How will Cuba fare with the invasion of the Americans?

Until this year very few cruise lines have been allowed to call in to Cuba, but after a warming of relations since the Cold War a recent political agreement between Cuba and the U.S. means that this is all about to change. Airlines and cruise lines from the U.S. have been granted permission to transport passengers in to Cuba and the Cuban Tourism ministry are expecting around a 30% increase in visitors in 2017 alone.

As MSC, Thomson and Fred Olsen have been sailing to Cuba for a few years, we Europeans have been able to enjoy this captivating destination from a cruise itinerary for some time, however there are now regular sailings planned from NCL, Carnival & Royal Caribbean with 4-5 night mini cruises scheduled from Florida embarkation ports. The Oceania Marina recently made her maiden call in to Havana and has more calls planned for later this year too. Read more by clicking here.

I have to say that when I was lucky enough to visit Cuba I fell in love with the country and its fantastic people & whilst I might not necessarily agree with the way the Castro’s run the country the simplistic life had a certain charm about it. It was an eye opener to see highly qualified professionals such as doctors, lawyers and teachers choosing to work in the tourism industry as tour guides, taxi drivers etc as they earned far more money this way. It’s also worth noting that the crime rate was practically zilch & I felt incredibly safe there.

I do worry that Cuba may lose that charm. Already Mastercard began processing transactions in Cuba – the first American credit card company to do so. Cuban officials held two days of talks last month with their US counterparts about the internet for “economic and social development.” Last year the government opened up dozens of public Wi-Fi hotspots, though the cost is prohibitively expensive for many islanders at $2 per hour. I dread the thought of walking around the beautiful streets of Havana and spotting the golden arches of a certain fast food joint!

I am all for the Cuban people having access to the world wide web, having a better quality of life and enjoying things that we take for granted, but really hope it doesn’t lose its individuality & charm. I guess I need to get back there as soon as I can!