We traveled to Cuba last June and I would recommend doing it without a package deal. You can sort out your own visa through the Cuban consulate in Dublin handy enough. We flew with air france to Havana and then got an internal flight to Santiago and spent the next week or so travelling overland back to Havana. This was you get to see a lot more of the county and the towns not normally on the package tours. Also in havana you should go to one of the local music clubs, its not normally the thing I would do but it was such a good night out and no one bothered you, this is much better than the "real" entertainment they put on for the package tours or in the resorts. We did treat ourselves to one of the all inclusive hotels in Trinidad so I know what I'm talking about. One thing I will say if you are travelling by bus you should try buy your ticket a day or two before you are travelling as they can fill up. Most hotels will have a tour desk that can sort this. I would also recommend staying in one of the Casas. We were a bit unsure of this but there was no hotel available and it was the best thing we ever did. The people who owned the house were lovely and was a lot cheaper than hotels. These are available everywhere. If you want any more advise let me know and if you do go down to Santiago I would suggest going into the Sierra Maestra Mountains and staying in the Hotel El Salton. It in the middle of the forest with a giant waterfall you can swim in and has a local guide that will take you on a hike around the local area and bring you into local farms etc. Bit of a bumpy drive from Santiago but well worth it.