Carnival to Cuba..any chance for Princess?

[msmoger]

LIKE.

As noted, this has been debated, and in those debates, it has been shown that life and conditions in Cuba are far above and beyond the economic and social conditions of many other places that Princess calls upon. A port stop in Cuba would by no means be a stop in the most depressed, repressed, unsafe port on Princess' roster. U.S.citizens seem to forget or ignore that the rest of the world has been traveling to Cuba for a very long time. Can't remember the last time I read or heard about an incident the likes of what happened in Tunisia last year. Or Mexico annually. Perhaps our increased presence will actually make things better. Just maybe.

 

Well said

[caribill]

I don't believe Princess will sail there for quite some time.

 

Not until the infrastructure for Diamonds International is in place.

[deborahjo]

Not new at all.

 

This is the former R ship that Princess called the Regal Princess until it was transferred to P&O.

 

Sorry misspoke. Refurbished ship

[Colo Cruiser]

Not until the infrastructure for Diamonds International is in place.

 

Haha yes, the important part.

[deborahjo]

I believe you are mistaking the ferries that are or have received licenses to carry people to Cuba, not passenger vessels. Even the "Cuba Cruise" ship Celestyal Crystal can take US passengers to Cuba, embarking in Jamaica, but they have to take a full day "cultural tour" before they are allowed time off to do what cruise passengers want to do.

 

According to Fox News it says there are 6, not disclosing what ships, that does include Carnival Corp, that have ask for permission to sail to Cuba. It says they are not sure what these ships are at this time. None of these have licenses yet for this travel so no it is not ferries for "day trips".

 

Yes the article says they will only be able to sail to Cuba. So that 7 night cruise that Carnival is quoting at $2900pp plus taxes and fees will have a lot of sea days.

 

Sorry cannot cut/paste article.

[chengkp75]

According to Fox News it says there are 6, not disclosing what ships, that does include Carnival Corp, that have ask for permission to sail to Cuba. It says they are not sure what these ships are at this time. None of these have licenses yet for this travel so no it is not ferries for "day trips".

 

Yes the article says they will only be able to sail to Cuba. So that 7 night cruise that Carnival is quoting at $2900pp plus taxes and fees will have a lot of sea days.

 

Sorry cannot cut/paste article.

 

Actually, they will be all days in Cuba. The DR cruises from Fathom have 3 days in the DR on a 7 day cruise. That's the point of social impact cruising.

[chengkp75]

According to Fox News it says there are 6, not disclosing what ships, that does include Carnival Corp, that have ask for permission to sail to Cuba. It says they are not sure what these ships are at this time. None of these have licenses yet for this travel so no it is not ferries for "day trips".

 

Yes the article says they will only be able to sail to Cuba. So that 7 night cruise that Carnival is quoting at $2900pp plus taxes and fees will have a lot of sea days.

 

Sorry cannot cut/paste article.

 

Actually, they will be all days in Cuba. The DR cruises from Fathom have 3 days in the DR on a 7 day cruise. That's the point of social impact cruising.

 

And from Fox News:

 

Carnival's license comes as part of recent approvals for six passenger vessels from the Treasury Department. The government would not name the companies who received these licenses or what their specific line of business is. They could be ferries, yacht charters or cruises. Of those six, four of them are authorized to allow passengers and crew to spend the night aboard, even when docked in a Cuban port. Other major cruise lines did not immediately respond to inquiries about their efforts to sail to Cuba.

 

So they very well could be ferries as they have been "recent approvals".

[laughing husky]

Cuba is not a new spot too travel to....I lived in Key West for years....and years....people going back and forth pretty regularly....Even had scheduled flights out of Miami once a week....As a medical provider, I shipped needed meds to Cuba all the time for family members of of my patients...Moved to Alaska.....well, well, well,.....same thing here, but change the countries...people flying, boating and occasionally snow machining over to Russia...again, bring needed materials to Siberia...and seeing their Siberian relatives that go separated when Alaska was bought. Did you know that the Russian border is 1.6 miles from each other? Not the main land mass...that is a bit farther but not all that far....You have to decide what you want to do....and it will be doable in some form or another....I would not go to Tunesia either....:) but lots will do it....

[WpgCruise]

LIKE.

As noted, this has been debated, and in those debates, it has been shown that life and conditions in Cuba are far above and beyond the economic and social conditions of many other places that Princess calls upon. A port stop in Cuba would by no means be a stop in the most depressed, repressed, unsafe port on Princess' roster. U.S.citizens seem to forget or ignore that the rest of the world has been traveling to Cuba for a very long time. Can't remember the last time I read or heard about an incident the likes of what happened in Tunisia last year. Or Mexico annually. Perhaps our increased presence will actually make things better. Just maybe.

 

Very well said.

 

Cogent, intelligent, based on fact, well thought out statement.....................are you sure you intended to post here ?

[WannaCruise365]

We've had several pro-Cuba vs. anti-Cuba threads on this board already, and people seem divided about travel there. The reality is that, several times in my life, I have traveled to dictatorships, and, while I can't say I was naïve about where my travel dollars were going, I felt, and still feel, that the personal interactions I had during those trips are, at a most basic level, what the world needs more of, not less. I guess I wasn't going to let politics stand in the way of that opportunity, and I hope to be among the first traveling to Cuba when US citizens can freely (not through Mexico or Canada or a charitable mission) go.

