 | Cuba has become a popular destination since the Obama administration loosened restrictions on travel to Cuba in 2016. but President Trump’s new Cuba policy could make travel there more restrictive. Industry experts don’t expect the new policy to have a major effect on cruises. Passengers will probably not be able to explore the island on their own but will need to sign up for shore excursions while in port. The bottom line is that the new policy should be released in the next 90 days and travel between now and then won’t be effected. |
Since land tours in Cuba will be effected to a greater degree more people will be choosing the cruise option, cruises to Cuba will become even more in demand than they are now. And just to give you an idea of their popularity, ALL of Oceania’s luxury cruises to Cuba in 2018 are already sold out.
Now is the BEST time to book that cruise to Cuba. We’ve got a list of the cruise schedule for the major cruise lines sailing to Cuba this year and next.
Now is the BEST time to book that cruise to Cuba. We’ve got a list of the cruise schedule for the major cruise lines sailing to Cuba this year and next.
So why Cuba? For starters, it feels like no where else on earth. It’s like going back in time to the end of the Cuban Revolution in the late 1950’s. That’s why you’ll find the brightly colored 60 year old Chevys, Ford and Buicks all over the island but not a single McDonald’s. It’s a peek into a sophisticated culture that has survived 50 years of communism and proudly displays its colonial Spanish architecture, it’s distinctive music and maybe the best rum and cigars in the world. And the U.S. government allows anyone who travels to Cuba to bring back both!
There are 4, 5, 7, 10 day and longer cruises to Cuba. All 4 and 5 day cruises will include only 1 stop in Cuba, docking in Havana. That stop could be several hours or an overnight. Some of the 7 day and longer cruises may include stops in Santiago de Cuba and Cienfuegos, 2 other Cuban ports. For my money, you need to see more than Havana to get a feel for the place.
Santiago de Cuba is a busy, crazy, noisy city with a strong Caribbean vibe. This is the cradle of the revolution so you’ll find lots of interesting history here.
Cienfuegos has amazing architecture and its city center is a UNESCO World Heritage site.
Santiago de Cuba is a busy, crazy, noisy city with a strong Caribbean vibe. This is the cradle of the revolution so you’ll find lots of interesting history here.
Cienfuegos has amazing architecture and its city center is a UNESCO World Heritage site.
Consider some of the options offered by cruise lines sailing to Cuba at this time. Base your decision on how many days you want to sail and how many stops your ship makes in Cuba and of course, availability. The cruiselines will provide the People to People Visa that is required for all Americans at a cost of $75 per person. December through March is the best time to sail when it’s not so humid.
Celestyal’s Crystal sails from either Havana or Montego Bay, stops in Havana, Cienfuegos and Santiago de Cuba, offering several shore excursions in each port. These cruises operate year round.
Carnival’s Paradise will be the largest vessel sailing into Cuba at this time from Tampa. It has 4 and 5 night cruises with an overnight or day stop in Havana.
Celestyal’s Crystal sails from either Havana or Montego Bay, stops in Havana, Cienfuegos and Santiago de Cuba, offering several shore excursions in each port. These cruises operate year round.
Carnival’s Paradise will be the largest vessel sailing into Cuba at this time from Tampa. It has 4 and 5 night cruises with an overnight or day stop in Havana.
Royal Caribbean’s Empress of the Seas has a 5 night cruise from Miami or Tampa that includes a day stop in Havana. It will also offer Havana as a one day call on some Western and Eastern Caribbean itineraries.
Norwegian Cruise Line’s Norwegian Sky and Norwegian Sun (beginning May 2018) offers the shorter 4 or 5 day itinerary with an overnight stay in Havana.
Azamara Club Cruises Quest is a smaller ship offering an overnight stay in Havana with a few sailings in November 2017.
Norwegian Cruise Line’s Norwegian Sky and Norwegian Sun (beginning May 2018) offers the shorter 4 or 5 day itinerary with an overnight stay in Havana.
Azamara Club Cruises Quest is a smaller ship offering an overnight stay in Havana with a few sailings in November 2017.
Oceania’s Marina (and Insignia beginning in the fall 2017) and the Sirena in 2018 will have 10 and 14 day itineraries out of Miami making stops in Havana, Cienfuegos and Santiago de Cuba. All of its 2018 sailings are sold out.
There are other cruise lines that sail to Cuba that I haven’t included for a number of reasons, they don’t sell to Americans, they don’t meet the People to People requirements or they haven’t released sail dates for the remainder of 2017 and 2018. Keep in mind that these cruise lines and others are adding sail dates and ships to their Cuba sailings so this is all evolving. My guess is within the next few years a lot of this will change, just how we don’t know yet. But if you’re looking for something different and exotic, this is it.
There are other cruise lines that sail to Cuba that I haven’t included for a number of reasons, they don’t sell to Americans, they don’t meet the People to People requirements or they haven’t released sail dates for the remainder of 2017 and 2018. Keep in mind that these cruise lines and others are adding sail dates and ships to their Cuba sailings so this is all evolving. My guess is within the next few years a lot of this will change, just how we don’t know yet. But if you’re looking for something different and exotic, this is it.
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