No more cruises to Cuba?

[rallydave]

2 minutes ago, Cynchaslo said:

Never mind, I’ll check the Oceania site. I’m of the Rick Steve’s mind, “travel gives us a broader perspective.”

No changes to any of the Cuba cruises unless or until the US Government issues new regulations.  No time frame for when or if the rule changes will be issues and become effective.

 

 

[Sny]

Cynchasio - I'm with you on this.

[wripro]

21 hours ago, JPR said:

Wripro wrote “I can imagine people on Cruise Critic in Cuba, Venezuela, Turkey and Burma saying the same things about the U. S. now.“

 

Huh?  So what? That’s classic sophomoric moral relativism. Do you mean the people in their corrupt and police state governments or the people oppressed by them? I’m surprised you left out Norh Korea. Would you have written the same thing about the Germany and Japanese people during WWII?

 

And you’re wrong to boot. Even the liberal press has found overwhelming support for Trump and the U.S. among the Venezuelan people. The people we spoke with in Cuba generally would love to have U.S.-style freedom and prosperity, and recognize that the country is crumbling while it exports its military and essentially enslaved physicians to other countries for hard currency. Erdogan just lost a key election in Istanbul (which like Maduro he has undemocratically overturned on totally specious grounds) and is increasingly unpopular there. (At least Turkey is still in NATO, for now. ) And Burma/Myanmar is at least as repressive as any of them, so who knows what its people think.

 

You have the right to go wherever you want (subject to U.S, Law, State Department policies, and that country’s rules) , even, say, Iran. But know that when you visit these these countries, your hard currency is going to the primary benefit of totalitarian regimes.

So glad i was able to give you a platform. Enjoy posting!

[RJB]

4 hours ago, wripro said:

So glad i was able to give you a platform. Enjoy posting!

It is called free speech, which is something the people in those country's do not have. 

[CanEcosse]

1 hour ago, RJB said:

It is called free speech, which is something the people in those country's do not have. 

Yes, but is it Cruise Critic?

[pauon]

1 hour ago, RJB said:

It is called free speech, which is something the people in those country's do not have. 

The "serial poster's" on the Oceania CC have ruined it.  Hardly worth looking at.   We cruise often and like Princess CC, HAL CC, and love Windstar CC.  None of those are as caustic as Oceania CC.  We are looking for information here because we are actually going to Cuba.  It seems there are people on Oceania CC interested in cruising and sharing information and those just addicted to posting on anything and everything.  Save your politics for another place.

[RJB]

1 hour ago, pauon said:

The "serial poster's" on the Oceania CC have ruined it.  Hardly worth looking at.   We cruise often and like Princess CC, HAL CC, and love Windstar CC.  None of those are as caustic as Oceania CC.  We are looking for information here because we are actually going to Cuba.  It seems there are people on Oceania CC interested in cruising and sharing information and those just addicted to posting on anything and everything.  Save your politics for another place.

Been to Cuba and it was great, but the politics are part of any visit there. Had a great private guide and got a dose about how they live and it is not too pretty.  A lawyer making $ 65.00 a month and a guide making 10 X that a month.  Hearing that I can be very caustic.  Hope it changes

[pauon]

8 minutes ago, RJB said:

Been to Cuba and it was great, but the politics are part of any visit there. Had a great private guide and got a dose about how they live and it is not too pretty.  A lawyer making $ 65.00 a month and a guide making 10 X that a month.  Hearing that I can be very caustic.  Hope it changes

I wasn't referring to politics in Cuba.  Sure would be nice to get back, again, to the topic at hand.

[I_r_a]

RJB says,

 

> A lawyer making $ 65.00 a month and a guide making 10 X that a month.  Hearing that I can be very caustic.  Hope it changes

 

Might you be a lawyer?    🙂

 

Ira

[PaulMCO]

On 5/14/2019 at 5:59 PM, pauon said:

The "serial poster's" on the Oceania CC have ruined it.  Hardly worth looking at.   We cruise often and like Princess CC, HAL CC, and love Windstar CC.  None of those are as caustic as Oceania CC.  We are looking for information here because we are actually going to Cuba.  It seems there are people on Oceania CC interested in cruising and sharing information and those just addicted to posting on anything and everything.  Save your politics for another place.

Definitely agree.  We have our booking scheduled in 2021.  I am optimistic that it will take place.  There is alot of pressure being put on the current Administration to keep the rules (at least for tourists) the same. 

.