 

 

I agree with you Jeannie, "what the world needs more of, not less"

[Woobstr112G]

To be clear, it's Carnival Corporation that received approval for their "fathom" brand, not Carnival Cruise Lines. fathom is the new brand where you pay an arm and a leg (something like $3,000/pp for seven days) to volunteer your time helping the disadvantaged. It's just a shame that Castro destroyed the country so that they need the help. I'm not convinced that money spent by tourists isn't going to go directly back to the dictatorship government.

 

 

Well stated.....:):):)

 

Bob

[rdsqrl]

Still no reliable food supply, hotels/restaurants/transportation.

Not interested in going back until all that is addressed.

Europeans, Canadians, in fact most of the western world, has been traveling to Cuba quite happily for the past 50 years. So far, no reports of tourists going hungry or enduring sub-par accommodations. Arguably, using that standard, Princess's ships with their inedible veggie burgers and occasionally balky cabin toilets are actually worse than Havana's hotels.

[RickEk]

Not new at all.

 

This is the former R ship that Princess called the Regal Princess until it was transferred to P&O.

 

Ummm... fyi, it was called Royal Princess.

[caribill]

Ummm... fyi, it was called Royal Princess.

 

Thanks.

 

Fingers and brain where not connecting.

[Potstech]

Do not see the need to spend $3000.00 to go to another country to do work that could be done by the people/government of that country. Sorry but I have better uses for my money. Would I cruise to Cuba. Not in the near future.

[shredie]

My non-cruising friend has expressed interest in this fathom thing. I don't know if I want to commit. Are there reviews somewhere about the trips done so far? I don't have an issue going to Cuba, but I am well-known for my consummate laziness. ;):p:)

[waltd]

My non-cruising friend has expressed interest in this fathom thing. I don't know if I want to commit. Are there reviews somewhere about the trips done so far? I don't have an issue going to Cuba, but I am well-known for my consummate laziness. ;):p:)

 

Shredie The Fantom line will not start till May 2016.:)

 

http://www.cruisecritic.com/news/news.cfm?ID=6436

[Colo Cruiser]

My non-cruising friend has expressed interest in this fathom thing. I don't know if I want to commit. Are there reviews somewhere about the trips done so far? I don't have an issue going to Cuba, but I am well-known for my consummate laziness. ;):p:)

 

 

Now you have until May 2016 work around that consummate laziness.

[waltd]

Now you have until May 2016 work around that consummate laziness.

 

Or talk the non cruising friend into going on a cruise with Your Cuba Cruise and skip the work. :)

http://yourcubacruise.com/

[chengkp75]

Or talk the non cruising friend into going on a cruise with Your Cuba Cruise and skip the work. :)

http://yourcubacruise.com/

 

From articles I've seen since this Fathom Cuba cruise was announced, if you are a US citizen, booking on yourcubacruise, you must embark in Jamaica, and you are required to follow the "cultural exchange" program requirements as well.

[Colo Cruiser]

From articles I've seen since this Fathom Cuba cruise was announced, if you are a US citizen, booking on yourcubacruise, you must embark in Jamaica, and you are required to follow the "cultural exchange" program requirements as well.

 

 

 

Ya Mon.

[nellydean]

Do not see the need to spend $3000.00 to go to another country to do work that could be done by the people/government of that country. Sorry but I have better uses for my money. Would I cruise to Cuba. Not in the near future.

 

Good. the fewer Americans who go, the better. Don't want to be seeing McDonald's springing up in the centre of Havana.

[waltd]

From articles I've seen since this Fathom Cuba cruise was announced, if you are a US citizen, booking on yourcubacruise, you must embark in Jamaica, and you are required to follow the "cultural exchange" program requirements as well.

 

That's ok. Have a friend that went for a week, land tour, and did the cultural exchange. He found it fascinating and wants to go again. He had a great time.

[tokyo]

I have been to cuba, no problems at all. I think Americans may have a problem with Cuba due to the missile crises in the 60's, plus what has happened in more recent times. It's a free choice if you go or not.

 

However, many countries that cruise ships visit have dodgy governments and poor human rights. South America, Asian, Middle East and Eastern Europe all have countries that are dodgy, but people still go.

 

It may take a few years, but cruise ships will be calling in on Cuba as if it's any other port of call.

[Christine Frances]

From articles I've seen since this Fathom Cuba cruise was announced, if you are a US citizen, booking on yourcubacruise, you must embark in Jamaica, and you are required to follow the "cultural exchange" program requirements as well.

 

Not really. You can fly from Canada and tour around freely. They do not stamp your passports. I sure it is the same if you embark in Jamaica as that is why they have included that port stop so that Americans can board. If you go to the reviews they mention that there are quite a few of Americans on "yourcubacruise" and they are not treated any differently and have the same freedom as everyone else.

 

Our friends have been to Cuba 3 times and no passport stamp!

Edited July 9, 2015 by Christine Frances