Cruise to Cuba in the future?

[groo]

I just read a news article about a congressional panel making plans to open travel to Cuba.

 

Makes you wonder how long it'll be before Cuba gets added as a cruise destination.

[marym933]

I'm ready. I would welcome a change from Nassau!

[falkcor]

i may have read the same article earlier...:

 

http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE65S61420100629

 

and was thinking the same thing... :)

[gargoyle999]

if Carnival's sellin', I'm buyin'. :)

[groo]

I'd be willing to bet good money that Cuba would be a hot cruise destination for a while. The cruise lines are probably lobbying hard for this one.

[Traveler353]

I just read a news article about a congressional panel making plans to open travel to Cuba.

 

Makes you wonder how long it'll be before Cuba gets added as a cruise destination.

 

 

The sooner the better. Some people live in the past and cannot get past the politics of 40 years ago. It is time to move on and stop this senseless embargo that accomplishes nothing and serves no purpose.

[Gingee]

I would love to go. Was there as a kid but I don't remember anything. I wonder how safe it would be though.

[gargoyle999]

I wonder how safe it would be though.

 

Just go hang out with all the Canadian tourists already there and you should be safe! :cool:

[xitappers2bx]

I just read a news article about a congressional panel making plans to open travel to Cuba.

 

Makes you wonder how long it'll be before Cuba gets added as a cruise destination.

 

 

just did my graduation thesis paper on tourism and the carib, and a big section on Cuba... it would take at least a decade for and potential port to be developed enough to handle the passenger load. thier infrastructure is so below anything that would be acceptable, not to mention the entire psychological barriers americans would have to forgot after five decades of being told cuba is bad. while this is great, i am pretty sure that panel was to discuss the travel to cuba for people who are of cuban decent and have relatives still living there, as it would be pretty bad for the cuban government to have free americans traipsing around town spending thier dollars and influencing the masses. dictatorship only works when you can control the information coming in, and out.

[groo]

The article talked about ending the trade embargo and mentioned family travel as well as tourism. Of course they could have meant tourism as in family members as tourists.

 

I would love to have another choice in the Caribbean. I wouldn't mind visiting Cuba if it became a cruise destination.

[falkcor]

The article talked about ending the trade embargo and mentioned family travel as well as tourism. Of course they could have meant tourism as in family members as tourists.

 

the current administration has already allowed family travel, and allowed remittances (sending money to cuba from the US, back to family) and such...

 

and congress exempted farm sales (food) in 2000, which accounted for as much as $710 million in 2008, and $528 million in 2009

 

however, cuba has failed to reciprocate in any meaningful way, and in fact have made some mis-steps (if they wanted normalized relations) that make it difficult to extend much more as far as political overtures are considered.

 

Some people live in the past and cannot get past the politics of 40 years ago. It is time to move on and stop this senseless embargo that accomplishes nothing and serves no purpose.

 

especially political dictators that lead the revolution deposing the government and established one-party dictatorial rule and which has fostered human rights violations, suppression of the sort of rights we are granted by our constitution, and responsible for maintaining extreme poverty in the country, even going so far as refusing humanitarian aid from the US after the fall of the soviet union, and their major ally (they picked the wrong side) - all under the rule of one man for 39 years, and his brother for the 2 since...

 

and courting the likes of hugo chavez also won't score many points with the us government... it's somewhat of a self-imposed embargo (as far as US relations are concerned), due to a failed government and a very old grudge.

[Ontario_Cruiser]

just did my graduation thesis paper on tourism and the carib, and a big section on Cuba... it would take at least a decade for and potential port to be developed enough to handle the passenger load. thier infrastructure is so below anything that would be acceptable, not to mention the entire psychological barriers americans would have to forgot after five decades of being told cuba is bad. while this is great, i am pretty sure that panel was to discuss the travel to cuba for people who are of cuban decent and have relatives still living there, as it would be pretty bad for the cuban government to have free americans traipsing around town spending thier dollars and influencing the masses. dictatorship only works when you can control the information coming in, and out.

 

Since you have done your thesis on the subject, you will know that Cuba hosts large numbers of Canadian and European tourists every year. The all inclusive resorts are on a par with others in the Caribbean. The beaches in particular are very beautiful. It is only Americans that are not allowed to go. I really do not think that it would take a decade to build the port to handle the passenger load. If need be, they could make it a tender port to start to bring in the tourist dollars.

