What happens to the Cuba cruises?

[hubofhockey]

14 hours ago, Lottie A said:

This probably means a few cheap deals on Caribbean cruises are being planned! I must confess I have never really understood the lure of Cuba. Perhaps it's "forbidden fruit" to Americans but Europeans have never been restricted from going.

 

Personally, I have no interest in going there at all, but I hope those of you who are booked get the option to cancel if you want to. 

 

At one point, pre-Castro, Cuba was a top vacation destination.  It has potential, but we were going to wait a few years until it got built up again if it ever did.  

 

I get the previously forbidden angle for Americans, but for that, go to Russia or Vietnam.  We loved our couple days in St Petersburg five summers ago and  look forward to Vietnam on the Quest this coming fall.  All of this being said, I feel badly for those who scheduled a cruise to Cuba who are now deciding on whether to just stay with a generic Caribbean cruise.  

[ginak1112]

9 hours ago, Host Jazzbeau said:

RallyDave – so I have just read all 36 pages of the Treasury document that suzyluvs2cruise so helpfully posted, and I don't find that it makes the matter any clearer.  The word 'cruise' doesn't appear anywhere in the document.  The grandfather clause applies to persons who have reserved 'accommodation' – since you sleep on the cruise ship, wouldn't that be considered 'accommodation'?  But obviously the cruise lines aren't going to wait for a court to sort this out, and they are immediately cancelling all stops in Cuba.

 If the passengers who have paid or put deposits are grandfathered in but the ship isn't yet full, there is no way it's going to sail only partially full.

[rallydave]

9 hours ago, Host Jazzbeau said:

RallyDave – so I have just read all 36 pages of the Treasury document that suzyluvs2cruise so helpfully posted, and I don't find that it makes the matter any clearer.  The word 'cruise' doesn't appear anywhere in the document.  The grandfather clause applies to persons who have reserved 'accommodation' – since you sleep on the cruise ship, wouldn't that be considered 'accommodation'?  But obviously the cruise lines aren't going to wait for a court to sort this out, and they are immediately cancelling all stops in Cuba.

 

9 hours ago, Host Jazzbeau said:

RallyDave – so I have just read all 36 pages of the Treasury document that suzyluvs2cruise so helpfully posted, and I don't find that it makes the matter any clearer.  The word 'cruise' doesn't appear anywhere in the document.  The grandfather clause applies to persons who have reserved 'accommodation' – since you sleep on the cruise ship, wouldn't that be considered 'accommodation'?  But obviously the cruise lines aren't going to wait for a court to sort this out, and they are immediately cancelling all stops in Cuba.

I too did a search on those FAQ's Greg and couldn't find the work cruise either.  What I was talking about was the actual language.  What suzyluvs2cruise was FAQ's which didn't cover anything and perhaps from a different department than the one issuing the license's that allow the ships to dock in Cuba.  Have to remember regulations come from different departments  and the ships sail or don't sail based on licenses and not having had the customers booking the cruise.  In any case, really strongly doubt any company (cruise line) would under these circumstances sailing to Cuba because the ship is currently filled with people who have paid before today.  They would be risking any cancellations which would reduce their occupancy.  Time will tell but the tea leaves right now are that for the time being no cruise ships leaving US ports will be docking in Cuba without the necessary licenses which from all indications won't be issued whether or not the passengers have already paid before today or not. 

[gentlemancruiser]

3 hours ago, hubofhockey said:

 

At one point, pre-Castro, Cuba was a top vacation destination.  It has potential, but we were going to wait a few years until it got built up again if it ever did.  

 

I get the previously forbidden angle for Americans, but for that, go to Russia or Vietnam.  We loved our couple days in St Petersburg five summers ago and  look forward to Vietnam on the Quest this coming fall.  All of this being said, I feel badly for those who scheduled a cruise to Cuba who are now deciding on whether to just stay with a generic Caribbean cruise.  

You may be very surprised by the culture and the incredible restoration of many history buildings.   

We spent 2 days there on a cruise and I felt is was well worth the visit.   Yes, there is a lot of poverty but no different then the Dominican Republic or India.  The Cuban people we met were VERY welcoming.    Mass tourism hasn't jaded or ruined the culture.

I felt the visit was as good as what we had in St. Petersburg. 

[Lottie A]

This is what Carnival are doing. 

 

 

John Heald

1 hr · 

As promised here is the news regarding Cuba and the postponement of our cruises to Havana 

Cuba Update - 06/05/19 – 8:00 AM (EDT)

The U.S. government has imposed a series of new sanctions on Cuba prohibiting travel via cruise ship and rescinding certain categories of authorized travel, which previously allowed U.S. citizens to visit Cuba under the People-to-People program. Effective immediately, cruise ship travel is no longer allowed and we are required to cancel our visit to Havana. We have replaced our call to Havana with a replacement port to provide our guests with the best experience ashore. 

Guests currently aboard Carnival Sensation’s June 3rd sailing will be calling on Cozumel this Thursday instead of Havana. We recognize Havana is a unique destination and may have been the reason for the selection of this itinerary. Along with our apologies, guests will receive a $100 onboard credit posted to their Sail & Sign® Account.

