21OCT Update from Lessner Gomez of the Cuba Tourist Board as of 2 pm:
- Power has been restored in the Cayo Coco area (Cayo Coco, Cayo Guillermo, Cayo Cruz & Cayo Paredon|), Cayo Santa Maria and Holguin.
- Some parts of Havana and Varadero are not totally recovered, but clients in these zones have been moved to hotels in the same area that have their own generators.
- Excursions and tours are running; all the airports are open and operational.
- The full recovery of the tourist areas is expected to be concluded by the next 24 hours.
- The storm brushed only the most northeastern tip of Cuba through the provinces of Guantanamo and Holguin. There are no major resorts in Guantanamo and the resorts in Holguin have not reported major damages.
Sunwing is offering customers travelling to Varadero or Holguin through 22OCT the opportunity to choose another Sunwing destination or postpone travel, both by 25OCT. Passengers may also cancel and receive a voucher valid for one year.For customers travelling throughout the rest of Cuba, flexible change and cancellation policies are in effect for scheduled departures up to and including 21OCT.
ORIGINAL STORY:
Amid ongoing food and fuel shortages, Cuba has new woes: first, a series of blackouts leading to isolated political protests, followed by a hurricane-turned-tropical-storm washing across the eastern section of the island.
The country’s electrical grid crashed 18OCT after its largest power plant shut down, Reuters reports. It crashed again three times over the weekend.
As of the morning of 21OCT, power was still out in the country. Most resorts have their own generators, although hot water and air conditioning are affected, said Nino Montagnese, vice president of Air Canada Vacations.
“Our customers are being taken care of with minor complaints,” he told Open Jaw. “(Our) team is doing a great job of keeping in touch with our customers and the government with updates.”
Travelgossip.co.uk says specialist operator Simply Cuba insists that Havana is back to normal today, and the main tourist areas of Varadero and the Cayos are unaffected by power cuts.
Air Transat's website had the following advisory posted on 20OCT:
"Due to a nationwide power outage, Transat and Air Transat are offering travellers heading to Cuba between October 20 and October 22, 2024, a flexible policy allowing them to modify their travel reservations if booked before October 18 at 11:59 PM.
All Cuban airports served by Air Transat are open and operating, either with electrical power or through generators. Our flights continue as scheduled, although some hotel services may be temporarily unavailable."
Sunwing posted this advisory on 19OCT:
"Customers travelling to or from Cuba are advised that intermittent power outages have been reported in various parts of the country. The destinations of Cayo Santa Maria, Cayo Coco and Cayo Largo have power and remain unaffected, while power has been restored in Cienfuegos. In Havana, Varadero and Holguin, Cuban officials are working to gradually restore power for the first hotels. In other properties, hotel services continue to be available in these regions and resorts are operating on power generators."
On 20OCT, Sunwing published this advice:
"Customers travelling to Holguin over the next 24-28 hours are advised that Hurricane Oscar may impact their travel plans and there is a potential for flights to be delayed. Sunwing customers with travel plans for Holguin are advised to check their flight status for the most up-to date information on flight times before heading to the airport. Customers with concerns about travel to Holguin can also contact the Sunwing Sales Centre at 1-877-786-9464 to discuss their options."
Cuba is one of the top three international destinations for Canadian vacationers. From January to March 2024, more than 350,000 Canadians got their fix of sunshine in the island-nation, Statistics Canada reports.
Global Affairs Canada has warned Canadians to exercise a high degree of caution when visiting Cuba due to ongoing shortages of food, medicine, and fuel. Over the weekend, the government added a caution to avoid travelling in the provinces of Guantanamo, Holguin and Las Tunas due to the storm. And the federal government warns that resorts with their own power may not be able to maintain services if the shortage persists.
Ottawa on 18OCT said it is "closely monitoring" the situation and "stand[s] ready to provide consular assistance to Canadians as needed," according to the CBC.
Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel issued a strong warning against blackout-related political unrest last night, appearing on national TV in military dress.
“We are not going to accept nor allow anyone to act with vandalism and much less to alter the tranquility of our people," he said, per Reuters.
Meanwhile, the Category 1 hurricane landed Sunday evening, and although it has weakened into a tropical storm, Oscar is producing heavy rainfall and could cause life-threatening flash flooding, according to the U.S.-based National Hurricane Centre.
The storm is expected to turn toward the northwest and north later Monday, followed by a faster northeastward motion on Tuesday and Wednesday, reports USA Today.
