cuban with roots in the
19th century.
Overnight: Havana
Meals: B, L, D
OUR FINE ACCOMMODATIONS
Classic Journeys has selected hotels that offer the best locations and
facilities, and we do everything in our power to assure your comfort and
satisfaction. Like many businesses in Cuba, hospitality is undergoing a
transformation. Recently restored, the Saratoga sits behind a 19th
century façade at one of the liveliest intersections of Old Havana. Room
décor blends contemporary and classic with Cuban tile floors. Amenities
include open air dining in the Roof Garden, an outdoor pool and a gym.
Cornell Alumni Association Travel Program presents: Cuba—A Long Weekend in Havana
For reservations or information,
contact Dave Van Hook at Classic Journeys, 800-200-3887
Visit us online at www.classicjourneys.com
DAY 3 HIGHLIGHTS:
• Visiting Ernest Hemingway’s
home
• Meeting the “tobacco
reader” in a cigar factory
• Brushing up your salsa
moves
DEC. 25
DAY 3 – FINCA VIGIA / CUBA’S OLDEST
CIGAR FACTORY / SALSA DANCING
On past holiday visits to Cuba, our hosts have welcomed us to services in
local churches and synagogues. If you’d like, we’ll help you join in. Our day
also includes a fascinating array of scheduled activities.
After a breakfast of local specialties, we visit Finca Vigia, Ernest
Hemingway’s Cuban home, which is now a museum. “Papa” lived in the
house from 1939 until 1960, and it was here that he wrote much of “For
Whom the Bell Tolls” and “The Old Man and The Sea”. Staying with the
humanities for a while, we’ll also pay a visit to UNEAC, the Union of Cuban
Artists and Writers, for a really engaging exchange with its members who
work together with the goal of preserving genuine Cuban culture.
You needn’t be a cigar smoker to know and understand how essential tobacco
is to the island’s history. After lunch, we’re welcomed into a beautiful colonial
building that is the oldest cigar factory in Cuba. We’ll have fascinating
conversations with the cigar factory manager and workers. And we’ll also
learn about the utterly unique profession of “tobacco reader” – the person who
reads aloud to workers as they roll cigars that include some of most famous
varieties such as Lusitanias and Churchills.
We’ll end our walking tour of Old Havana with visit to one of Hemingway’s
favorite haunts: the famed La Floridita bar where we can sip a classic daiquiri.
You’ll want to fuel up at tonight’s dinner because it’s followed by a visit to
the professional Danza Chévere Dance Company where we’ll get in a salsa
lesson.
Overnight: Havana
DAY 4 HIGHLIGHTS:
• Sitting in on a dance
rehearsal
• Walking the colorful La
Murleando district
• Chatting with Havana’s
famous classic-car owners
Meals: B, L, D
DEC. 26
DAY 4 – LIZT ALFONSO DANCE CUBA /
MURALEANDO / 1950’S HAVANA
For a special treat, we’ll sit in on a rehearsal this morning of Lizt Alfonso
Dance Cuba. We’ll have the privilege of meeting the director and some of the
dancers in this exciting company that blends flamenco, ballet and
contemporary dance with Spanish and Afro-Cuban rhythms. We’ll also pay a
visit to the National Theater.
Then we’re off to La Muraleando for lunch. These colorful streets are a
People’s Art Gallery in the words of local artists Manolo Díaz Baldrich and
Ernesto Quirch Paz. When the two began teaching art workshops in the
neighborhood school in 2001, their classes conflicted with the schedule of the
state-run computer program. So they moved the workshops into the streets,
which today are full of vivid wall murals and art installations. Manolo is proud
of the project because, “A sense of belonging has developed in the barrio
where people get involved and concern themselves more and more with
solving problems with our own efforts.”