We are in the process of notifying our other guests of their new itineraries and their options, in the order of sailing date proximity. Mailings for sailings through the end of July 2019 are now in progress and include the following options:

Remain on the sailing and receive a US$100.00, per person, onboard credit (no need to call us if you are continuing with your plans to sail with us) 

Move to another itinerary and receive a US$50.00, per person, onboard credit

Cancel and receive a full refund

We are working as quickly as possible to secure alternative itineraries for the remainder of our Cuba voyages and expect to have information for sailings further out in the next 2-3 days. In the meantime, please check back on our website for further updates. 

We sincerely apologize to our guests for this unexpected change and thank them for their understanding. We look forward to welcoming them on board a Carnival cruise in the near future.

———-

I realise the disappointment many of you will be feeling. I hope you will continue it to cruise and enjoy the new itineraries we are planning. The crew will be there ready to give you the best of times and loads of fun and you can enjoy that $100 OBC 

I will be back tomorrow to answer all your questions

Cheers

[Cruise Junky]

Here’s a list of cruiseline responses

 

https://www.cruisecritic.com/news/4155/?source=99360

[hubofhockey]

2 hours ago, gentlemancruiser said:

You may be very surprised by the culture and the incredible restoration of many history buildings.   

We spent 2 days there on a cruise and I felt is was well worth the visit.   Yes, there is a lot of poverty but no different then the Dominican Republic or India.  The Cuban people we met were VERY welcoming.    Mass tourism hasn't jaded or ruined the culture.

I felt the visit was as good as what we had in St. Petersburg. 

 

Hard for me to imagine any city coming close to Hermitage, Catherine's Palace, Peterhof, Church of Spilled Blood, and even the canal boat ride.  We also got to the Grand Choral Synagogue as well as going out to a great restaurant on our overnight (outside of the cruise).  It was beautiful and one of my all time favorites.  Hard to believe Havana has that, but some love it.  I do think that eventually we will get to Havana, but we'll wait until they are really ready for tourism.

[BBMacLaird]

We are aware of the new U.S. travel restrictions to Cuba and we are analyzing the details to understand the impact to future sailings starting in November. We expect to know more within the next 24 hours.

I will communicate any changes as soon as I am able.

[DougK]

21 hours ago, uktog said:

Beyond fed up. 5 Nov messed up already 26 Nov (which WAS a .Caribbean before it became Cuba) messed up Nov 2020 waiting to hear about it, current cruise seriously messed after final payment. 

Tonight im thinking all this uncertainty cruising is no longer for us 

My mega plea Azamara take a decision now on the November cruises and stick to it.  

 

I totally understand where you're coming from. We were booked on the Nov 26 cruise back when it was a Caribbean cruise, and were disappointed when it was changed to Cuba. We were even more disappointed with how Azamara handled the switch, and the paltry compensation offered, which would have left us paying far more per day, either going to Cuba (which we didn't want in the first place), or to another destination. We ended up cancelling our cruise, and still have a very sour taste in our mouth. Prior to that experience, Azamara was our favorite line, but we've been hard pressed to get any enthusiasm to go back. I have a lot of sympathy for any cruisers caught by the latest switch, but have little sympathy for Azamara itself--maybe now they'll get a feel for what it's like to have somebody upset their plans.

 

I do hope Azamara treats all it's currently booked Cuba passengers well.

[ECCruise]

Lots of interesting comments here. We are affected on the 11/5 sailing. 

 

We are the exact opposite of some posters who want to wait years for tourism to get established. Well, that's US tourism. Europeans and Canadians have been visiting for years, largely for it's uniqueness.  Why would you want another Caribbean island clone?  We wanted to go back, having spent 10 days there in the past, BEFORE it got ruined by tourist "development."

 

As far as saying it doesn't compare to St. Petersburg, why should it?  That's like trying to compare Venice to Dubai. Why does it need to be qualitative?  Each stands on it's own, has different strengths and weaknesses, charms and attractions. We can, and have, enjoyed both. 

 

[rmalbers]

ECCruise - I was thinking the same thing, I wanted to see it before the developers got their hands on it.  I guess I waited too long.  I'm thinking I'll get another chance, who knows, maybe sooner, maybe the Trump Dev. Co. will make a deal, then the people that want a tower hotel will get one quick!

[Shawnino]

26 minutes ago, rmalbers said:

ECCruise - I was thinking the same thing, I wanted to see it before the developers got their hands on it.  I guess I waited too long.  I'm thinking I'll get another chance, who knows, maybe sooner, maybe the Trump Dev. Co. will make a deal, then the people that want a tower hotel will get one quick!

 

Why wait?

Fly to Montreal or Mexico, and fly right in. Ask that your passport not be stamped. The end.

[rmalbers]

1 hour ago, Shawnino said:

 

Why wait?

Fly to Montreal or Mexico, and fly right in. Ask that your passport not be stamped. The end.

