Just booked a Cuban cruise...so excited!!

[troykahack]

I thought a Junior Suite was a suite.:confused:

 

Me too... thought it was covered when you said Suites?

[Snit13]

I am sorry if I am being negative but I have been holding on to my emotions & cannot hold on anymore. I understand that everybody has their own opinions but please respect mine.

 

Coming from a Cuban-American family that had to literally leave Cuba with nothing when the dictator Fidel took office & took (that is correct, just took) all of my families possessions(houses, clothes, jewelry, everything!). I get so mad when individuals want to go to Cuba & give our hard owned money to this government dictatorship. Luckily they were able to come to the USA back then and were able to get their lives back on track & give myself & my brothers a very good life in the U.S.A.).

 

Also, I just read on MSN.com the other day that the locals in Cuba are having a food shortage now with certain items/staples because all the food is going to the hotels & the tourist areas first. The locals are struggling to find food. Just why we cannot give anything to this dictatorship.

 

Thank you for letting me rant & please understand that these are my opinions as a son of a Cuban-American family

 

I totally understand where you are coming from and why. I taught in Miami from 1962 to 1988, specifically in West Miami where many of the Cubans settled. I heard horror stories from my students and their families and taught students whose fathers never returned from Bay of Pigs. We were the school where many of the students from the Mariel Boat Lift were immersed.

 

I too would love to visit Cuba but not under the present Castro regime.

[put me on a ship]

We are on the Empress and got an OS at 08:00 when we found out early that the itiniraries were out. FYI $8K FOR OS and $3500 for JS (2 people) on May 20th sailing. Selling out quick. They ain't cheap. I'll be making pins if anyone is interested.

 

Prices have already gone up for all rooms on the May 20 sailing, since I booked this morning at 9:30. I'm thinking these sailings will sell out quickly!

[dagunny]

This is the pin i did for this cruise. If anyone going on the 20 May Cuba cruise wants one let me know before April and I'll add you to the list. Around or less than 5 bucks (my cost) depending on how many I get made. I give them to the crew when I see them doing nice things for the passengers. John Steele gave me an idea how to reward the crew and thought it was a good idea. If you're currently on Empress I still have a few. I wear a T shirt with the same design.

[stan vermeers]

Anyway concerned Trump may invalidate all access to Cuba?

Would like to take this cruise to Havana but concerned ports may change and we have been to the Caribbean too many times

[cruisegirl1]

Just booked May 20th too.

 

Going to decide..

 

I booked both of those dates also. I originally booked May 20 but then looked at the port arrival/departures times and was not pleased. I will likely cancel May and stay with April 30. The 7 night was just slightly more than the 5 night.

 

M

Edited December 9, 2016 by cruisegirl1

[troykahack]

Anyway concerned Trump may invalidate all access to Cuba?

Would like to take this cruise to Havana but concerned ports may change and we have been to the Caribbean too many times

 

Many of us hope so, until Government changes...

[F27TW]

Y'all don't hold your breath ... your newly elected "president" is surely going to reverse any progress our outgoing administration made with regard to Cuba relations and our ability to visit there freely.

 

Better plan on a last minute substitution to Coco Cay (:rolleyes:) ...

Edited December 9, 2016 by F27TW

[troykahack]

Y'all don't hold your breath ... your newly elected "president" is surely going to reverse any progress our outgoing administration made with regard to Cuba relations and our ability to visit there freely.

 

Better plan on a last minute substitution to Coco Cay (:rolleyes:) ...

 

Many of us who understand the situation, what they did to our Cuban American friends, and the repressed people there, hope so.....

 

Most are out of touch... and they try to say look at many of the other islands.... but none are as far behind as Medicines and Equipment as Cuba.

 

I have a little expertise concerning the medical, but watch CNN's special on Cuba.... yes, they have people that live long....

[troykahack]

Prices have already gone up for all rooms on the May 20 sailing, since I booked this morning at 9:30. I'm thinking these sailings will sell out quickly!

 

As a stock holder of RCCL stock, I hope they raise the price VERY much.... and people pay it... it is like, what part of your dollar will go to the people of Cuba.??