After time back at the hotel to refresh for the evening, we have a really special
treat. Members of a 1950s classic car cooperative meet up with us in front of
our hotel to talk about how they keep their cars in mint condition even with
hundreds of thousands of miles on them. It’s amazing to see these tail-finned
Cornell Alumni Association Travel Program presents: Cuba—A Long Weekend in Havana
For reservations or information,
contact Dave Van Hook at Classic Journeys, 800-200-3887
Visit us online at www.classicjourneys.com
treasures up close – and it’s even better to climb in to cruise to one of our
favorite paladares for our farewell dinner.
Overnight: Havana
Meals: B, L, D
DEC. 27
DAY 5 HIGHLIGHTS:
DAY 5 – MUSEUM OF FINE ARTS / MIAMI
• Lunch at the historic Hotel
Nacional
Our final morning in Havana, we’ll explore the Museum of Fine Arts, one of
the largest collections of visual arts in Cuba. Highlights include the Cuban
painting and engraving section with works from as far back as the 16th
century. The European collection includes original pieces by Rubens, Murillo,
Goya and others, and the museum also displays one of Latin America’s most
significant collections of Egyptian, Greek and Roman art.
• Exploring the Museum of
Fine Art
• Part company with a return
flight to Miami
As a fitting finale to our weekend, we’ll stop at the Hotel Nacional to see
where Frank Sinatra, Bugsy Siegel and other famous (and infamous) visitors
stayed, and performed in the 1950s when Cuba was renowned spot for quick
getaways. After a brief lunch at the hotel, we make our way to the airport for
our return flight to Miami.
Overnight: None
Cornell Alumni Association Travel Program presents: Cuba—A Long Weekend in Havana
Meals: B, L
For reservations or information,
contact Dave Van Hook at Classic Journeys, 800-200-3887
Visit us online at www.classicjourneys.com
CUBA — A LONG WEEKEND IN HAVANA
PEOPLE-TO-PEOPLE CULTURAL EXCHANGE PROGRAM
Country:
Tours Begin:
Tours End:
Terrain:
Trip Length:
Dates & Prices:
Cuba
Miami, Florida—Miami International Airport – first
night hotel
Miami, Florida—Miami International Airport
Easy to moderate on good trails and paths.
5 days and 4 nights
Tour prices are per person, double occupancy.
Single supplement is only applicable if you are
traveling solo and/or have a room to yourself.
Tour Dates
Tour Price
Single Supplement
December 23 – 27, 2015
$3,995.00
$495.00
WHAT’S INCLUDED: Your trip price includes the following…
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
All accommodations for 4 nights (1 night in Miami and
3 nights in Cuba).
All meals, except dinner on your own on days 1 and 5.
Full-time experienced guide throughout your entire
stay in Cuba.
All activities in the itinerary.
Gratuities for hotels, meals and baggage.
Trip literature.
All land transportation during the trip.
CHARTER AIR:
We will arrange your charter flight from Miami to
Havana on Day 2 and from Havana to Miami on Day 8
to complete the tour. The approximate cost of this is
$549-$649 per person.
CUBAN VISA:
We will provide you your Cuban visa, which is often
referred to as a “tourist card.” We will take care of all
the paperwork and issue your Cuban visa when you
purchase your flight to Cuba with Classic Journeys. The
$75 charge levied by the Cuban government will be
processed along with the price of your air package
between Miami and Cuba.
Cornell Alumni Association Travel Program presents: Cuba—A Long Weekend in Havana
¡BUEN VIEJE!
Cuba has so many incredible experiences to
share (from people to places to historic
sites) that we have the enviable situation of
being able to choose from a wealth of
interactions to make your week great.
Sometimes, the Foreign Ministry
determines that a particular people to
people exchange visit is not possible during
a scheduled departure. We might learn of
that a few days or even a few hours prior to
a scheduled visit. In those cases, we utilize
the deep and broad connections we’ve
made in Cuba to choose another unique
and special interaction. Feel free to utilize
the daily itinerary as a guideline of the sorts
of activities and interactions we’ll have
during our week together in Cuba. You’ll
find that an attitude of relaxed flexibility
will enhance your enjoyment of this
wonderful island.
RESERVE YOUR
ADVENTURE TODAY!
