Cuba - Adjust Itineraries?

[Olive1950]

Ok, I'm off work and got caught up.

 

Cheryl so you said in your comment I quoted, for Celebrity not to change any current itineraries. They created havoc. Also that you would love to see Cuba.

The main point to the thread is, should Celebrity alter current sailings.

 

I should have articulated better. I ment that when Cuba is opened up every cruise line in the world will change sailings and stop. Are you saying that given the chance you would still wait on Celebrity? Again I think not. You would love to go and all the hum bub about havoc would go out the window. Many out there will book the first rust bucket that is legal to stop.

 

As many on this thread have posted, they have been going for years.

 

If it becomes legal, and it will, no travel business can sit idly on the side lines. Simple business.

 

So Cheryl, will you wait till late 2017 or early 2018 on Celebrity if it is opened up next week, and they follow your advice?

EW

 

Good morning EW:

 

I see you're a fellow Texan....

 

Yes, I will wait. I do not like it when a cruise line chooses to change an itinerary once I have sighned up for it. I know that, in cases of bad weather, that itineraries need to change. I fully understand that.

 

I don't need to be on the FIRST ship that brings American passengers to Cuba; I just want to get there before I croak. 2018 or later is good enough for me.

 

Enjoy your weekend....

[Ex-Airbalancer]

Everyone writes about the ports in Cuba is too small , but how large is the dock in Santorini ?

They could just tender the ports

[K.T.B.]

Think Grand Caymen, tenders.

 

IMO, that's the WORST tender port of all. Extremely slow moving.

[wallie5446]

Good morning EW:

 

I see you're a fellow Texan....

 

Yes, I will wait. I do not like it when a cruise line chooses to change an itinerary once I have sighned up for it. I know that, in cases of bad weather, that itineraries need to change. I fully understand that.

 

I don't need to be on the FIRST ship that brings American passengers to Cuba; I just want to get there before I croak. 2018 or later is good enough for me.

 

Enjoy your weekend....

 

Morning!

Not a dirt born Texan, but then neither was Sam Houston:D

Dad got us here in '59 so it is home.

 

As many have posted, people from The 7 continents have been going for years. The infusion of Free Enterprise dollars from theses visiters are what is driving the change. Not any political pressures.

 

Plans are drawn and waiting on the desk of every travel business CEO, just waiting for the word to GO.

EW

[wallie5446]

IMO, that's the WORST tender port of all. Extremely slow moving.

 

Yup! It sure is, but the remodeled 'tender dock' was an easier fix than trying to fight the conservationist (sp) to dredge the coral and build a big dock.

 

Our first time there was in 1992, and it is way better now than then.

EW

[boscobeans]

 

As many have posted, people from The 7 continents have been going for years. The infusion of Free Enterprise dollars from theses visiters are what is driving the change. Not any political pressures.

 

EW

 

Excellent point. I agree totally and can only hope I will some day cruise from NYC to Cuba as members of my family did in the past.

 

bosco

[A Sixth?]

Then the next hurdle is that the port in Havana can only accommodate small cruise ships with not much more than 1000PAX.

 

It is not possible to make the port bigger to accommodate most cruise ships without taking out the bridge to the city, so they will need to build a large cruise terminal in Muriel.

There is no bridge.... it's a tunnel.... :rolleyes:

 

 

So this really does look like it will be a while before any of this happens.

 

Not the last time I was there on a British cruise ship.

 

The Cubans I spoke with this past Christmas IN Holguin Cuba were happy to hear the sanctions were being lifted AND worried that activist Americans would show up in their home and cause trouble.

 

Here's a vendor.... from arounf December 30th this year

Edited June 12, 2015 by A Sixth?

[Aquahound]

Then the next hurdle is that the port in Havana can only accommodate small cruise ships with not much more than 1000PAX.

 

I've seen 1500-1900 pax ships in Havana.

 

My hang up with Havana is the water. It's one of the most polluted waterways I've ever seen.

[emileg]

While I don't think existing itineraries should be changed, I would gladly take a cruise to Cuba in a heartbeat, especially if there was at least one overnight in Havana.

[wwcruisers]

 

I don't need to be on the FIRST ship that brings American passengers to Cuba; I just want to get there before I croak. 2018 or later is good enough for me.

 

 

While I don't need to be on the first RCCL ship to Cuba, I DO want to get there before there's a Diamonds International on every corner! ;)

[DavyJoneses]

If the US government opens up Cuba for easy access by the main line cruise companies next year, should Celebrity adjust itineraries to take advantage of visiting Cuba?

 

I am already getting emails from a TA advertising Cuba cruises for next year with four different ports (not on Celebrity) and the rates are actually extremely reasonable. Will probably book it.

Edited June 12, 2015 by DavyJoneses

[gimletgal]

Think Grand Caymen, tenders.

 

IMO, that's the WORST tender port of all. Extremely slow moving.

 

If you think Grand Cayman is bad, try St. Barts! :eek: That one was agony!

[Loujul]

I will never take a cruise that stops in Cuba.