[alfaeric]

I am sorry if I am being negative but I have been holding on to my emotions & cannot hold on anymore. I understand that everybody has their own opinions but please respect mine.

 

Coming from a Cuban-American family that had to literally leave Cuba with nothing when the dictator Fidel took office & took (that is correct, just took) all of my families possessions(houses, clothes, jewelry, everything!). I get so mad when individuals want to go to Cuba & give our hard owned money to this government dictatorship. Luckily they were able to come to the USA back then and were able to get their lives back on track & give myself & my brothers a very good life in the U.S.A.).

 

Also, I just read on MSN.com the other day that the locals in Cuba are having a food shortage now with certain items/staples because all the food is going to the hotels & the tourist areas first. The locals are struggling to find food. Just why we cannot give anything to this dictatorship.

 

Thank you for letting me rant & please understand that these are my opinions as a son of a Cuban-American family

 

Curious what you think we should be doing?

 

It's not as if doing the same embargo more is going to do anything- it hasn't for the past almost 60 years, what makes anyone thing it will change anything if we keep doing it?

 

Should we not take a different approach to change things?

 

And I don't see other countries starting a new embargo just for us. They didn't before- and probably wont start now.

 

One alternate theory was to flood them with the alternative by sending more and more people there. They are not going to hear or see it from the government.

 

I've not heard any other alternatives to restarting relations or just the flat out embargo.

[PH8]

This is the pin i did for this cruise. If anyone going on the 20 May Cuba cruise wants one let me know before April and I'll add you to the list. Around or less than 5 bucks (my cost) depending on how many I get made. I give them to the crew when I see them doing nice things for the passengers. John Steele gave me an idea how to reward the crew and thought it was a good idea. If you're currently on Empress I still have a few. I wear a T shirt with the same design.

Maybe just post this on the roll call..Im not sure who John Steele is??

Edited December 9, 2016 by PH8

[Nangelina]

Thank you USATEG for your opinion. My family will no longer sail any cruise line that goes to Cuba. People think they are helping the Cuban economy but the they are only helping fund the governments pockets. The people get nothing from your visit. Only your smiling faces. So sad to say goodbye to RCCL. We've sailed you since 1993.

[grand isle joe]

Thank you USATEG for your opinion. My family will no longer sail any cruise line that goes to Cuba. People think they are helping the Cuban economy but the they are only helping fund the governments pockets. The people get nothing from your visit. Only your smiling faces. So sad to say goodbye to RCCL. We've sailed you since 1993.

 

I agree 1000%.......even though I am diamond I won't give that killer regime a penny....RCL should really reconsider IMO.

[F27TW]

Many of us who understand the situation, what they did to our Cuban American friends, and the repressed people there, hope so.....

 

Most are out of touch... and they try to say look at many of the other islands.... but none are as far behind as Medicines and Equipment as Cuba.

 

I have a little expertise concerning the medical, but watch CNN's special on Cuba.... yes, they have people that live long....

 

Oh please .... we seem to turn our heads the other way to places like China (and others) ... and how they repress their citizens, don't we ?

 

That's OK?

Edited December 10, 2016 by F27TW

[saltwaterhappy]

I put the May 20th sailing on hold.:)

 

How did you do that? I don't see any option to hold... Trying to do that now...

[Merion_Mom]

How did you do that? I don't see any option to hold... Trying to do that now...

 

Use a travel agent.

[Ourusualbeach]

Oh please .... we seem to turn our heads the other way to places like China (and others) ... and how they repress their citizens, don't we ?

 

That's OK?

 

Exactly. I don't see anyone complaining about sailing to Labadee (Haiti). Their citizens are in a far worse predicament than the Cubans.

[yankees111]

I for one have absolutely no interest in paying a higher amount to take a cruise to a place where people die daily attempting to flee, but to each their own!

 

 

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[put me on a ship]

Thank you USATEG for your opinion. My family will no longer sail any cruise line that goes to Cuba. People think they are helping the Cuban economy but the they are only helping fund the governments pockets. The people get nothing from your visit. Only your smiling faces. So sad to say goodbye to RCCL. We've sailed you since 1993.

 

Good luck with that. You have eliminated Carnival Corp., which is Carnival, HAL, Princess, P&O, Seabourn, just to name a few, NCL, which include Oceania and Regent, and Royal, which includes Celebrity etc.

