Information for Delegates
VENUE
The 7th meeting of the Scientific Committee (SC7) will be held from 7 to 12 October 2019, in La Havana, Cuba, at the Hotel Nacional. The Squid workshop will be held immediately prior, on 5-6 October 2019, at the same venue.
REGISTRATION AND CREDENTIALS
Participants should register for the meeting in advance using the Registration Form.
Online registration does not ensure individuals will be entitled to attend a SPRFMO meeting. As per the Rules of Procedure (Regulation 2), delegations should provide a Letter of Credentials with the delegation members that will represent it at the meeting. A template Letter of Credentials is provided here for guidance.
LANGUAGE
All meetings will be conducted in English. No translation service will be provided.
ACCOMMODATION
Accommodation at the SC7 venue, the Hotel Nacional de Cuba, has been negotiated as follows.
Simple plan B&B
DBL STD: 134.00 USD / Night
SGL STD: 97.00 USD / Night
Executive Plan, Plan B&B
DBL: 184.00 USD / HAB / Night
SGL: 147.00 USD / HAB / Night
A meal (lunch or dinner) can be included for an additional 25.00 USD / Day
All accommodation bookings must be done through this booking form, which needs to be filled out and emailed to operations@megayachtcaribbean.com. The contact person is Mr Plácido Sanchez. Bookings made directly with the hotel will not have access to preferential rates.
VISA
Delegates requiring a visa to go to Cuba are encouraged to contact the Director of International Affairs of MINAL, Ms. Nora Yong (nora.yong@minal.gob.cu).
In order to provide invitation letters for visa application, the Secretariat needs to have a full list of the delegation and their personal details. This is a template letter that can be filled out and emailed to the Secretariat (secretariat@sprfmo.int) so invitation letters can be issued.
CURRENCIES (IMPORTANT!)
The most frequently used currencies in Cuba are: Cuban convertible peso for foreigners (CUC), USD, EURO, Pound sterling, Mexican peso, Canadian dollar.
ATM are available; however, cards issued by, or associated to, US banks cannot be used in Cuban ATMs, banks, or money exchange shops.
Visa and MasterCard issued by European and other countries' banks, which are not associated to US banks, can be used in Cuba, but paying for services such as restaurants, bars, taxis, supermarkets, and shops, is done with cash; therefore, delegates are advised to carry cash with them.
Exchange rate for CUC:
1 USD = 0.87 CUC (fixed)
1 EURO = 1.08 CUC (approx.)
COSTS
The cost of a taxi (1-3 pax) from the airport to the venue hotel is around 25 CUC (29 USD).
Transfer options can be organised by the local support (Mr. Placido Sanchez) if delegates get in touch with him with due advance.
ELECTRICITY
Electric power in Cuba is at 11o v/60 Hz, and 220 v/60Hz
The type of electric plugs required are A, B, and C
SECURITY
Flashdrives: Delegates are advised that traveling into Cuba with more than three (3) USB flashdrives per person is not allowed
Recording: Delegates are advised that, pursuant to the confidentiality measures in place, any type of recording at the meeting (audio or video) is prohibited.