[royalcruz]

People seem to get so angry when Celebrity changes ports after they book. I think that adding Cuba is a good idea, but they should make any adjustments start way in the future so that people have the chance to find out and cancel.

[singlegrandma2]

Wonder if there will be a ferry type boat from Key West to Cuba?

[boscobeans]

I am already getting emails from a TA advertising Cuba cruises for next year with four different ports (not on Celebrity) and the rates are actually extremely reasonable. Will probably book it.

 

I would love to know which lines are planning Cuba cruises.???

 

 

I know Hapag-Lloyd and a few others offer cruises to the West Indies that have Cuba listed as a port of call, all departing and returning to a NON-USA port.

 

There is another company that starts and ends in Cuba or Montego Bay which cruises around Cuba stopping at several different locations.

 

I think most posts on this thread deal with LEGAL cruises for U.S. Citizens departing from and returning to a U.S. port.

 

Still ANY visits to Cuba must fall into one of the 12 exemptions as described by the US Office of Foreign Assets Control and the approved programs must be part of the visit.

 

The amount of time attending approved programs versus free time is set by the following statement ;

""The traveler’s schedule of activities must not include free time or recreation in excess of that consistent with a full-time schedule in Cuba. For a complete description of what this general license authorizes and the restrictions that apply, please see 31 CFR § 515.566.""

 

No more spending limits and importation of certain Cuban goods including alcohol and tobacco have changed as well.

 

As to how this will be enforced, if at all? I haven't the foggiest.

 

bosco

[Aquahound]

Wonder if there will be a ferry type boat from Key West to Cuba?

 

We've already got a couple ferry companies jockying for position in KW and the main ferry terminal in KW was designed and built with Cuban itineraries in mind. T

 

However, an operating ferry won't be running anytime in the near future. But down the road when the Castros are dead and Cuba fully opens, the ferries will be running.

[MicCanberra]

People seem to get so angry when Celebrity changes ports after they book. I think that adding Cuba is a good idea, but they should make any adjustments start way in the future so that people have the chance to find out and cancel.

 

Agreed, or make it if people who do not want to proceed with the cruise can escape being penalised when they cancel.

[Evangaline]

Everyone writes about the ports in Cuba is too small , but how large is the dock in Santorini ?

They could just tender the ports

 

From what we were told when we were just there, the port in Havana is not set up to even do much tendering, certainly not to accommodate all the mainstream cruise traffic if stops are suddenly allowed at Cuban ports. The infrastructure is simply not there, however simple that would seem to be.

 

If you have seen the Port in Havana, there is very little activity there. There is only limited commercial activity due to the embargo and just the lack of resources to import that much. There is a very occasional small cruise ship.

 

Apparently to deepen the port is not the most practical solution. They would need to take out the access to Havana. I said bridge before. I meant tunnel. Anyway, for whatever reason the talk is that if this happened the cruise terminal for mainstream cruise ships will be built at Muriel and later maybe pretty up the Port of Havana and add enough infrastructure for a few smaller Luxe type ships to tender into Havana. Anyway that was the way the talk was going.

[smtcan]

If you think Grand Cayman is bad, try St. Barts! :eek: That one was agony!

 

Agreed. We had priority tendering and it still took two hours to get off the ship. Some people were just arriving mid afternoon when we were heading back. The captain drove the tender we returned on - an attempt at cheering disgruntled passengers I suspect.

 

We have been to Cuba several times, and I would be interested in an overnight stop in Havana, but would hope tendering, if required, would be better than St. Barts.

[hcat]

If you think Grand Cayman is bad, try St. Barts! :eek: That one was agony!

 

We don't get off at GC anymore and sounds fortuitous that we switched a cruise that went to St Barts...tendering on the smaller tenders takes too long, esp with bigger ships!

 

Poll results show interest, but not sure there'd be a big attraction of Cuba as a cruise port...when it is permitted, one could take a ferry or quick flight from US...if one desires to visit..

[ECCruise]

 

Poll results show interest, but not sure there'd be a big attraction of Cuba as a cruise port...when it is permitted, one could take a ferry or quick flight from US...if one desires to visit..

 

I agree. Having spent 10 days there, there is just way to much to see/absorb in an 8 hour port call. Grand Cayman it ain't!:)

[awhfy]

I fully expect that our Mar 2017 cruise will be adjusted again to add Cuba

[wallie5446]

 

Poll results show interest, but not sure there'd be a big attraction of Cuba as a cruise port...when it is permitted, one could take a ferry or quick flight from US...if one desires to visit..

 

Having spent 10 days there, there is just way to much to see/absorb in an 8 hour port call. )

 

But the comments of many who live outside the U.S. Show the interest is very high, as many have commented they have made 2-3 even 4 trips to Cuba, and some staying for 10 days.

 

All these fellow Cruise Critic members and Hemmingway can not be off their rockers:D the interest and desire to go is huge, as many who have been, and are currently going show.

[wallie5446]

I fully expect that our Mar 2017 cruise will be adjusted again to add Cuba

 

Depends on which route you are on. The 11 day with the Canal, or the 10 day. But you may be right, the Co could alter BOTH routes if Washington says okie dokie. :D