[RJB]

20 hours ago, I_r_a said:

RJB says,

 

> A lawyer making $ 65.00 a month and a guide making 10 X that a month.  Hearing that I can be very caustic.  Hope it changes

 

Might you be a lawyer?    🙂

 

Ira

No, I am not a lawyer, but our guide in Cuba was.   I think he would like to go back to that but can not afford to.  Wife and baby cost a lot more than $65.00 a month.  A great guide and probably was a very good lawyer.   No politics here, just the reality of a 27 year old with not much future to see.  Must be a lot more like him.   And I am sure women also. 

[Hawaiidan]

On 5/23/2019 at 6:39 AM, RJB said:

No, I am not a lawyer, but our guide in Cuba was.   I think he would like to go back to that but can not afford to.  Wife and baby cost a lot more than $65.00 a month.  A great guide and probably was a very good lawyer.   No politics here, just the reality of a 27 year old with not much future to see.  Must be a lot more like him.   And I am sure women also. 

 

Its a tough call to keep political situations, that result from travel anywhere,  silent.   Its part and parcel to a persons visit, no matter what their politics is. 

 When you visit anywhere you are giving in effect economic support to that city/region country and support for their society/ government whether you like it or not!    A person has to realize it is the law of  unintended results..     What we do does affect others , we can not change that reality.

 

So....yes realizing that does  take into consideration the politics of a place  you can not separate the two.

[Cynchaslo]

On the other hand, many countries complain that visiting a country by cruise ship adds very little to the local economy. We are eating and sleeping on the ship. I’m not going to be politically judged by my travel agenda. I like to travel to learn and see things for myself.

[Paulchili]

21 minutes ago, Cynchaslo said:

I’m not going to be politically judged by my travel agenda. I like to travel to learn and see things for myself.

Agree totally.

Can’t say anything positive about the current Iranian regime but if I could I would love to visit Iran for its history and cultural treasures.

I only have one lifetime to see and do as much as I can.

[pauon]

1 hour ago, Paulchili said:

Agree totally.

Can’t say anything positive about the current Iranian regime but if I could I would love to visit Iran for its history and cultural treasures.

I only have one lifetime to see and do as much as I can.

Wouldn't it be nice if some of the people here could stay on topic and not highjack every thread ?  Back to Cuba ?  After all, that is what the OP posted about.  

[RJB]

3 hours ago, pauon said:

Wouldn't it be nice if some of the people here could stay on topic and not highjack every thread ?  Back to Cuba ?  After all, that is what the OP posted about.  

Well, at the moment it does not seem that our government is going to change the rules for cruises to Cuba.  I think that it is a good thing for people like our private guide to make a better living for his family outside the restrictions that their government places on how much they can earn. Only time will tell.

[pauon]

Just got my visa for July Oceania 32 day back to back.  Fingers crossed that nothing changes.

[spookyfudge]

I would not spend my yankee dollars in Cuba, it is a communist country and they should not get our dollars. Period my opinion.

[Paulchili]

8 hours ago, pauon said:

Wouldn't it be nice if some of the people here could stay on topic and not highjack every thread ?

Wouldn’t it be nice if “some of the people here” were a little nicer to everyone and a little more tolerant of others’ opinions and posts?

Edited May 28, 2019 by Paulchili

[Petoonya]

10 hours ago, Paulchili said:

 

Can’t say anything positive about the current Iranian regime but if I could I would love to visit Iran for its history and cultural treasures.

I only have one lifetime to see and do as much as I can.

+1

[RJB]

10 hours ago, Paulchili said:

Wouldn’t it be nice if “some of the people here” were a little nicer to everyone and a little more tolerant of others’ opinions and posts?

YES !!!

[pauon]

15 hours ago, Paulchili said:

Wouldn’t it be nice if “some of the people here” were a little nicer to everyone and a little more tolerant of others’ opinions and posts?

“High jack” and “stay on topic” are key.   Follow the rules as set by CC.  Nothing said that the “6 or 7” of you practice on others  daily.  

[I_r_a]

This might be of some use.

How To Travel To Cuba In 2019: A Guide For Americans

https://expertvagabond.com/travel-to-cuba-for-americans/

 

Ira

 

[pauon]

Glad we are back to the topic of Cuba.  I think those sailing to Iran are on another thread.

[fran48]

On 5/28/2019 at 11:37 AM, pauon said:

Glad we are back to the topic of Cuba.  I think those sailing to Iran are on another thread.

Just saw this article on CNN ....restrictions announced today June 4.  

  https://www.cnn.com/2019/06/04/politics/us-cuba-travel-restrictions/index.html

 

I have contacted our TA to see about our options. Our cruise is not until Jan. 2020 and we are still before the cancel date. We are booked from LA through the Panama Canal.