Thoughts on Cuba cruises resuming

[Ride-The-Waves]

2 hours ago, K32682 said:

 

It took me back a bit too. It might have had something to do with being Canadian and having listed Russia, former eastern European Bloc nations and some African and Asian nations that were at one time under Soviet influence.  

You Canadians always find a way to gum-up the system....  He was likely just curious...  Many moons ago in a galaxy far far away had a colleague who tried to joke with a security interviewer for a classified job.  After reviewing his travels the young lady new college grad asked him if he had met any "communists" while in South America.  He jokingly answered: "met any?  Probably slept with a few too!"  Wrong answer.  He spent the next 5 hours being grilled by several agents...

[iancal]

Same here.  We had a list that included Cuba, China, Vietnam, Cambodia, etc. etc.  Never a question.  As I recall the only questions were around criminal record and whether we had ever been denied entry to the US for any reason.  

 

The interview was a non event.  The interviewer could not have been more professional .

 

Thankfully I believe the days of looking for a 'communist' under every leaf have long gone.

Edited March 8, 2021 by iancal

[ldubs]

14 hours ago, K32682 said:

 

 At the time I hadn't so could answer honestly.  

 

Probably a good habit to get into.  

[HillBilly Bob]

Anyone betting that we will be once again allowed to cruise to Cuba?   I sure would love to since I was booked and then "policies" removed our destination.  

[Essiesmom]

Visit this  thread on Ask a Cruise Question  to avoid repetition. 

https://boards.cruisecritic.com/topic/2773264-thoughts-on-cuba-cruises-resuming/

[groundloop]

On 3/7/2021 at 3:17 PM, Ride-The-Waves said:

Visited Cuba in July 2017 on Empress OTS.  We lived in eastern Europe in the male 1980s and interested to see what the differences were between Cuba under its "communist" system and those we experienced in Yugoslavia and Romania and before western tourist culture converted the island to another amusement park.  Well worth the short visit.  Havana has an interesting history, the food was excellent and price at the state cigar store were very high.  The July 2017 visit was made under rules formed by the Obama administration.  Politics, NOT US security strategy by the Trump administration, closed off visiting the island just because it was approved under the previous administration.  The two-tiered monetary system, Convertible Pesos (CUCs) and not-convertible Pesos (CUPs) enabled the Cuban government to control currency evaluations (1USD=1CUC; 25CUPs=1CUC) and limited locals from having "hard" currency.  That is or has apparently change as of this year.

 

I anticipate that Cuba will be opening up under the current US administration.  There is too  much trade and tourism to not open up visits both ways.  There is no "threat" to the US from Cuba and if we can do it with Vietnam, we can surely do it with Cuba.

You are exactly correct as to the reason travel to Cuba was cut off, I followed all of that closely

 

I cruised to Cuba while it was still permitted by the US govt and loved it.  There's much to see in Cuba and I'll gladly go back again if our govt ever opens up travel.  I'm having a craving for some of their excellent rum.  

 

And as to those who said they felt safer in Cuba than almost anywhere else, I'll second that also. 

 

AND does everyone in this discussion realize that the Cuban government doesn't have anyone named Castro anymore?  Their current president is Miguel Díaz-Canel whose educational background is in electrical engineering.  

 

 

 

[BlerkOne]

2 hours ago, HillBilly Bob said:

Anyone betting that we will be once again allowed to cruise to Cuba?   I sure would love to since I was booked and then "policies" removed our destination.  

Me too. I certainly hope so. Probably not this year, but I think within a year or two.

[Hlitner]

1 hour ago, groundloop said:

You are exactly correct as to the reason travel to Cuba was cut off, I followed all of that closely

 

I cruised to Cuba while it was still permitted by the US govt and loved it.  There's much to see in Cuba and I'll gladly go back again if our govt ever opens up travel.  I'm having a craving for some of their excellent rum.  

 

And as to those who said they felt safer in Cuba than almost anywhere else, I'll second that also. 

 

AND does everyone in this discussion realize that the Cuban government doesn't have anyone named Castro anymore?  Their current president is Miguel Díaz-Canel whose educational background is in electrical engineering.  

 

 

 

Yes, the situation with Cuba and the USA is all political and really is silly when you consider our relationship with nearly every other country around the world.  Most in the USA could not even explain why we have such a strange relationship with Cuba.  I am old enough to remember when Castro overthrew Batista, the Bay of Pigs, Cuba missile crisis, etc.  Nothing really explains the continuing embargo, travel policy, etc.  There are many countries around the world where we have major political differences, but nearly all are wide open for tourism and travel.  Perhaps Congressional Members  could stop calling each other names for long enough to make the necessary legal changes and the Biden Administration could join with them to end all this juvenile silliness. 

 

Hank

[sparks1093]

I would expect so in a year or two, also, once the pandemic quiets down. I have no interest in going again (I visited the "US" side of the island, which isn't of course Cuba proper), but I know that a lot of folks do.

[pe4all]

We had taken a cruise to Cuba right before they stopped the ships going there.   Cuba had always been on my bucket list.  We had a fantastic "people to people" private tour for the day, and learned much we did not know about the country.   We realized how lucky we were to live in the U.S. when we saw lines to get into grocery stores, and how things were "rationed" per family.  We lived like that with lines and "rationing" (toilet paper, paper towels were impossible to find for a long while)  the first few months of shutdown - they live like that every day.  I would love to go back and visit again.  

