Cuba RCCL Agreement ?

Wonder when RCCL will send a ship to Cuba? The Majesty of the seas would make a good fit to cruise to Cuba it would fit well into the country. But they screwed up by putting her in PC.

RCI has made no announcements and this is not a well known Carnival company doing this.

Just searched and found this: http://www.cruisecritic.com/news/news.cfm?ID=6436

Certainly not a mainstream cruise line and sounds like an expensive "Peace Corps" type of activity.

RCCL/RCI and Celebrity will be doing cruises when properly set up I'm sure.

I love it. Where is the substance to back up the subject line. Is there a link to a news release?

There are threads on the Fathom, Carnival, HAL, and Princess boards that will have links to the news stories and press releases. Carnival Corp's CEO announced this on TV this morning. There is also a CC news story about this. However, it is not "normal" cruising, it is Fathom's social impact cruising, which requires the passengers to commit to humanitarian work or people to people cultural exchange programs for 8 hours a day.

I love it. Where is the substance to back up the subject line. Is there a link to a news release?

Here is one.

http://www.usatoday.com/story/cruiselog/2015/07/07/carnival-cruise-fathom-cuba/29805319/

I would like to go to Cuba before it gets too modernized but fathom is not the way I want to do it.

I love it. Where is the substance to back up the subject line. Is there a link to a news release?

Google it.

Well we see run down islands plus RCCL goes to Russia and China. So what the difference.

Russia is no longer communist country. But the difference is, one is a poor country struggling and the other has a Gov't that makes you struggle and tells you what to do and when to do it.

Russia is no longer communist country. But the difference is, one is a poor country struggling and the other has a Gov't that makes you struggle and tells you what to do and when to do it.

And there goes your freedom so what type of country is it then?

Probably when they see a demand from their core customers. The country has been closed to US visitors for 55+ years. The last thing I need to see is a run down Communist island.

Really? what about other run down places already being served like Haiti, Nassau, Jamaica, etc?

RCI has made no announcements and this is not a well known Carnival company doing this.

 

Just searched and found this: http://www.cruisecritic.com/news/news.cfm?ID=6436

 

Certainly not a mainstream cruise line and sounds like an expensive "Peace Corps" type of activity.

 

RCCL/RCI and Celebrity will be doing cruises when properly set up I'm sure.

I have no desire to go on some type of humanitarian cruise, and volunteer at projects that others choose for me. I have a desire to visit Cuba and when the embargo is lifted and cruise lines can offer it as a port stop.....I will definitely be interested.

I don't worry that some of the things on the excursion list (when that is finally put together) will take me through poor and devastated areas of the island....it can't be much worse than going to Belize.

Cuba is gorgeous, I have been there multiple times. Best beaches I have ever been to.

I would rather go there than Freeport or Nassau any day.

Seeing the throwback of yesteryear's cars and buying a few Cubans wouldn't be too bad. But I'll wait awhile before taking that cruise.

Cuba is gorgeous, I have been there multiple times. Best beaches I have ever been to.

I would rather go there than Freeport or Nassau any day.

I echo these sentiments. Spent two glorious weeks in Cuba and will hopefully get to return before it becomes an american destination - nothing against americans just that will change it and it is beautiful as it is.

Hopefully never!

Well we see run down islands plus RCCL goes to Russia and China. So what the difference.

The difference is the history and culture that you go to see pre dates the Communist regimes. We were just in St Petersburg in May and in our two days we saw things like Peterhof, Catherines Palace, Hermitage Museum, St Isaacs Cathedral, and the Church of the Spilt Blood. The same when you go to China and see the Great Wall or the Terra Cotta Army. There are a lot of places in the Caribbean that we just don't bother with anymore. We only travel in the Caribbean to be with friends or sail a different ship. When Rhapsody comes to Tampa we'll do a Caribbean because we have never been on the ship.

Really? what about other run down places already being served like Haiti, Nassau, Jamaica, etc?

We tend to avoid cruises that go to those places and if the ship stops there we declare a sea day and stay aboard. We live half an hour from Clearwater Beach and we have not found many beaches in the Caribbean that are as nice.

Ah, cruises to commie citadels. How awesome! A country where the people drive classic cars from the fifties because that is all they can afford... not because they are classics, but that is where they are when they went off the grid. How awesome super utopian... life is good... then you get to be born in the fifties and die in the fifties....

effing hippies

Heh, this thread itself is like a time machine. "Commie" indeed.

Heh, this thread itself is like a time machine. "Commie" indeed.

Wonder if these folks instinctively do the "duck and cover" whenever the word "commie" escapes their mouths or fingers.

Wonder if these folks instinctively do the "duck and cover" whenever the word "commie" escapes their mouths or fingers.

