Milton Breakers Cuba Baseball Tour – Experience the Forbidden Tropical Paradise – November 6 – 14, 2015

Central & West Cuba – Cienfuegos, Santa Clara, and Havana – NOV. 6-14, 2015

Milton Breakers – – (By Private Invitation Only) – – Call Us!

Experience the Forbidden Tropical Paradise!!

Buenos Dias Amigo! Get used to it because you’ll hear it a lot in friendly Cuba.  Cuba is the largest and one of the most beautiful countries in the Caribbean.  This is a rare opportunity to be a Baseball Ambassador and play baseball in this tropical paradise.

Despite the embargo the US has with Cuba and the ban on travel, there are many legal means for travel to Cuba.  One of them is amateur athletic competitions and this trip is set up under those conditions.  It’s a long and arduous exercise and there is no guarantee the trip will happen until full approval is obtained from both countries.  We’ve been invited by the Cuban sports authorities and they are in the process of planning for this trip.

Cuba is known for it’s beautiful tropical climate, rum, great music, cigars, friendly people and of course baseball.  The people of Cuba are generally very congenial towards people from the USA and are very pro American.  They are very friendly and welcome tourists with open arms.  We’ll be playing in several cities which will give us opportunity to see these historic cities, dense tropical jungles, beautiful beaches, and interact with Cuban nationals. The Cubans are always glad to have visitors from far away lands are are anxious for us to return to play baseball with them and show us their country.

Milton Breakers in Cuba – (part 1 of 3)

Milton Breakers in Cuba – Featuring footage shot solely on the players phones and flip cams, watch the MSBL Champion Milton Breakers as they follow America’s favorite pastime to the land of Fidel. (credit: Paul Stanton)

There is no need to feel intimidated.  Cubans are generally pro American and generous hosts.  Cuba is a very popular vacation resort for Canadians, French, Germans, Spanish and Italians.  The Cuban government is very concerned about making sure of the safety of tourists and has very strict penalties for anyone causing problems with them.  There is plenty of police and security protection if you are concerned.  On the other hand, the Cuban people are very warm, friendly and helpful people.  They are always very glad to see you or speak with you.  There are plenty of first class hotels, good places to eat, great music, beautiful sites and lots to entertain you.  Plus, this trip is perfectly legal.

We’ll visit both rural and urban areas and stay in nice tourist hotels.  The food is mild Creole style, the baseball players are very good, the music is hypnotic, the architecture is beautiful, and the people are hospitable and friendly which make for a great trip.   Between baseball, tours, site seeing and some free time on your own, we’ll have a full time agenda to keep you busy.   We’ll be playing in at least 3 different cities so you will have a chance to see various parts of Cuba.  Our traveling baseball experience will begin by playing in the city of Cienfuegos, with day trips to Abreus, and Santa Clara, all about an hour away from Cienfuegos.

Milton Breakers in Cuba – (part 2 of 3)

These trips are a lot more than baseball.  You’ll be interacting with Cuban Nationals every day on various levels.  Each day is a full day agenda of baseball and other activities. Just about everything is included on this trip, all baseball, license, airfare to and from Cuba, tours, travel visa, tour guide, all lodging, most meals and much more.  Each day will be a new Baseball Adventure.  Once you’ve done one of these trips, your perspective on Cuba and the Cuban people will change forever.

This trip is in the planning phase at this time.  Final dates and itinerary will be confirmed as we get closer.  The final costs will be determined about one month or less from the date of departure.  If you are interested in joining this trip, please let me know your intentions.  This trip is for members of Milton Breakers only.  Just forward a completed application and deposit and you are on your way.

Milton Breakers in Cuba – (part 3 of 3)

Custom-Designed Cuba Trip — Affordable — A “Bucket List” Item!

