CRUISING TO CUBA FROM USA PORTSA cruise to Cuba from Miami or Fort Lauderdale? Perhaps not such an impossible concept anymore!
In recent moves to “reach out to the Cuban people to support their desire to enjoy basic human rights," according to White House spokesman Robert Gibbs, President Obama has lifted limits on family travel and money transfers by Cuban Americans in the United States to Cuba, and is now allowing USA telecommunications companies to start doing business in Cuba.
Many feel that this is just the beginning of the journey to finally removing sanctions imposed after Castro took power in 1959, and opening up travel between Cuba and the USA.
The airlines are certainly excited at the prospect and low-cost charter carriers like Allegiant and AirTran are already talking about a new service to Cuba.
And the excitement is in the air for the cruise industry too. Major cruise lines like Royal Caribbean and Carnival based in Miami must certainly be dusting off plans for cruises to Cuba.
Less than a hundred miles from the American coast, the addition of Cuba to the Caribbean ports of call would doubtlessly help the cruise lines give a lift to their Caribbean itineraries.
There is no doubt that the Americans are ready for Cuba. Polls suggest that more than 75 % of cruise passengers looking to book a Caribbean cruise would be interested in cruises with Cuba added to the itinerary.
The only question that remains is whether Cuba is ready for the Americans and their mega cruise ships.
Perhaps not right now, but possibly they will be by the time the light at the end of the tunnel gets brighter and cruises from the USA to Cuba are finally being planned - or when the cruise lines admit to planning them.
Check Prow's Edge for news on this and other issues affecting the cruise industry.
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