We’re delighted you've decided to travel
with Cornell Alumni Travel and Classic
Journeys. To ask any questions or to make
a reservation, call Dave Van Hook at Classic
Journeys at 800-200-3887 and they’ll have
you on your way.
TRIP INSURANCE
PROVIDES VALUABLE
PEACE OF MIND
Purchase Travel Guard’s Basic, Silver, Gold
or Platinum coverage and you’re covered
for unexpected events that may come up in
your travels to, from and during your time
in Cuba. We strongly recommend that you
purchase trip insurance and Classic
Journeys will send you all of the
information you need to determine which
insurance plan and coverage are
appropriate for you. Restrictions apply, so
please read the information carefully and
contact Travel Guard if you have any
questions whatsoever.
For reservations or information,
contact Dave Van Hook at Classic Journeys, 800-200-3887
Visit us online at www.classicjourneys.com
Do you have questions about traveling to Cuba? We have answers!
If you’re the kind of person who craves the opportunity to make connections with other peoples and cultures,
Cuba is irresistible. The chance to meet, interact with and understand the Cubans – who have been so nearby
and yet so inaccessible – makes us want to pack our bags today. But the fact is, preparing for an exchange
experience on the island takes some special considerations. Here are answers to some of the questions we
hear most often from people who are curious about Cuba. If you have others, please give Classic Journeys a
call at 800-200-3887.
Why should I select Classic Journeys for my trip to Cuba?
For almost 20 years, Classic Journeys has specialized in what we
call “cultural walking adventures” in countries all over the
world. We’ve always believed that the best way to experience a
country is to meet the people in person, talk to them about
their lives, and take time to understand their history and
culture. As a result, the people who select our programs are
curious, open-minded travelers who crave person-to-person
engagement with the people who live in the lands they visit. Our
approach has always gone far beyond standard tourism and
sightseeing. So it was a very natural step for us to construct a
People-to-People Exchange Program for Cuba – a logical
extension of our lifelong belief in the power of travel to create
powerful cultural connections.
Is it legal for me to travel to Cuba with Classic Journeys?
Absolutely. We are operating our People-to-People program
under a Specific License granted to us by the U.S. Department of
the Treasury, Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC). Because
we have this license, you – as a member of our program – will
also be legally licensed to travel to Cuba. You will receive a
Letter of Authorization from us to that effect that will need to
be included with the travel documents you take to Cuba. (Keep
all of your travel documents for five years after your trip.)
Why do you call it a “People-to-People” program?
People-to-People is the important and meaningful description of
this travel that was specified by the U.S. Government. It stresses
that the visit must offer direct personal contact with the Cuban
people to stimulate engagement and understanding. This is not
Cornell Alumni Association Travel Program presents: Cuba—A Long Weekend in Havana
a traditional tourist experience. In fact, you will be traveling as
part of the People-to-People educational exchange and you will
not be regarded as a tourist.
What sort of people will I meet in Cuba?
As you’ve probably seen, in some countries you only come
across people involved in the tourism industry. In Cuba, the
opposite is true. On our urban and country walks, we will be
with – and encouraged to talk to – the people we encounter.
For example, instead of huddling in the middle of a church for a
talk about its architecture, we might meet the priest,
worshippers and participants in grassroots programs run by the
church. Instead of glancing into a school classroom, we’ll be
welcomed by the principal and have a chance to meet and talk
to the teachers and students. In addition, Classic Journeys has
arranged a steady series of enlightening encounters with a
range of experts including authors, professors, preservationists,
business owners, social and cultural activists, artists, naturalists,
and on and on. They offer us their insights and look forward to
lively back-and-forth conversations with you.
Who are Classic Journeys' guides in Cuba?
Local guides are absolutely essential to making sure that you
make rich, frequent and meaningful connections with the Cuban
people. Our handpicked guides, along with a Classic Journeys
tour director, will be with you every step of the way. All of our
local guides are fluent in Cuban-Spanish and English. Most of all,
they are proud natives of Cuba, dedicated to making sure you
gain a personal, multi-faceted understanding of the country
they call home.
