Cuban Cruises

Introduction to Cuban Cruises

Cuba is conveniently located in an area that is very popular with tourists – not to mention very close to the American coastline; therefore it shouldn't be a surprise that a lot of cruises stop in Havana and other Cuban ports. Cruises used to be quite a lucrative business in Cuba – although their frequency in the area has decreased a little in the last few years due to political tension. Around 2005, Fidel Castro's comment that cruises stopping in Cuba were not offering any profits to the local population (while leaving behind a mess that needs to be cleaned by the Cubans) led to a constant decrease in the number of cruises in the area.

Due to the recent rarity of cruises in the area, the prices for cruises stopping in Cuba has increased in recent years. However, most cruise companies apply a lot of promotions and reductions, so it is worth seeing if you are eligible for any before buying a full ticket. Booking a long time in advance is also bound to lessen the cost.

Starting points for Cuban cruises

Although Cuba is extremely close to the American coastline, most cruises that stop in Cuba start in the UK – in large part due to the Castro comments that were mentioned above. As an American, that might cause a little bit of an inconvenience – although the British companies' offers for Cuban cruises are quite appealing. European companies, mostly Spanish, have also started to resume their business in the area, after a few years break. If you want a starting point closer to home, it might be recommended to search for Canadian companies – although in lower numbers than British or European, there's still some that stop in Cuba.

If none of these starting points seem appealing to you, there's good news for the future. In a recent ruling, the Cuban Communist party has announced cruising to be one of the economic activities that need to be strengthened – which will probably means that, even if the number of cruises in the area might not reach the 2005 level too soon, they will at least increase and you might soon find more companies from America sailing to Cuba. The American Society of Travel Agents estimates that half a million American tourists can cruise to Cuba in the next two years – that's bound to sound appealing to cruise companies in the US.

Itineraries

As things are right now, possible Cuban cruise itineraries include a flight from the UK to Ecuador – with stops in Panama, Costa Rica, Honduras and other neighboring areas before the Havana stop. Usually cruising lines stop in Havana for a couple of days – allowing tourists to enjoy the Cuban attractions (including the Malecon or the Museum of Revolution). A second stop in Cuba could be Santiago de Cuba, an attractive tourist area that can provide some interesting sights. After Cuba, tourists can either go towards the United States or move further into the Caribbean. Brazil is a lot of times the final stop in the cruises that sail in the area – allowing you to enjoy the true Latin American feeling.