If Cuba = Success, do you think Carnival would buy back Holiday-class? Would you go?

[LMaxwell]

You could always fly from Toronto because it is cheaper than a cruise:

 

 

Toronto to Holguin, Cuba

Memories Holguin Beach Resort

 

Tuesday, May 31, 2016 - 7 Days - All inclusive

 

Now $305 + $380 taxes and fees Total $685.00 per person.

 

Wow, I've never been to an AI anywhere but that is silly cheap :eek:

[loubetti]

Actually, this is the best time to go before it gets Americanized with McDonalds, Burger King, Pizza Hut, Wal-Mart, Lowes etc!

.

 

That is highly unlikely to happen anytime in the foreseeable future.

 

The Castro regime wants $$$$ from any business that opens there. This is why they stole ALL businesses from their owners when they came into power.

 

Folks want to compare Cuba to China; no comparison. Cuba is VERY communist, the government owns almost everything, and you can be certain that anything else that opens there will pay Cuba for the privilege.

 

They still have two currencies also. You want a $12 Whopper or Big Mac?

[dave_k58]

I have seen the prices for the Fathom - and can't for the life of me figure out where they come up with the astronomical prices. Raul and Fidel must be making a fortune.

[Thorncroft]

I have seen the prices for the Fathom - and can't for the life of me figure out where they come up with the astronomical prices. Raul and Fidel must be making a fortune.

 

Mickey and Arnold probably aren't doing too shabbily either.

[sandij]

I've sailed on the Celebration and you could tell it was a former Carnival ship (besides the whale tail), was in good shape. I'd love to visit Cuba, need some new places to go to.

[Computer Nerd]

i hope not.

[fourkittys]

So long as Cuba is being governed by a Communist dictator, I will not be going to Cuba.

 

ABSOLUTELY!! I would NOT give a dime to that country after finding more about how they treat their people. I will not support communism in any shape or form!

[Tapi]

Wow, I've never been to an AI anywhere but that is silly cheap :eek:

 

 

 

We just took our first family trip to an AI a few weeks ago and the experience was short of wonderful! (we went to Cozumel). The best part about it? It was dirt cheap. And we stayed in a beautiful luxury resort right on a private beach with 3 pools (2 of them infinity), 4 restaurants, and several bars. All the food, all the drinks, kids club, water activities, nightly entertainment, snorkeling equipment, and a fully stocked minibar were all included in the price. My wife joked that we spent less than driving an hour north to Chattanooga and staying at a Hampton Inn!

 

 

 

I still love cruising, partly because I always envision it as a cost effective way to take the family on vacation, but this getaway truly opened my eyes to what all inclusives have to offer. We did love going to Cozumel because we could leave the hotel and enjoy so many other attractions around the island, but I don't think I would enjoy the AI experience if we'd been held captive at a destination where there's nothing to do outside the resort. I looked at some YOUTUBE videos of AI's in Jamaica and the Dominican Republic and I was turned off by the big gated walls around some properties and the comments about safety concerns outside resort walls.

Edited April 23, 2016 by Tapi

[esdoorn]

 

Folks want to compare Cuba to China; no comparison. Cuba is VERY communist.

 

 

 

ahahahahahaha!!

 

Wow, just wow!

 

 

how about this: China executed 12,000 people in 2002, 6,500 people in 2007, and roughly 2,400 in 2013 and 2014. So is this less communist?

 

 

Please let me know how many people Cuba has executed over the past decade or so. Hint, in Cuba the last executions in 2003.

Edited April 23, 2016 by esdoorn

[mzloolue]

I liked Holiday. I would sail it again gladly.

 

But, not to Cuba and definitely not to China.

I avoid buying anything from China although not always possible

Edited April 23, 2016 by mzloolue

[tandemcruzr]

Actually, this is the best time to go before it gets Americanized with McDonalds, Burger King, Pizza Hut, Wal-Mart, Lowes etc!

.

 

I could care less. Have no desire whatsoever to go to Cuba. Went to high school in the 50's and 60's with exiles from Cuba. Not a pretty story about how they had to leave.

[sfaaa]

ahahahahahaha!!

 

Wow, just wow!

 

 

how about this: China executed 12,000 people in 2002, 6,500 people in 2007, and roughly 2,400 in 2013 and 2014. So is this less communist?

 

 

Please let me know how many people Cuba has executed over the past decade or so. Hint, in Cuba the last executions in 2003.

 

Who cares. Commies are commies. I wouldn't go to Cuba even if the cruise is free.

[Computer Nerd]

I love those who live in glass houses:

 

 

The U.S. debt to China is $1.238 trillion, as of January 2016.

 

 

So, not only purchasing a ton of cheap plastic crap at Wal-Mart made in China, but owe over $1.2 trillion dollars to China, which is, yep you guessed it a communist country!

 

I'd much rather visit Cuba (which I have done twice and would go back) that visit China (which I visited once) and have no desire to go back to that country where it is so hard to breath!

 

 

.

 

the us population did not incur that debt......obama incurred most of that debt.

[hotsauce126]

the us population did not incur that debt......obama incurred most of that debt.

 

lol ok

[Hog Rider]

If Cuba turns out to be a successful venture for Carnival via Fathom, and subsequently for RCI with Empress of the Seas (a smaller ship being brought back into the fleet), do you think there is any possibility that Carnival would buy back a Holiday-class ship for use going to Cuba? I am not sure if a Fantasy-class ship would fit into Cuba ports but pretty sure Holiday-class would.

 

Seems Holiday-class has its fair share of fans, and the heavy lifting has already been done to modernize the public spaces of the ship.

 

Would you sail on Carnival to Cuba, and would you do so on a Holiday-class ship if available?

