Cuba Cruises ends for US citizens

Last week proved a sad end to Cuba cruises for US Citizens. On June the 4th 2019, the Trump administration announced new travel restrictions, that ends the authorization for group people to people educational travel to Cuba which is currently how Cruise Lines are legally able to allow US citizens to enter Cuba.

Americans were able to travel to Cuba on cruise lines in 2015 when President Obama allowed cruise companies to access group people to people licenses allowing US citizens to experience Cuba as long as they participated in Cultural and Educational activities while they were onshore.

This was so popular and by 2017 many cruise lines were offering itineraries that included Cuba.

Last weeks news has bought this freedom to a halt and now cruise lines have had to reschedule hundreds of itineraries and replace Cuban ports with alternative Caribbean choices.

The news of the new regulations prohibiting Cruise line travel to Cuba from the United States is thought to affect nearly 800,000 guests, personally I think it is really sad that this has now had to be implemented across cruise lines, and of course not to mention the effect it will have on the locals of Cuba. Americans have the second largest amount of visitors to Cuba, after Canadians. Most of the US citizens travelled on Cruises.

I have been to Cuba twice and cannot explain how kind and hospitable the locals were during my visits even though it is such a poor country. This will sadly have a massive effect on the beautiful country of Cuba’s economy.