U.S. travelers are not giving up hope that cruises will one day return to a bucket-list travel destination in the Caribbean.
For a brief period not so long ago, cruise ships departing the U.S. were able to offer travelers a simple, legal way to visit an island that had long been closed off to U.S. tourists.
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President Barack Obama relaxed travel restrictions to Cuba in 2016, opening the door for authorized U.S. cruise lines, including Carnival, Royal Caribbean, and Norwegian Cruise Line, to sail to Havana. Through people-to-people educational travel programs, these cruise lines showcased the island’s rich culture to their passengers until the Trump administration tightened Cuba travel restrictions in 2019.
Since then, cruise travel from the U.S. to Cuba has been prohibited, but many travelers are hopeful that cruises to Cuba will one day sail again from U.S. ports.
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Only smaller ships could dock in Cuba.
Image source: Pixabay
Carnival passengers want the opportunity to cruise to Cuba
On his popular Facebook page, Carnival Cruise Line Brand Ambassador John Heald recently shared a message he received from an individual who wanted the cruise line to know that passengers want to see Cuba back on Caribbean cruise itineraries.
“I hope the cruise lines are lobbying the government for permission to go back to cruising to Cuba. I am not the only one who thinks this BTW,” the unnamed passenger wrote.
Heald invited passengers to share their opinions on cruising to Cuba in a Facebook poll. More than 11,500 passengers indicated that they would love to cruise to Cuba while more than 7,500 checked the box for “I would not be interested in cruising to Cuba.”
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In the comments on the poll, a number of passengers expressed a strong desire to cruise to the island. Some had just missed out on the opportunity to visit Cuba on Carnival cruise itineraries that were forced to drop Havana as a port of call in 2019.
“We would LOVE to be able to go to Cuba,” wrote Tammy Beakley. “We were booked to go to Cuba and Key West, but cruising to Cuba stopped a couple of months before our cruise. We were so disappointed. I pray that cruising to Cuba will be available again in the near future.”
Passengers who cruised to Cuba share their experiences
“I was fortunate to go to Cuba when it reopened in 2018,” shared Linda Runkel. “We did an awesome excursion around Havana, saw lots of old cars and ate local cuisine. Yes, please try to get back in. I would go back.”
Passengers noted the beauty of the island and the friendliness of the people.
“We cruised into Cuba on Carnival during the limited period it was ‘open’,” wrote Walt Hack. “One of my favorite stops and loved that the ship remained in Havana harbor overnight. We found the island beautiful, the people extremely friendly, and the history fascinating! Stop the politics and let’s open it back up!”
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One Cuba cruise passenger appreciated the opportunity to interact with locals during their visit.
“My wife and I were lucky enough to get to go on a cruise to Havana when it was open for cruises,” shared Wayne Brockinton. “We LOVED it! The people were so happy to see Americans finally visiting their country, and we felt like our money could really make a difference in their lives. I felt bad for them when cruises were cut off. We would go back in a heartbeat!”
Another passenger described the unique things to do and see in Havana, and shared his opinion on the likelihood of Cuba cruises returning soon.
“I was lucky enough to be able to cruise to Cuba in 2019 and we had a great time,” commented Jim Hocut. “The architecture in Old Havana was very unique, we watched a ballet performance by a local group, and had some great local food. We ended the night with a fabulous show at the Tropicana. I’ll go again in a heartbeat if it becomes available (but sadly I don’t see it happening in the next 4 years because of politics).”
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