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Cuban-Born Travelers Given Green Light By Cuba To Join Historic Carnival Cruise

By Pam Wright
Published on: 04:36 PST, Apr 22, 2016

Cuban-born passengers have been given the green light by Cuba to travel home on a historic maiden voyage to the country in May, the first in more than 50 years.

According to the Miami Herald, Cuban state media announced the loosening of the maritime ban early Friday, and Carnival CEO Arnold Donald said in a statement that the first cruise to Cuba with Cuban-born passengers aboard would leave Miami as scheduled on May 1.

The new regulations, which will go into effect on Tuesday, permits Cuban citizens, regardless of immigration status, to enter and exit the country as passengers and crew on merchant ships and cruise ships.

Carnival Cruises, which recently began accepting bookings from Cuban-born passengers for voyages from Miami to Cuba on its Fathom Brand, announced that those cruises bound for Cuba would now proceed beginning May 1, reported NPR.

Initially, Carnival refused bookings from Cuban-born passengers in compliance with Cuba’s regulations but began accepting bookings after it came under fire for prohibiting bookings from Cuban-born passengers.

In a statement, Donald praised Cuba’s decision.

“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.”

Carnival announced its plans to cruise to Cuba last July after winning approval from U.S. regulators for what it termed “social impact travel,” but the company still had to negotiate with Cuban officials.

In March, Carnival announced that Cuban officials agreed to allow the 704-passenger MV Adonia to visit three ports of call — Havana, Cienfuegos, and Santiago de Cuba — and began making plans for the inaugural voyage to Cuba on May 1. However, the company said it had no choice but to refuse bookings for Cuban-born travelers because of the maritime ban.

Carnival’s change of heart in accepting bookings from Cuban-born travelers was sparked after it was sued in federal court by two Cuban-born Americans who were refused booking on one of the Cuba voyages. The lawsuit claimed the refusal violated the Civil Rights Act and demanded that the May 1 cruise to Cuba be stopped.

Carnival also faced protests and heavy criticism that it was discriminating against Cuban-Americans in its home town of Miami, where it is a significant employer.

According to ABC News, Miami-Dade County Mayor Carlos Gimenez, a Cuban-American who was outspoken about the Carnival’s policy to prohibit bookings from Cuba-born passengers, said Carnival Chairman Micky Arison, who owns the NBA’s Miami Heat, called him Friday about the agreement.

“This policy change was the right thing to do, and I congratulate both Mr. Arison and Carnival on their efforts in what is probably one of the very few times that a corporation has successfully negotiated the changing of a policy with the Cuban government.”

The historic seven-night cruise costs $2,662 for an interior room aboard the Adonia for its May 1 voyage. That price does not Cuba’s visas, taxes, fees, and port expenses, which the company currently estimates at $208 per person.

Carnival’s website encourages prospective customers to “Cruise to Cuba, Make History!” The cruises will run every other week, the company says.

[Photo by AP Images]

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