 

I understand why some are not wanting to go...really, I do. But don't you think by Americans being allowed to go, ultimately, it WILL help the people of Cuba, if nothing else, seeing that there is a better way to live. These people have been cut off from the world for so long, their life is all they know.

 

And someone else said it best...we turn a blind eye to other countries, like China and Russia.

 

I for one am excited to see and experience the Cuban culture. I view it as a learning experience, as much as a cultural experience. BTW, Cuban government is not the only government that murders those that do not agree with their policy, and Americans have been allowed to visit those countries.

[Garavar]

Maybe Royal (and the other cruise lines) can take a page out of Crystal's PlayBook like their "You Care, We Care" program. Where the guests volunteer in the community of the destinations they visit.

 

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[cot427]

Good luck with that. You have eliminated Carnival Corp., which is Carnival, HAL, Princess, P&O, Seabourn, just to name a few, NCL, which include Oceania and Regent, and Royal, which includes Celebrity etc.

 

I understand why some are not wanting to go...really, I do. But don't you think by Americans being allowed to go, ultimately, it WILL help the people of Cuba, if nothing else, seeing that there is a better way to live. These people have been cut off from the world for so long, their life is all they know.

 

And someone else said it best...we turn a blind eye to other countries, like China and Russia.

 

I for one am excited to see and experience the Cuban culture. I view it as a learning experience, as much as a cultural experience. BTW, Cuban government is not the only government that murders those that do not agree with their policy, and Americans have been allowed to visit those countries.

 

There is a certain group of people lately who are increasingly boycotting everything from Star Wars to Hamilton and more just to defend some nonsensical belief. I agree with your thoughts 100%. It seems a little hypocritical to turn a blind eye to China, Russia, etc. when 1) citizens are oppressed 2) cruises go there but hold Cuba to a different standard.

 

Education is the key to empowerment and transformation and hopefully enabling the country to move forward like this, learning and having an open dialogue will lead to progress.

[kwazi07]

There is a certain group of people lately who are increasingly boycotting everything from Star Wars to Hamilton and more just to defend some nonsensical belief. I agree with your thoughts 100%. It seems a little hypocritical to turn a blind eye to China, Russia, etc. when 1) citizens are oppressed 2) cruises go there but hold Cuba to a different standard.

 

Education is the key to empowerment and transformation and hopefully enabling the country to move forward like this, learning and having an open dialogue will lead to progress.

+1!!

 

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[boscobeans]

Thank you USATEG for your opinion. My family will no longer sail any cruise line that goes to Cuba. People think they are helping the Cuban economy but the they are only helping fund the governments pockets. The people get nothing from your visit. Only your smiling faces. So sad to say goodbye to RCCL. We've sailed you since 1993.

 

If you do not spend money in government owned hotels and restaurants or on government owned transportation and other services you WILL be putting money into the pockets of the Cuban people by spending your tourist dollars in the thousands of privately owned and operated businesses. There are now 240 types of businesses allowed to operate in private hands. YES they must pay taxes, but every business in the United States pays taxes as well. There are currently thousands of these private businesses operating legally in Cuba.

 

Take a private cab, check out some reviews of paladares -- privately owned restaurants and bars. Do some shopping at locals stores.

 

If you do the big government or foreign owned hotels and places you are putting a large percentage of your dollars into the Castro regime but the privately owned, family owned places are creating a growing, vibrant middle class that will one day do a heck of a lot more for the Cuban people than a fifty plus year old political vendetta of an embargo.

 

Do some research into the growing entrepreneurial spirit and culture in Cuba. .

 

Do some research how open agricultural and manufactured goods trade between the United States and Cuba will create millions of dollars and thousands of jobs on our shores and make serious improvements in the lives of the Cuban people. If done correctly time will pass as the Castro regime has to bend with the times as long as we allow the times to change.

 

 

Of course everyone is free to go or not to go, but it is nice to know we the American people can finally make our own decision.

 

OMO

 

bosco

Edited December 10, 2016 by boscobeans

[ColoradoGurl]

Lots of good food for thought on both sides of the debate here

 

 

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