Baseball & Cuba – “Go Hand in Glove”

Baseball and Cuba go hand in hand. They play baseball in Cuba with much more passion, much like it used to be in the USA. They play everywhere and at all ages. You’ll see kids in fields playing with sticks for bats, taped up rocks for balls and a milk carton for a glove. It is their passion. In our previous 12 trips we’ve played in many cities often using their major league stadiums. Most of the players we’ll play are former professional players and members of the Cuban national or Olympic teams. You’ll need to be on the top of your game as they play competitively and don’t like to lose. It is however, all done, in fun.

The Cubans have very little baseball gear so you should plan on bringing baseballs and allowing them to use our gloves, bats and other equipment.

Transportation
You will need to make your own flight arrangements from your origination to and from Miami (MIA) International Airport.  We’ll be on a charter flight from Miami to Cienfuegos and return on another charter flight from Havana.  Once in Cuba, we’ll be met at the airport by our guide and our luxury bus.  We’ll have the bus and guide to transport us throughout the trip.  In addition, there may also be members of the Cuban baseball organizations joining us.

Upon departure, you’ll be transported from the hotel to the airport and assisted by our tour guides.

Food Cuban Cuisine can be good to excellent depending on where you eat.  It is mostly Caribbean or Creole style with a lot of black beans and rice.  There is also lots of seafood in the diet.  Chicken, fish and pork are the primary proteins and not too much beef.  Most the beef I’ve had there has been pretty tough. Breakfasts are included with the rooms at the hotels and will be buffet style breakfasts.  Most lunches are included and will be at various restaurants wherever we are.  Most all the dinners will be included at the hotels or local restaurants. Some meals may be with the local Cuban nationals prepared by them after games or evening social activities. You won’t find any McDonalds, Starbucks or other chain food restaurants you are used to.  The only fast food chain type restaurants are El Rapido which is government owned and in almost every city.  Deep fried greasy chicken and the worst pizza you’ve ever had.  On the other hand they have plenty of cheap beverages and are generally open all night.  You’ll also find restaurants that serve Italian, American, and Chinese foods.

Entertainment Per the requirements of our license, we are no longer limited to the amount of money we can spend each day (old rule was about $195/day).  Much of that is already taken up by pre paid lodging, food and transportation.  There will be time each day for tours, site seeing and evening entertainment.  We’ll be starting our trip in the coastal town of Cienfuegos, my favorite city in Cuba.  It’s a nice city of about 100,000 people on a beautiful bay.  There are a variety of discos and entertainment areas as well as entertainment at the hotel.  Schedule permitting we’ll be attending a professional game while in Cienfuegos. While in Havana, there are a number of discos or shows and  plenty of other places for entertainment.  Since we are limited on time and money, we’ll never be able to do all there is to do but we’ll have plenty of activities to keep us busy.  We’ll also have some time for you to explore on your own in each city. With the baseball, tours and your own outings, you’ll be exhausted by the end of the trip.  Sleep when you get back to work.

Sightseeing Almost everything you see will be new to you.  Each day will be a new adventure with playing baseball, meals at exotic restaurants and seeing the local sites. While in Cienfuegos we’ll visit the historical downtown area, have a sunset cruise on a boat and take in a professional baseball game, schedule permitting.  When we are in Villa Clara we’ll visit the Che memorial. Havana is famous for the Old Havana area.  It’s a lively area with lots of restaurants and lots of music.  We’ll visit a cigar factory, a rum museum and explore various spots around Habana Viaja. Requirements This trip is for amateur baseball players from Milton Breakers.  Ages ranging in the late 20’s through the early 40’s.  Average age of the team is about mid-30’s.  Only team members are permitted on the trip per the license.  You will need a valid passport and be able meet visa requirements and must be a full time participant in scheduled events.

Accommodations When you travel a long distance to a foreign land, you want a comfortable place to stay.  Each city has a variety of hotels from which to choose though there are some limits in Cienfuegos.  We will try for the Hotel Jagua but if not available we’ll use either La Union or Hotel Rancho Luna, an all inclusive beach resort hotel.   It has it’s own private beach, the only one in the area, as well as several other immenties and located about 12 miles outside of Cienfuegos. There are plenty of good hotels in the Havana area.  We’ll be staying at the Hotel Melia Cohiba which is a very nice 5 star hotel in the Vedado district along the Malecon.

