Obama ended the US ban on Cuba and the ice-age, and cruise lines hurried to line up getting access to a "new" un-used destination.
ADONIA of Fathom cheered by Cubans - own collection, source: Cubatravel
On Friday, in the “Little Havana” neighbourhood of Miami, surrounded by
Cuban Americans, Donald Trump’s words for Cuba were "we will enforce the ban on tourism."
However, the Thing´s edict will have very little effect, hopefully, on the cruise lines
that have been able to return to Cuba in the last year thanks to a
loosening of regulations by former president Barack Obama.
But the apprentice is giving his clientele what he promised in election ... decisions against wisdom.
by Earl of Cruise
Jumping off the Morro Castle at Malecón in Havana, Cuba - Source: Wikipedia
Since the US-Spanish war in 1898, Cuba was free from Spanish colonialism, but not from US influence, which was nearly a colonial system. After attempts of real democracy on the tropical isle, counteracted all to often by the US interests, at least the US Mafia, Cuba got its most corrupt dictator Batista, who supported Mafia interests (Havana Conference).When the revolution of Castro started it was never meant to be a communist revolution, but to get rid of Batista, his regime and American supremacy. When he nationalised US interests, which deprived the country from its wealth, USA reacted irrational and blocked Cuba which lead direct into the arms of then Cold War enemy Russia ... and only then Cuba turned into a communistic state, with all its negative effects. Brick heads and old men, unable to resign. The US threat lead direct to the Cuba Crisis. This was pushed by the same doing of the USA in Turkey, were US atomic missles had been stationed, threatening USSR. The Cold War (History Chanel video) all to soon could have got very hot ... atomic hot.
Cuba and Havana again a diplomatic hotspot, where the free world back then did no good ... St. Louis of HAMBURG AMERIKA LINIE, filled with over 900 jewish refugees from Nazi Germany, was not allowed to dock in Havana it was the Voyage of the Damned, lter a film title - own collectin
Last Friday, Trump´s administration announced tightened restrictions
on travel and trade with Cuba, restrictions that had only recently been
loosened by President Obama. But, hopefully, apprentice Trump’s words on Friday, "we will enforce the ban on tourism," will not have any immediate effect on the cruises already planned for Cuba.
Old town of Havana - Source: Cubatravel
The last ban on Cuba was severe to all companies sailing into Cuba, as their ships would have been restricted to call in US ports for the next six month ... The ban deprived Cuba of needed resources and let grow the anti-american feelings within the population, who strangely thought the US would be the solution of their daily problems now. The ban further prevented all countries dealing with US enterprises, dealing with Cuba.
The live museum cars of Cuba, old town of Havana - Source: Cubatravel
The new ban may even backlash on European trade and travel/tourist interests, as the USA act like being the ruler of the world. Since G7 summit in Taormina only a vanishing dream. Seriously? Unfair deals? US law is imposed on other countries ... it is, as if the USA is governing into foreign countries.
Earlier in the same week "US Secretary of State" Rex Tillerson had said that Cuba "must begin to address human rights challenges," noting that the loosening of restrictions had benefitted Cuba in violation of US Laws.
When the Federal Republic of Germany (then West Germany) signed the first contracts with GDR and other Warsaw Pact states, such as Poland, it took more than a year to get results. Nothing really changed after the Helsinki Accords, but in politics you have to be patient and brave. Braveness is not bashing or bombing!
Yes Cuba still has major human rights problem! With people willing to be free and oposition jailed, a severe internal intelligence, poverty, etc.
Trump’s new presidential directive called for tighter enforcement of
the exisitng ban on American tourists going to Cuba. The new policy will
ban US transactions with the Armed Forces Business Enterprises Group
(GAESA), which is involved in all sectors of the Cuban economy.
Perhaps the Thing has not got "a deal" establishing a new Bling-Bling Gold Flitter Hotel ...
However, the new rules will exempt air and sea travel, allowing US
airlines and cruise lines to continue serving the island nation. The
biggest change will be doing away with "people-to-people"
exchanges. These trips were enabled under the Obama administration so
Americans could travel to Cuba without seeking permission or having to
schedule the trip through a licensed tour operator.
Trump’s new policy makes an exception for companies already doing
business with GAESA, so flights, cruises, and existing hotel
reservations will all be exempt. The new rules maintain the requirement
that Americans traveling to Cuba must do so under the twelve approved
forms, with which US-based cruise lines already comply.
However, purchases at any Cuban government-run facilities, such as
bars and restaurants, and possibly even car rentals, will now be
prohibited. In the worst case scenario it could be that passengers will
only be allowed to go ashore on company-sponsored shore excursions. Then what can they really see at least? The same fake idylls as Castaway Cay and such?
Promotion Photo of Cubatravel
As of now, the best-known regular visitors to Havana will soon be
ROYAL CARIBBEAN INTERNATIONAL’s 1,600-berth EMPRESS OF THE SEAS, NORWEGIAN CRUISE LINE’s 2,002-berth NORWEGIAN SKY and CARNIVAL CRUISE LINE’s 2,052-berth CARNIVAL PARADISE, modestly-sized ships in today’s
market. This trio will operate primarily 4- and 5-day cruises with a
night in Havana, rather than on the usual cruise duration of 7 nights
from Florida.
These ships join the European-operated 966-berth CELESTIAL CRUISES, CELESTIAL CRYSTAL
and 1,756-berth MSC OPERA, which have been operating 7-night cruises
from Havana for some time now.
EMPRESS OF THE SEAS entering the port of Havana - courtsey www.news.cn
EMPRESS OF THE SEAS and CARNIVAL PARADISE sail from Tampa, which was
the original port for Havana departures based as it was at the end of
rail on Florida’s West Coast. It was from here that a young Winston Churchill sailed to Havana on PLANT LINE’s OLIVETTE in November 1895
before he acquired his famous taste for Cuban cigars. If smoking? Did you ever have tasted a Cohiba?
NORWEGIAN SKY of NCL - courtsey: NORWEGIAN CRUISE LINES
Of the more upmarket ships, OCEANIA’s 1,250-berth MARINA will be
joined later this year by the 684-berth INSIGNIA and AZAMARA CLUB CRUISES’ 684-berth AZAMARA QUEST, both R Class ships from Miami, and HOLLAND AMERICA LINE’s 1,348-berth VEENDAM from Fort Lauderdale.
CARNIVAL PARADISE - Source: Wikipedia
Ship size is restricted not only by Havana’s quaint, but now out of
date, dock facilities but also by a tunnel built under Havana harbour in
1957-58 that sets maximum draft limitations.
The first modern US-based cruise ship to sail to Cuba was CARNIVAL CORP. & plc’s 700-berth ADONIA, which first left Miami for Havana on
May 2, 2016, and operated until the end of last month under the FATHOM
brand. These cruises alternated with sailings to the Dominican Republic
at Puerto Plata but the vessel has now been returned to P&O CRUISES.
Cuba travel experiences people - Source: Cubatravel
CARNIVAL CRUISE LINE will replace these sailings, starting with a
4-night cruise from Tampa on the much larger CARNIVAL PARADISE on June
29. CARNIVAL PARADISE began life as CARNIVAL’s only non-smoking ship
(this regime ended in 2003) and later operated out of Long Beach. Her
Tampa-based 4-night Havana cruises will alternate with 5-night Western Caribbean cruises.
What will suffer at first is again the population of Cuba, which in trusting the future entrepreneured small hospitality and other enterprises.
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