[groundloop]

I have every reason to believe that the US government will reopen travel to Cuba.  It's obviously not at the top of the priority list right now with trying to get the pandemic under control, but I'm confident that the administration would like to see progress restored in our relationship with our Cuban neighbors.

 

I was lucky enough to cruise to Cuba before the former administration blocked travel there, I can't begin to tell you what a great time we had.  That's one of the places we've cruised to that I'd like to go back and spend more time, it's just not possible to take in all the history there in a single day.  Oh, and I'm having a craving for  their excellent rum and tuKola.

[richstowe]

8 hours ago, Hlitner said:

  Nothing really explains the continuing embargo, travel policy, etc.

A small but well organized expatriate Cuban community in southern Florida . This in not a political opinion but a statement of fact . Whether you believe this influence to be a good idea is another question .

[Earthworm Jim]

2 hours ago, sparks1093 said:

I would expect so in a year or two, also, once the pandemic quiets down. I have no interest in going again (I visited the "US" side of the island, which isn't of course Cuba proper), but I know that a lot of folks do.

 

I'm not sure I follow what you are talking about with a US side of Cuba. There's a US side?

 

Unless you mean Guantanamo Bay. But that's 45 square miles out of a 42,000 square mile country, so it's hardly a "side" of the island.

[jtwind]

On 3/7/2021 at 2:17 PM, Ride-The-Waves said:

Politics, NOT US security strategy by the Trump administration, closed off visiting the island just because it was approved under the previous administration.

 

Can you explain what you mean?

[sparks1093]

21 minutes ago, Earthworm Jim said:

 

I'm not sure I follow what you are talking about with a US side of Cuba. There's a US side?

 

Unless you mean Guantanamo Bay. But that's 45 square miles out of a 42,000 square mile country, so it's hardly a "side" of the island.

Yes, I mean Guantanamo. Call it "piece of the island", I still acknowledge that it's not Cuba proper and I'm still not overly interested in going back.

[jetsfan58]

I am all in favor of new destinations; as long as they are deemed safe. The Domino tables and rich espresso coffee would probably be a treat.   

[BlerkOne]

4 hours ago, groundloop said:

.  That's one of the places we've cruised to that I'd like to go back and spend more time, it's just not possible to take in all the history there in a single day.  Oh, and I'm having a craving for  their excellent rum and tuKola.

 

You can still visit Cuba  just not from a cruise ship and there are restrictions on where you can spend money. Or you could before the pandemic. It's a different Visa.

[sfaaa]

15 hours ago, groundloop said:

. 

 

AND does everyone in this discussion realize that the Cuban government doesn't have anyone named Castro anymore?  Their current president is Miguel Díaz-Canel whose educational background is in electrical engineering.  

 

 

 

And closely aligned with countries like China, Iran, Venezuvila just to name a few. Nothing has changed despite what you said.

[broberts]

Just now, sfaaa said:

And closely aligned with countries like China, Iran, Venezuvila just to name a few. Nothing has changed despite what you said.

 

True. But I wonder if it wouldn't have closer ties to the US were that allowed.

[sfaaa]

Fact of the matter is Cuba needs US more than US needs Cuba. It's up to Cuba to make its first move towards a better relationship. US can afford to wait and does nothing.

[Zach1213]

6 minutes ago, sfaaa said:

Fact of the matter is Cuba needs US more than US needs Cuba. It's up to Cuba to make its first move towards a better relationship. US can afford to wait and does nothing.

 

What do you recommend they do? Cuba isn't stopping Americans from coming, America is stopping Americans from going. 

[sfaaa]

3 minutes ago, Zach1213 said:

 

What do you recommend they do? Cuba isn't stopping Americans from coming, America is stopping Americans from going. 

Stop supporting and disassociate itself from brutal regimes like Maduro Venezuela and Iran would be a very nice gesture and well received in Washington. The Cuba issue isn't about tourism. It is about a communist government constantly picking fights and going out of its way to antagonize USA dating back to the 1960's.  It doesn't need to be this way.

[broberts]

1 minute ago, sfaaa said:

Stop supporting and disassociate itself from brutal regimes like Maduro Venezuela and Iran would be a very nice gesture and well received in Washington. The Cuba issue isn't about tourism. It is about a communist government constantly picking fights and going out of its way to antagonize USA dating back to the 1960's.  It doesn't need to be this way.

 

😆 If only it were that simple.

 

When neighbors have been arguing for nearly 60 years it's likely that both own some of the blame. Both will have to forgive and make adjustments. Or they can do the easy thing and keep arguing.

[LHT28]

7 minutes ago, sfaaa said:

Stop supporting and disassociate itself from brutal regimes like Maduro Venezuela and Iran would be a very nice gesture and well received in Washington. The Cuba issue isn't about tourism. It is about a communist government constantly picking fights and going out of its way to antagonize USA dating back to the 1960's.  It doesn't need to be this way.

You must be using a computer or cell phone to post here

Wonder where it was made ???

Maybe you should stop supporting Communist regimes  as well

Just saying

[richstowe]

Umm. Some of the posts remind me of the bully sitting on the small kid saying , why are you hitting yourself,  why are you hitting yourself ,as he smacks the easy victim . I guess it's easier to bully Cuba rather then bigger counties .