Why don't you try that, under this new restriction and report back on how that worked out for you!  Sorry, just noticed you CA, I'm in US and want to keep my passport!

Edited June 5, 2019 by rmalbers

[Granny DI]

6 minutes ago, rmalbers said:

Why don't you try that, under this new restriction and report back on how that worked out for you!  Sorry, just noticed you CA, I'm in US and want to keep my passport!

Agree 100%.

Everyone keeps telling me the Cubans don’t stamp your passport etc....well what happens if I have an accident or become ill and have to get back to the US(Miami) ASAP without going through Mexico or Canada?  No thank you ......I’ll just play by the rules. 

Edited June 5, 2019 by Granny DI

[florisdekort]

2 hours ago, Shawnino said:

 

Why wait?

Fly to Montreal or Mexico, and fly right in. Ask that your passport not be stamped. The end.

 

Encouraging someone to commit a crime is never a good idea.

Edited June 5, 2019 by florisdekort

[ptrpanpens]

A few years ago, Celebrity informed passengers when they were boarding in Rome, that the Israel ports had been cancelled due to the violence at that time, and that they were being substituted with Greece. Then there were the cruises that had to drop Istanbul after the coup and airport attack. And on and on.

 

 I guess we should be lucky this happened before final payment to allow us time to consider possible alternatives.

 

 

Edited June 5, 2019 by ptrpanpens

[Shawnino]

1 hour ago, rmalbers said:

Why don't you try that, under this new restriction and report back on how that worked out for you!  Sorry, just noticed you CA, I'm in US and want to keep my passport!

 

People from America have been travelling to Cuba surreptitiously for decades.

Some even flaunt it, like Ben Truehaft from San Francisco, who begged to be arrested but never was.

I'm not suggesting you flaunt it; I'm suggesting you be discreet.

 

If you really think the government will seize your passport for going to Cuba, maybe you're right. There's always a chance. I assume it'll happen the day after Mexico pays for that wall, China pays tariffs, and so forth.

[rmalbers]

But someone above did say that their friends had their passport confiscated, that's enough for me.

[Covepointcruiser]

You can still legally go to Cuba, by air, for other than tourism.   Mission and aide groups are still traveling.   Sign up for one if you must see Cuba.   US airlines are still flying to Havana.   As long as you travel for the correct reasons your passport should not be confiscated.

[don731]

Anytime you board a flight your secure flight data goes into global security databases.  So no issue for the US government to know about any air travel to Cuba from other countries like Canada.  Same thing with cruise passengers.  

[cl.klink]

9 hours ago, BBMacLaird said:

We are aware of the new U.S. travel restrictions to Cuba and we are analyzing the details to understand the impact to future sailings starting in November. We expect to know more within the next 24 hours.

I will communicate any changes as soon as I am able.

 

Will look forward to learning more on this particular matter, but more generally I really appreciate your presence on this board and your willingness to chime in on all sorts of things.

 

- Joel

[finny2]

The Cuba cruises are no longer on the website, but they also have not got new itineraries for those dates. The Nov 5 TA still shows Havana, but the Nov 26 is not there at all.

We booked on the Nov 26 and to be completely honest, the only reason I was willing to pay that much was because of the amount of time spent in Cuba. I expect we will cancel, but I'm waiting to see what they will offer.

[suzzek]

We will most likely cancel, too. Since final payment isn’t due until mid July, we have a little bit of wiggle room to see what will be offered in place of Cuba.

[BBMacLaird]

In response to the U.S. government’s policy change imposing immediate restrictions on cruise ship travel between the U.S. and Cuba, we are informing our guests and travel partners of revised itineraries for a limited number of sailings with Cuban port calls. 

 

All 2019 sailings on the Azamara Journey will have alternative ports in the Caribbean, please visit www.azamara.com/cubaupdate for ongoing updates. 

 

Guests will have the option to re-book on any other Azamara voyage, in the same category, for the cruise fare paid or prevailing rate, whichever is more favorable to our guest. If the guests choose to book another sailing, other benefits and incentives will apply. If a guest chooses to cancel instead, a full refund for the amount paid will be processed to the original form of payment and compensation for travel changes will also be provided.

 

We are currently working with local port agents on alternative itineraries for 2020 sailings and will share those details with guests and travel partners as they become available. All booked guests and travel partners are being contacted personally to ensure the best possible solution is reached. We appreciate our guests’ patience and flexibility as we adjust to accommodate the new regulation.

 

 # # #

[ptrpanpens]

Hi Bonnie,

 

What does “in the same category” mean? Does this mean, for instance, if you booked a transatlantic, you can book another transatlantic for the same price as you paid for the Original TA? Or does it mean that, if you booked an ocean view on a transatlantic cruise that visits Cuba, you would be able to an ocean view on any other cruise on Azamara regardless of he itinerary for the same price as you paid for your existing cruise? If the latter, that would be an especially amazing deal. How do we get clarification?

 

Also if you booked through a TA will Azamara be reaching out to the passenger booked or only to the travel agent?

 

thank you for your help.

 

Anne