Schedule and Agenda
This trip is scheduled to take place in the fall of 2015. This will give you a break from the rain, snow, wind and cold of the season from wherever you may live.  There are plenty of flights to and from Miami to choose from. You should plan on arriving the day before we go into Cuba as it will probably be an early morning flight into Cuba. You generally need to be at the airport 3 hours before the flight which means being there sometimes at 4-5 am. We usually plan a team dinner in Miami the night before we go into Cuba.

Our departure flight from Havana will probably be in the morning by the time we get through all the customs, and this will get you back to Miami where you can stay over night or catch a flight home right away. You are, of course, welcome to come earlier to Miami or stay later in Miami on your own. A preliminary detailed agenda is shown below.

All in all, between the baseball and the tours, this will be a very busy schedule that will give you a great experience and a chance to see some of the sights of Cuba and experience the Cuban culture. You’ll have lots of opportunities for evenings out after the games, tours and dinners.

Dates

November 6-14, 2015 – You will need to arrive in Miami by November 5, the day before the flight to Cienfuegos early the next morning. We will return from Havana to Miami on Saturday, November 14, probably a late morning flight.

Outline of Schedule for 9-days and 8 nights

Harry, Doc, Dennis, Gene & ?

End the Embargo Now!

Cost

We need at least 15 participants for this trip to happen, including any additional non playing staff members.  Costs is not determined yet but look for something in the $3000-$3500 range.  These costs are based on staying at Cuban 3-5 star hotels in double occupancy.  If you want a room to yourself, add $350-$400.

It’s best to exchange to Euros, British pounds, Canadian dollars or Swiss Francs as you will get an even exchange.  If you exchange US dollars they will charge you 10% on top of their normal exchange rates.  This could be about 20% total.

Universal Currency #1
Currency Converter #2
Current Exchange Rates
Exchange rate,
1 USD = about 1.0 CUC

Current Weather in Cienfuegos
Current Weather in Havana

If you would like more information on playing in Cuba send an email to Paul W. Raymond pwresq@gmail.com

Cienfuegos – Santa Clara – Havana, Cuba — Take a Look at 2 Cities:

5-minute Visual Tour of Cienfuegos, Cuba – 2014

Cienfuegos is a city on the southern coast of Cuba, capital of Cienfuegos Province. It is located about 160 miles from Havana, and has a population of 150,000. The city is dubbed La Perla del Sur (Pearl of the South). Cienfuegos literally translates to “One Hundred fires”. Cien meaning one hundred, and fuego(s) meaning fires.

4-minute Visual Tour of Santa Clara, Cuba – 2014

Santa Clara founded in 1689 is the 5th largest Cuban city. The Parque Vidal and the Catedral de Santa Clara de Asís are in this video.

Contact

Paul W. Raymond, Baseball Adventures
1001 Dove Street, Suite 190
Newport Beach, CA 92660
949-476-2197
949-955-2886 fax
email: pwresq@gmail.com

Sign Up

To sign up for this trip you need to fill out the application form and send a $500 deposit.  The balance of funds will be due by the first week of October 2015.  If for some reason, the trip does not happen, all deposits held by me will be returned in full.  Any deposits forwarded to the travel agents are subject to their return requirements.  Other than threat of war, not obtaining the OFAC license or natural disaster, the only reason it would not happen is if we do not have the minimum of 15 people on the trip.

Early booking absolutely essential as Cuba is a HOT spot for tourists from everywhere, including the USA, and we need to secure our hotel rooms.

Roster

We need a minimum of 15 participants.  I usually try and keep the playing roster to 14 players for the week.  If you would like to get on a waiting list, please let me know. Seems like almost always, someone has to drop out for some reason.  We can take an unlimited number of other team support staff.  They must however be part of the team and a member of the Milton Breakers.

Roster of Participants-We need some more pitchers

Photos of Cuba