 

In my mind, it would only take the US government to give permission, and cruises could start as soon as the cruise line would have infrastructre - which would be soon due the novelty of a new port creating a pent up demand.

[ILUVCRUZEN]

I'd love to sail to Cuba!!!

[elcuchio24]

Please read the article carefully, as this has come up on the boards several times. This is for allowing people who have family to visit them in Cuba. They hint at eventually allowing regular tourists in, but there is no timetable on this and it would be foolish to think it will be anytime soon.

 

If it is important to you to visit, it's very eas to do. Fly to Cancun and take one of the daily flights over in on of the old Tupolov's they still fly. Infact you might want to go now before it gets 'americanized' when official travel ban is lifted.

[Havingfun2010]

The country has been trashed. The dictatorship, would need to take money from the armed forces (which is a joke) and divert it to building useful infrastructure to benefit the people, and build a tourism industry. Somehow, I do not see it happening anytime soon.

[Cigar Dude]

I'd go in a heartbeat! (for obvious reasons) ;)

[Traveler353]

Cruise ships have been off and on going to Cuba for years, just not from American ports. Two cruise lines are starting regular port calls next year, German and British lines leaving from Barbados. Cuba also has several world class AI resorts that have been open for a few years. It is not against the law for Americans to go to Cuba, they just cannot spend American dollars. There are daily flights from both the Dominican Republic and Mexico that go to Cuba. Many American citizens make the trip each year. The trips are technically hosted and are pre-paid at the point of departure and no cash changes hands in Cuba. Paper visas are issued and passports are not stamped. When I lived in the DR I went a couple times and had a great time. The trade embargo only serves to harm the people of Cuba, not the leadership.

[goodml]

The country has been trashed. The dictatorship, would need to take money from the armed forces (which is a joke) and divert it to building useful infrastructure to benefit the people, and build a tourism industry. Somehow, I do not see it happening anytime soon.

 

And you were there when?:rolleyes:

[elcuchio24]

Cruise ships have been off and on going to Cuba for years, just not from American ports. Two cruise lines are starting regular port calls next year, German and British lines leaving from Barbados. Cuba also has several world class AI resorts that have been open for a few years. It is not against the law for Americans to go to Cuba, they just cannot spend American dollars. There are daily flights from both the Dominican Republic and Mexico that go to Cuba. Many American citizens make the trip each year. The trips are technically hosted and are pre-paid at the point of departure and no cash changes hands in Cuba. Paper visas are issued and passports are not stamped. When I lived in the DR I went a couple times and had a great time. The trade embargo only serves to harm the people of Cuba, not the leadership.

 

Hasn't hurt the leadership? Maybe not directly. But last time I checked, Cuba had not turned into the Workers Paradise as billed. The embargo is an unplesant thing, but so is communism.

[Traveler353]

And you were there when?:rolleyes:

 

I bet the answer is "never".;)

[gtalum]

I don't know about cruises (I'm sure they'll come) but I'll be on a plane to Havana with cash to buy '57 Chevrolets the moment the door is opened. :D

[gtalum]

The country has been trashed. The dictatorship, would need to take money from the armed forces (which is a joke) and divert it to building useful infrastructure to benefit the people, and build a tourism industry. Somehow, I do not see it happening anytime soon.

 

I'm sure you're aware that Cuba already has a thriving tourism industry, right? The fact that we in the land of the allegedly "free" are verboten from spending money there doesn't mean that nobody else goes there. ;)

 

FWIW, I agree that the Castro regime has been disastrous for the people of Cuba, but they do have solid infrastructure there for tourism.

[BigDoug]

I don't see unrestricted travel to Cuba for Americans until there is a change in the Cuban government. Too much political opposition for a change of this type. The Castro government has much to answer for. There are also the legal claims for seized American property in Cuba that would have to be resolved.

[gtalum]

The Castro government has much to answer for. There are also the legal claims for seized American property in Cuba that would have to be resolved.

 

The claims are gone. Nobody will be compensated. Further, to punish the American and Cuban people for the transgressions of the Cuban government is illogical.

[crewsweeper]

I can read the reviews already with the complaints of poor quality food, too many vendors hawking poorly made-in-china "cuban" crafts, boring scenery, no "real"--resorty--beaches, better prices on cuban cigars in Grand Cayman, and "oh nobody told me about blisters from the machete on the 'sugar cane harvest' excursion":rolleyes: