What a week in Cuba will cost and how to pay for it

Price is the question our sales office answers most. It comes before rooms and before the beach. Travelers want to know what a week at Blau Varadero will cost and whether they can spread the payment over several months. Both answers are simpler than people expect.

The room is the largest expense. Seven nights for two adults, every meal and drink covered, will cost $1,700-$2,800 with us depending on the season and view. January and February bookings land at the top of that range. September and October, at the bottom. Most of our American visitors fly out of Miami or New York, where two round-trip tickets will add $800-$1,400. The tourist card is the line people forget: $50-$100 per person depending on where you buy it. Cuba also checks proof of health insurance at immigration. A week of qualifying coverage is $20-$35.

Excursions and tips will take another $600-$1,000 in cash. Two adults should plan on $3,200-$5,300 for the complete week.

Some of our travelers priced Cancun and Punta Cana first. One couple showed us their quotes, $1,200 more for the same seven nights. No checkout surprises either. What you see when you book is what you pay.

A 0% intro credit card beats every loan product

Our recommendation for anyone who needs to spread the payment: a credit card with a 0% introductory APR on purchases. Issuers lengthened their promotional windows after the December 2025 rate cut. Offers of 12-18 months at 0% are common now.

We’ve walked people through this on the phone. $4,000 across 15 interest-free months is $267. A card earning 2x points would also generate 8,000 rewards points on that charge, which most people can redeem against a future flight. Loan products offer nothing comparable.

The catch is discipline. Any balance remaining when the promotion expires will be charged the card’s standard APR, 22%-29% on most travel cards in 2026. We’d only suggest this method to travelers who are certain they can clear the full amount inside the window. If you can, no financing product on the market is cheaper.

Buy now, pay later loans charge you for convenience

Uplift, Affirm, and Klarna appear at checkout on Expedia, Priceline, and KAYAK. You apply in seconds, split the trip into installments, and the booking is confirmed before you’ve closed the tab. Our guests use these services all the time, and we understand why. Approval is instant and the credit check is soft.

Cost is where our enthusiasm ends. Current terms across the three major providers:

• Uplift. 7%-36% APR, 3-24 months, origination fee up to 2% on some bookings
• Affirm. 0%-36% APR, 3-48 months, no origination fee
• Klarna. 0%-36% APR, 4-36 installments

The average rate across all three is about 15%. Finance $3,500 at that rate for a year and the trip becomes $3,795. Affirm’s interest-free Pay-in-4 plan exists, but it caps at $500 per purchase, far below the price of any Cuba vacation.

The cancellation terms deserve more attention than they get. Cancel the trip and the loan remains in force. Airline and hotel refunds get credited toward your balance, but a travel voucher will not discharge the debt. Guests have described making monthly payments on vacations they never took. Read the agreement before signing, and pay close attention to the refund clause.

Six months of deposits and you’ll owe no one

We tell travelers this and watch their faces drop, but it remains the cheapest option available. Set aside $135 per payday and six months later the $3,500 is there. A high-yield account at 4%-5% APY will add a small return on top.

Automate the transfer and forget the account exists. Six months later the trip is paid and no lender is owed anything. You also won’t have an installment due while you’re on the beach, which our guests who financed through BNPL have told us they regret.

A departure eight weeks away rules this out. Everyone else should at least consider it before borrowing.

The Cuba expenses first-time visitors miss

Our front desk sees the same surprises every season.

Cash is the big one. Cuba’s card terminals and ATMs fail without warning, so physical currency is essential. Euros and Canadian dollars get the best exchange rates on the island. U.S. dollars are accepted but converted at a penalty, and guests who arrive holding only dollars discover this at the exchange desk.

Havana is 140 km west, about two hours by coach. Most people staying with us go at least once. The guided day trip is $60-$100 per person and it’s what we book most. Catamaran outings and diving are $40-$80. None of this is in your all-inclusive rate.

Our staff will never ask, but tipping is customary here, all-inclusive or otherwise. $2-$5 per day for housekeeping and $1-$2 per drink at the bar is standard. Cuban resort wages make gratuities a meaningful part of staff income, and regular tippers notice the difference in service by day three.

An honest extras budget is $300-$500 per person for the week. Add it to your total before choosing how to pay. Guests who finance the room but pay cash for everything else are the ones whose vacation budgets break.