Cuba reverses ban on Cuban-born cruise travelers

[El Presidente]

http://www.upi.com/Top_News/US/2016/04/25/Cuba-reverses-ban-on-Cuban-born-cruise-travelers/2241461600628/

MIAMI, April 25 (UPI) -- The Cuban government will allow people born in Cuba to visit the island nation via cruise ship in a reversal of a Cold War policy.

Carnival will become the first cruise ship operator to set sail between the United States to Cuba in more than 50 years. The Adonia ship will set sail from Miami to Havana on May 1.

When the Cuban government indicated that Cuban-born travelers would not be welcomed, Carnival threatened to abandon plans to do business with the country. Carnival is the world's largest cruise ship operator.

Carnival CEO Arnold Donald hailed the Cuban government's reversal, which was announced on Friday by Granma, the Cuban Communist Party's media outlet.

"We made history in March, and we are a part of making history again today," Donald said in a statement from the company. "More importantly, we are contributing to a positive future. This is a positive outcome and we are extremely pleased. We want to extend our sincere appreciation to Cuba and to our team who worked so hard to help make this happen."

[JohnnyO]

Smoke and mirrors, the ultimate Jedi-mind-trick. It costs Cubans from Miami by plane $350 RT (FLL-Jet Blue), why the flip would you spend $1800 on a cruise when there are cruises to Jamaica, Virgin Islands, Cayman, Cancun, PR, Dominican Republic for the same amount of days for about $700. When the protests started in Miami the cruise was not full and did not look like it would fill. Prez please gimme the stats on the % of Cubans that board this ship. Oh and Lord, no editing.... John

[Ryan]

Carnival initially announced that Cuban-born American citizens could not sail with them to Cuba, having been told by Cuba that Cuban-born Americans could not enter Cuba by sea. Then somebody threatened Carnival with a lawsuit, I presume a Cuban-born American. And rightly so. I would imagine denying a US citizen access to a form of travel solely due to their place of birth would have all kinds of constitutional implications. So it looks like Carnival called Cuba's bluff and said they wouldn't go at all. Thus Cuba changed their rules.

This will have implications for the future. At the moment it's cruises and they are expensive but a high speed car ferry could get from Key West to Florida in 5 hours.

I can get on a car ferry here in Dublin and go the 60 miles to Wales in just over 3 hours, with 4 people in the car, for under $300.

There's no reason a trip to Cuba for a car and 4 passengers would need to be over $500. Plus a load of 50" TVs in the back of their station wagon..