A vacation is an investment in your time, not just your money. With recent flight cancellations making Cuba travel more unpredictable than ever, we’re being honest: waiting might be a risk you don’t want to take. Here’s the truth about the current market and how to secure a stress-free escape without the guesswork.

On February 13, following widespread flight cancellations by Canadian airlines to Cuba through the end of April, we made the decision to remove Cuba vacations from our website. That does not mean Cuba is unavailable through our agency.

Why we removed Cuba from the website

Booking should bring excitement, not uncertainty

A big part of any vacation is the time between booking and departure. It should be enjoyable. You should be able to look forward to your trip with confidence. Right now, Cuba carries a level of uncertainty that makes that difficult.

For loyal Cuba travellers especially, the period after booking can turn into weeks or months of watching headlines, checking airline updates, and wondering whether the trip will actually operate. That takes away one of the best parts of travel – the anticipation.

Money can get tied up for too long

Cuba bookings require deposits, and final payment is usually due six weeks before departure.

If flights are cancelled, refunds may not be immediate. In some cases, credits may be issued first, or refunds may take time to process. That means your money could be tied up while you wait, and your options may become more limited at exactly the moment you need flexibility. We do not think that is the best position for our customers to be in.

Waiting too long on alternatives can cost you

When Cuba comes out of the market, demand shifts elsewhere, especially to destinations like the Dominican Republic and Mexico.

That increased demand pushes pricing higher across the board. As the most similar alternatives fill up, travellers begin considering other destinations too, and the pricing pressure spreads through the market.

Hotel pricing is dynamic. When more people compete for the same hotel rooms and flights, prices go up. That’s why we strongly believe many customers are better served by choosing a solid alternative early, rather than hoping a Cuba booking holds and then scrambling later when it cancels.

Why this situation feels different

Cuba has faced difficult periods before, but this current situation feels different in both scale and uncertainty.

After 37 years in business, we do not see this as a short-term inconvenience that can be brushed aside. There are broader political and economic forces affecting Cuba’s tourism market, airline schedules, fuel supply, and future pricing.

Whatever the eventual outcome, we do not believe the market simply snaps back to what Canadian travellers were used to before. Even in a more positive future scenario, Cuba may not return in the same way, at the same pricing, or with the same availability that travellers once knew.

Alternatives to Cuba

Strictly price wise: Puerto Plata – it offers a golden sand beach, not really comparable to powdery white beaches in Cuba. Santo Domingo is in there price wise but this is a very old tourism area – we are not big fans. You may see some options in Cozumel, but not all are on the beach. You may also see price points in Puerto Vallarta where recent demand has fallen but the Pacific beaches are nothing like Cuba. 3-star Jamaica will show up – these are often older, smaller hotels and each hotel beach is different. 

Beach/Value: Book early and expect to pay more for La Romana/Bayahibe, Punta Cana (hotels like the Vik are a good choice), and selected hotels in Riviera Maya. Riviera Maya can have issues with seaweed during the summer months and early fall at some hotels.

Caribbean cruise departing Florida, Galveston: OK – this is totally different, admittedly. Beaches are restricted to ports of call where you can get your fix for 2 or 3 good days at the beach. Way better food than Cuba! The bar is not “open” – a great alternative for people that are not big drinkers. Some lines have drink packages but realistically, this is a more extensive brand name bar than Cuban rum and Cristal. If you want to avoid flying into the US, there are cruises embarking from La Romana, Martinique and Guadeloupe.

Cruise: Drive to New York, New Jersey, Boston. This is a great alternative for a family vacation, saving the cost of airfare for a doable drive for those of our clients living in Southern Ontario, Quebec, and the Maritimes. A pre-night hotel in New Jersey, parking at the pier, and a 5 to 7 night cruise from the New York/Boston area could be a great trip for a family or couple. You can even make a trip out of it and stop in the Finger Lakes, Lake Placid, Saratoga Springs, Stowe, etc.

Can we still book Cuba?

Yes, absolutely. We understand that some travellers know Cuba well, love it for their own reasons, and are willing to accept more uncertainty. That is exactly why we have not stopped selling Cuba altogether. We have simply decided that it should not be on our website as a normal self-serve booking option while the situation remains this uncertain.

If you understand the risks and still want to book Cuba, our agents can book it for you. We would simply do so as a more personalized, discussion-based sale rather than presenting it online like any other sun destination. You could think of it as a product that is still available, just not currently on display.

Our view

Our job is to guide people toward better travel decisions, not just process transactions.

When a destination becomes unusually uncertain, we think it is better to say so plainly and help customers weigh the risks, rather than pretend everything is normal. If and when we see clear signs that Cuba is again a viable and dependable option for Canadian leisure travellers, we will be very happy to place it back on our website. Until then, we believe most customers are better served by focusing on real, bookable alternatives that offer more confidence between booking and departure.

Current airline status (as of March 19, 2026)

As of now, the following suppliers have extended Cuba cancellations:

• Air Canada Vacations: cancelled until November 1
• Air Transat: cancelled until June 20*
• Sunwing Vacations: cancelled until June 20*
• WestJet Vacations: cancelled until October 27

*We see no evidence of this happening.

Speak to an experienced tripcentral.ca agent who’s been there for great advice and booking experience.