=D My mental image has been pretty theatrical, but yours is much better.

Until RCI sets up a social impact cruise like Fathom, they won't be allowed to call in Cuba. There are special circumstances that allow Fathom to bring US citizens to Cuba.

It would be interesting to see the details of that special deal. At $3,000pp for an OV cabin, someone is making a lot of money - I have a feeling it's on the Cuban side.

These special circumstances are bound to be lifted fairly soon - until then, if Carnival could do it, I'm sure RCI could also.:cool:

It would be interesting to see the details of that special deal. At $3,000pp for an OV cabin, someone is making a lot of money - I have a feeling it's on the Cuban side.

 

These special circumstances are bound to be lifted fairly soon - until then, if Carnival could do it, I'm sure RCI could also.:cool:

The special deal is the same as what has been in place since 2011, when the Treasury Dept allowed US citizens to travel to Cuba under a set of 12 circumstances. Fathom's license to transport US citizens falls under the humanitarian aid or people to people cultural exchange clauses that are designed to "benefit the Cuban people". You can google "travel restrictions to Cuba" to find the Treasury's definitions of the various licenses available. The clauses that Fathom used to get their licenses does include verbiage that "free time and recreation" be limited to that of a "full time operation" of the cultural program. Carnival's spokesperson has said that the passengers will need to participate in 8 hours of cultural exchange programs each day to fulfill this requirement.

The high price is to cover the expense of the humanitarian work in the DR, or the cultural programs, lectures, etc, in Cuba. It is interesting to note that Fathom's website is a .org, which means it is registered as a non-profit or aid entity, so it will have a totally different tax structure than the rest of Carnival Corp.

As for lifting these restrictions, without getting into the politics, while the President can restore "normal" relations with Cuba, only Congress can lift the embargo, and these restrictions are part of the embargo.

The same cruise to the DR is 1/2 the price of the one to Cuba - there must be some special deal with someone for all those extra expenses. The hosts of that "humanitarian" program must have some special deal. I just don't see 700 people doing 8 hrs of work during their vacation.

I just don't see 700 people doing 8 hrs of work during their vacation.

I don't think many understand this. They just see 'Carnival going to Cuba' and think, "Wow." Maybe I'm in the minority but I can't Fathom me packing my coveralls for a Caribbean cruise. :D

The same cruise to the DR is 1/2 the price of the one to Cuba - there must be some special deal with someone for all those extra expenses. The hosts of that "humanitarian" program must have some special deal. I just don't see 700 people doing 8 hrs of work during their vacation.

From various articles, the CEO stated the ship will not have a casino or Broadway shows, the onboard "entertainment" will be cultural immersion.

From the Miami Herald:

"The fare does not include taxes or fees, and traditional tour excursions or unstructured time off the ship will not be available."

I can't find the article now which included a quote from Tara Russell of Fathom saying that 8 hours per day of cultural aid or exchange to benefit the people of Cuba would be required.

This is Habitat for Humanity or Cultural Exchange programs on a cruise ship. Not getting into the right or wrong, or political angle, just stating that it isn't a "normal" cruise, and not something I'd do on my vacation.

The difference is the history and culture that you go to see pre dates the Communist regimes. We were just in St Petersburg in May and in our two days we saw things like Peterhof, Catherines Palace, Hermitage Museum, St Isaacs Cathedral, and the Church of the Spilt Blood. The same when you go to China and see the Great Wall or the Terra Cotta Army. There are a lot of places in the Caribbean that we just don't bother with anymore. We only travel in the Caribbean to be with friends or sail a different ship. When Rhapsody comes to Tampa we'll do a Caribbean because we have never been on the ship.

Cuba was 'settled' by the Spanish in the early 1500's. Of course it's native population was there well before that. So that's a lot of history prior to the 'Commies' taking over in 1959. That history may not be of interest to you but it is still history. As the American tourist option increases lots will go to see places like Havana just out of curiosity because it is quite different from the other islands in the Caribbean. But the lasting draw for American tourists to Cuba will be the same as Canadians and Europeans have known for years - the island has great beaches, good cigars, and is relatively cheap to visit - for now.

I don't think many understand this. They just see 'Carnival going to Cuba' and think, "Wow." Maybe I'm in the minority but I can't Fathom me packing my coveralls for a Caribbean cruise. :D

.....This is Habitat for Humanity or Cultural Exchange programs on a cruise ship. Not getting into the right or wrong, or political angle, just stating that it isn't a "normal" cruise, and not something I'd do on my vacation.

I don't think the CC demographic is the ones Carnival it targeting for this type of cruise.

Too old and cranky:D;).

That's why my next Cuban vacation will be an AI and my only physical exertion will be walking up the the bar and yelling; "Senor, cuba libre por favor!":)