For reservations or information,
contact Dave Van Hook at Classic Journeys, 800-200-3887
Visit us online at www.classicjourneys.com
Do I need a visa to travel to Cuba?
Yes. In addition to a passport that is valid for six months beyond the
end of your Classic Journeys trip and the Letter of Authorization
that we provide to you, you will need a Cuban visa, which is often
referred to as a “tourist card.” The good news is that we take care
of all of the paperwork. You do not need to fill out any applications.
When you purchase your flight to Cuba with Classic Journeys, the
charter air company with which we work will issue your Cuban visa
along with your plane ticket. The $75 charge levied by the Cuban
government will be included in the price of your air package
between Miami and Cuba.
How do I book my air travel to Cuba?
Classic Journeys arranges the flight from Miami to Havana for you,
working with a licensed charter company that is authorized to fly
U.S. citizens directly to Cuba legally. The only way to travel to Cuba
legally is on one of these chartered flights. Because of the
restrictions on who can travel to Cuba, these flights are not
available online or through commercial U.S. airlines. The flight from
Miami to Havana takes roughly 45 minutes, and the charter
company typically uses a Boeing 737 jet.
Why do we stay in Miami the night before we fly to Cuba?
We include in the program Night 1 in Miami to avoid the risk that
you miss your charter flight. Unlike the airlines you fly on your other
travels, the charter flights are heavily booked and tightly controlled.
You will not be able to rebook on a later flight if you miss the one
carrying your Classic Journeys group. So we’ve elected to include
the night at Miami airport to make your travels more seamless.
Where do we stay in Miami?
For all participants in our People-to-People programs, we include in
your program price the first night at the Miami International
Airport. This plan simplifies your departure to Cuba on Day 2,
because a Classic Journeys representative can meet the entire
group together and escort you to the airport’s international
departures area.
Our Hotels in Cuba
Classic Journeys has selected hotels that offer the best locations
and facilities, and we do everything in our power to assure your
comfort and satisfaction. Like many businesses in Cuba,
hospitality is undergoing a transformation. Thanks in advance
for the understanding you show to the Cuban people who
welcome you. This list includes the hotels we work with, which
vary by departure date.
Parque Central - This elegant colonial-style hotel is in central
Havana with fine views of the Capitol Building, the Great
Theatre and the Fine Arts Museum. The rooms are decorated in
tasteful classic style. Amenities at the hotel include a rooftop
pool, as well as a selection of onsite restaurants.
Hotel Saratoga - Recently restored, the Saratoga sits behind a
19th century façade at one of the liveliest intersections of Old
Havana. Room décor blends contemporary and classic with
Cuban tile floors. Amenities include open air dining in the Roof
Garden, an outdoor pool and gym.
Hotel Santa Isabel - Occupying a restored 18th century
mansion, the Hotel Santa Isabel is right in the lively heart of Old
Havana. Built around a quiet courtyard and facing the Plaza de
Armas, the lobby is in the grand, chandeliered style of the noble
family that once live here. The gracious rooms are tastefully
decorated in colonial style, and many offer views of the plaza.
Hotel Melia Cohiba - The contemporary Melia Cohiba soars into
the sky near the Malecon, Havana’s waterside promenade. All
rooms have been recently renovated and warmly decorated,
and most have ocean views. The hotel’s facilities include an
outdoor pool, gym and squash courts, as well as a wide array of
dining options within the property.
Is there a best time of year to visit Cuba?
Cuba’s climate is “semi-subtropical”, which means it is warm all
year with relatively small seasonal variations. From November to
April, which is the dry season, temperatures average 78-85 degrees.
The rainy season extends from May through October. At the peak of
summer in August, temperatures climb into the 90’s. The official
hurricane season runs from June through early November, though
hurricanes are more likely to occur from August through early
October.
Cornell Alumni Association Travel Program presents: Cuba—A Long Weekend in Havana
For reservations or information,
contact Dave Van Hook at Classic Journeys, 800-200-3887
Visit us online at www.classicjourneys.com