Obama to end trade embargo with Cuba – Great news for cruise

Some great news to end 2014 on is the fact Obama plans to rebuild relations with Cuba and fight to lift the trade embargo.  This means that, if successful, the beautiful island of Cuba will be able to be visited by American owned cruise lines.  This has not been possible since the embargo was put in place by President Kennedy in 1961.

I personally loved Cuba for the main fact it felt completely untouched by the Western World and for that reason it felt truly organic and full of character.

This news arose 2 questions in my mind however, question 1 being is Cuba now going to lose it’s charm that has captivated so many visitor over the past 53 years? And question 2, What will the Canadians think?

With the trade embargo dropped will we see the likes of Mcdonalds and Subway and other American “power brands” pop up all over the island, or will the Cuban government be able to resist the mega bucks and retain the authentic feel that the place oozes?

Now, on my visit to Cuba I was overwhelmed by the sheer volume of Canadian’s that were staying in our hotel and naturally got chatting to a few over the course of the holiday, and found that the reason they love Cuba is because there were very few Americans, as the only way the Americans could visit was by flying up to Canada first.

Overall I think the plan is a great 1 and I can see both parties benefiting from the change. The Cuban’s need the money that tourism will bring to the island, and the American’s and the rest of the world need a new port on our Caribbean cruises, and with Cuba being the largest island in the Caribbean, I wonder if they will build numerous ports of call?

I would love to hear your thoughts.