How long till Cuba opens up?

[Big_G]

You are not suggesting that Havana's condition is due to tourists????:confused:

I have been in Havana, and my heart still bleeds to see so much ruin and poverty. Walking on the sidewalks I could see bugs 1 inch long crawling out of first floor houses. Roofs caved in, balconies half falling etc.etc. Tourists didn't do this. The Embargo did! Thank God for the tourists that would go to Cuba and always brought at least a suitcase of school supplies for the children, clothes, diapers,feminine napkins, make-up ,toothpaste and toothbrushes, shampoo etc. and money!

What always amazes me is the way the Cubans face each day in these conditions with a huge smile!!!

 

Sorry but neither the tourists nor the embargo did that. If anyone is to blame it would be the corrupt Cuban government.

[B_Mc]

I'd love to do a cruise calling in Cuba!

[rednancy1]

I'd love to do a cruise calling in Cuba!

 

Same here. :)

[ronrythm]

The Cubans in the U. S. who actually fled Castro's revolution are aging and there are fewer of them in positions of political power everyday. Fidel Castro Ruiz gave most of his political power to his brother Raul. Raul has said he doesn't intend to run for re-election when his term is up in 2018. After that is when I would expect to see The U. S. normalize relations with Cuba.

 

Enjoy

Ron

[Max Density]

You are not suggesting that Havana's condition is due to tourists????:confused:

I have been in Havana, and my heart still bleeds to see so much ruin and poverty. Walking on the sidewalks I could see bugs 1 inch long crawling out of first floor houses. Roofs caved in, balconies half falling etc.etc. Tourists didn't do this. The Embargo did! Thank God for the tourists that would go to Cuba and always brought at least a suitcase of school supplies for the children, clothes, diapers,feminine napkins, make-up ,toothpaste and toothbrushes, shampoo etc. and money!

What always amazes me is the way the Cubans face each day in these conditions with a huge smile!!!

 

No no no, the decay of Havana is due to neglect of the regime.

A regime that mistreats its people the worst way possible. a regime that makes good money on the tourists.

The ruin of the beaches and resorts are due to tourists.

 

Yes, its very disturbing to see what a bad shape such a beautiful country is in.

 

Sorry but neither the tourists nor the embargo did that. If anyone is to blame it would be the corrupt Cuban government.

Agreed. The U.S. embargo, for as powerful of an economic impact it has, isn't enough to explain the absolute poverty in which the Cubans live, because the rest of the world does business with them, too, and they have more money. Also, never underestimate the political power of Cuban-Americans. As long as that island remains under Communist rule — Castro or no Castro — there is no way they would agree with lifting the embargo.

[marielco]

If your name is Jay-Z or Beyonce you can go to Cuba now! The rest of us will have to wait.

 

Didn't realise Americans were not allowed to visit Cuba. Popular holiday destination for Europeans.

[FLACRUISER99]

The Cubans in the U. S. who actually fled Castro's revolution are aging and there are fewer of them in positions of political power everyday. Fidel Castro Ruiz gave most of his political power to his brother Raul. Raul has said he doesn't intend to run for re-election when his term is up in 2018. After that is when I would expect to see The U. S. normalize relations with Cuba.

 

Enjoy

Ron

I guess you never heard of Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) then. A lot of talk about him running for prez in 2016.

[CruisinGerman]

Most of the hotels and resorts on the island of Cuba are run by Spanish hotel chains.

 

I was contracted by the Spanish Hotel Association a few years ago to prepare a study and report on what could be done by the Spanish hotels on the island to help the nutrition of Cuban children.

 

The conclusion of the report was that at all of the hotels there was an awful lot of waste, because of the all-inclusive buffets, etc. We came up with a plan to start a Food Bank or Food Pantry in Havana and donate fresh, unopened milk, yoghurt, flour, rice, meat, chicken, etc. that we calculated was not going to be used at the hotels and would therefore be thrown right into the trash.

 

The Food Pantry would then distribute this food to children and families.

 

BOTH Castro brothers wouldn't hear of it and denied our request. So one can say that the Castro brothers reap the profits of the hotels and foreign tourists, but at the same time are part of the cause of Cuban children dying of hunger.

 

At least when the Las Vegas and Florida mafias owned the island, children didn't go hungry.

 

Kind regards,

 

Gunther and Uta

[k9x8]

Didn't realise Americans were not allowed to visit Cuba. Popular holiday destination for Europeans.

 

Yes, and Cuba ships coffee (beans) to Europe and Japan. Were I to order Cuban coffee through Canada or Ireland (there is a source!) I could face a $250,000 fine. Cuba is reported to have the best coffee, bar none, and I'm forbidden from tasting it.

 

It continues to amaze me that the USA cozies up to other hinky governments while punishing Cuba.

 

Sorry- I come to Cruise Critic for relief from politics, but this issue always burns my biscuit.

[Trekker954]

As soon as the government allows it, .

 

The Cuban government has to release political prisioners and adhere to human rights policies, neither of which they are willing to do. So no, we won't nor should lift the embargo. Tourists did not ruin Cuba, their government has.

 

I lived/worked in Cuba for two years with the U.S. Interest section. The older generation treated americans politely, certainly not the younger generation who has been brought up to hate americans. The treatment of their citizens is disgusting. I don't expect to see cruises from the U.S. there in my lifetime.

[Mark_K]

I guess you never heard of Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) then. A lot of talk about him running for prez in 2016.

He didn't flee a Cuban regime, he was born in Miami. Pretty much validating the views of the poster you were trying to contradict.

[k9x8]

The Cuban government has to release political prisioners and adhere to human rights policies, neither of which they are willing to do. So no, we won't nor should lift the embargo.

 

That's my issue- we should be consistent. Where's the logic in "punishing" Cuba for human rights violations, while we are held hostage by other countries with abysmal human rights histories?

[Trainman-2]

It would be best for everyone if we normalized relations with Cuba.

 

But the Cuban Government has to normalize business relations with the world.

 

Once investors can invest without fear of losing everything, the Cuban economy will start to turn around.

 

But it will take generations for real freedom and the end of poverty to arrive in every small village on the island.