 

Check out the ship here

 

http://www.yachtworld.com/boats/1985/Cruise-Ship%2C-1%2C452-Passengers-Stock-No.-S2168-2739071/Italy#.VxpGiVSZE_x

Why would anybody pay to vaca and work to boot? Better to donate to a local cause at home.

[quickrate]

I would sail the Holiday and would love to go to Cuba.

Pat

[LMaxwell]

I do think there is a possibility if Fathom does well we could see the return of a smaller ship to do Cuba runs. It really depends on the profit potential.

[Je Souhaite]

If Cuba turns out to be a successful venture for Carnival via Fathom, and subsequently for RCI with Empress of the Seas (a smaller ship being brought back into the fleet), do you think there is any possibility that Carnival would buy back a Holiday-class ship for use going to Cuba? I am not sure if a Fantasy-class ship would fit into Cuba ports but pretty sure Holiday-class would.

 

Seems Holiday-class has its fair share of fans, and the heavy lifting has already been done to modernize the public spaces of the ship.

 

Would you sail on Carnival to Cuba, and would you do so on a Holiday-class ship if available?

 

Check out the ship here

 

http://www.yachtworld.com/boats/1985/Cruise-Ship%2C-1%2C452-Passengers-Stock-No.-S2168-2739071/Italy#.VxpGiVSZE_x

 

First off, I don't expect this to be a success. From the get go, I never thought the Carnival Corp was even committed. Didn't help that the ship failed inspection.

 

Add the premium price to the humanitarian bubble keeps many away.

 

And then researching the other ships that already call on Cuba, it sounds like this whole humanitarian thing is a joke and isn't enforced. That will get out quick.

 

Now, as far as bringing back any of the three Holiday class ships, yes they were a favorite. And I don't need a Cuba itinerary to entice me on one. But they are 30 years old now.

 

If anything, build more Spirit class ships, and use them what they were intended for; to travel great distances in the shortest amount of time, smoothly. I don't know why this is the clas they try to put elsewhere when there are only 4 of them.

[LMaxwell]

 

If anything, build more Spirit class ships, and use them what they were intended for; to travel great distances in the shortest amount of time, smoothly. I don't know why this is the clas they try to put elsewhere when there are only 4 of them.

 

Same situation with Radiance class ships at Royal.

 

Both classes are Panamax ships designed for long distance travel and severely underutilized.

 

Now with the Panama Canal being expanded perhaps we will see a slightly larger set of Panamax ships capable of the sort of travel you describe. That would be awesome.

 

There's only so many times we can see the same Caribbean ports repeatedly.

[Je Souhaite]

We just took our first family trip to an AI a few weeks ago and the experience was short of wonderful! (we went to Cozumel). The best part about it? It was dirt cheap. And we stayed in a beautiful luxury resort right on a private beach with 3 pools (2 of them infinity), 4 restaurants, and several bars. All the food, all the drinks, kids club, water activities, nightly entertainment, snorkeling equipment, and a fully stocked minibar were all included in the price. My wife joked that we spent less than driving an hour north to Chattanooga and staying at a Hampton Inn!

 

 

 

I still love cruising, partly because I always envision it as a cost effective way to take the family on vacation, but this getaway truly opened my eyes to what all inclusives have to offer. We did love going to Cozumel because we could leave the hotel and enjoy so many other attractions around the island, but I don't think I would enjoy the AI experience if we'd been held captive at a destination where there's nothing to do outside the resort. I looked at some YOUTUBE videos of AI's in Jamaica and the Dominican Republic and I was turned off by the big gated walls around some properties and the comments about safety concerns outside resort walls.

 

We got hooked on cruising because it reminded me of the AI's we went to when we were kids.

 

And made me return to those AI's.

 

But now that they lines have scaled back their semi AI offerings, we have used to AI's more and more.

[Je Souhaite]

 

There's only so many times we can see the same Caribbean ports repeatedly.

 

Doing it on a different line always helps. In fact, that's what cruising is all about.

[lizardhowson]

There's only so many times we can see the same Caribbean ports repeatedly.

 

The world is much bigger than just the Caribbean. While I have no desire what-so-ever to go to Cuba, there are cruising opportunities all over besides the Caribbean. I try very hard not to repeat ports I have been to already unless there is a specific reason - such as taking a friend or relative there for the 1st time, or a specific excursion or place I missed the 1st time.

[LMaxwell]

Doing it on a different line always helps. In fact, that's what cruising is all about.

 

That is why I cruise multiple different lines as itinerary/pricing/timing/ship fits.

 

I guess since I live within easy driving distance of 4 major ports I'd like the opportunity to see more new and unique places without having to pay for airfare, as I would for Alaska, Europe, or Australia.

[Love2Cruz2015]

Yes, I'd love to go back to that time warp. But by the time I go, it would be well on it's way to modernization.

[Nic6318]

You could always fly from Toronto because it is cheaper than a cruise:

 

 

Toronto to Holguin, Cuba

Memories Holguin Beach Resort

 

Tuesday, May 31, 2016 - 7 Days - All inclusive

 

Now $305 + $380 taxes and fees Total $685.00 per person.

 

Hi there

 

Of course this is in CDN $'s. Would translate to $400 US.

 

Pretty cheap...but you have to read the reviews before you jump at this kind of vacation.

 

While the island is beautiful the facilities available are very limited since there has been a prolonged embargo affecting things that can be purchased. If you did plan to visit you have to be prepared for services and facilities to be less than what might be available in the rest of the Caribbean. This isn't to the taste of a lot of tourists.

 

The people are wonderful but they just don't have many things that people in most of the world would take for granted.