Could Cruising to Cuba Soon Be A Reality?
Currently only certain United States citizens are allowed to travel to Cuba, but this could all be changing. As it stands in order to get a special permit to travel to Cuba you have to fit into one of the following categories.
- Be a journalist
- Be on a humanitarian mission
- Be visiting an immediate family member
- Be promoting agricultural sale
- Be visiting for religious reasons
Recently the House Agriculture Committee has approved a bill that would loosen financial restrictions with Cuba and also allow United States citizens to freely travel to Cuba. In an effort to boost agricultural trade many business groups including the United States Chamber of Commerce, National Farmers Union, American Farm Bureau Federation, and Human Rights Watch are supporting the bill. In fact, there are approximately 140 groups in support of the bill. Also a letter with the signature of about 70 pro democracy Cuban leaders was also sent along encouraging the passage of the bill.
It is believed that increasing trade and lifting the travel ban will benefit the American farmer by introducing additional markets for their products. For 50 years we have been trying to keep our dollars out of Cuba in an effort to topple the Castro regime, a move that obviously has not worked. Since 2000 United States farmers have been Cuba’s largest supplier of agricultural imports but because of U.S. imposed financial restrictions Cuba has recently turned to other cheaper suppliers. Loosening those restrictions would once again open the gates for American farmers. By opening up the island for travel, tourism dollars not only increase the need for American goods but provide the necessary funds for purchasing those goods.
What this means for cruisers
Although the main focus of this bill is obviously to increase the viability of the American farmer a byproduct of this is the ability to travel freely to Cuba. For anyone who has ever dreamt of smoking a Monte Cristo while sipping a mojito in a club in Havana this is great news.
The problem is there is no way Cuba can support a massive influx of visitors. As it stands Cuba just doesn’t have the infrastructure. That doesn’t mean it will never happen but improvements would need to be made. The good news is these changes could probably be made in a relatively short time meaning within 5 years.
Although passage of the bill isn’t guaranteed, Cuba has already started preparing for the day when Cuba will be a mainstay port on several sailings out of the United States. They have begun building world-class resorts on the north side of the island. Reports state that these resorts will rival those in Cancun and other vacation hotspots.
If all goes according to plan this new legislation will bring more than one million additional visitors to Cuba, this would bring a monumental windfall for both the island and the U.S. economy.
How do you feel about traveling to Cuba? Is this a port you would like to visit on a future cruise?
Should You Carry Your Passport Into Port?
There seems to be a pretty sizeable rift between cruisers on this subject. If you ask 100 cruisers whether you should bring along your passport or keep it safely tucked away in your wallet, chances are the answer you get will be split right down the middle.
There is no hard and fast rule dictating whether or not you should take your passport into port or leave it in the safe. For most ports you will not need your passport, a photo ID and sail and sign card will suffice. However there are some ports which require you to bring your passport off the ship. In these rare instances the ship will inform you of the need to carry your passport. Those ports are the exception more than the rule which leads us back to the original question, should you bring your passport or leave it on board the ship?
Leave your passport onboard
The argument against carrying a passport off the ship usually centers on the belief that it could get lost or stolen. This is a valid argument and especially comes into play if you will be doing more than just strolling around town. There are plenty of stories floating around about items stolen while on an excursion or bags being emptied out on the beach. These days you even have to worry about being held-up and robbed. Although small, the chance that you could be separated from your passport is real. People who succumb to this train of thing will tell you the world is evil and that you should keep your passport locked safely in your cabin safe.
Bring your passport along
The arguments for bringing it along tend to be from those worried about missing the ship after a day in port. The belief is if this situation arose you would need your passport in order to fly to the next port or back home. A driver’s license is an acceptable for of ID in the United States but outside of the U.S. it isn’t worth the plastic it’s printed on. If you find yourself in legal trouble in a foreign country you will want to have your passport in hand. Champions of this school of thought will tell you, “You carry your driver’s license when you drive, so carry your passport when you travel”.
A Happy Medium
What some people do is carry a copy of their passport along with them. While this will give you peace of mind, the truth is, if you do miss the ship a copy of your passport will not allow you to fly home. If you are an American in the Caribbean you probably wouldn’t need your passport to catch the ship at the next port. You can travel freely between most of the islands sans passport. The bad news is, without a passport you can forget about re-entering the United States. However, you could (at least in theory) take that copy to the U.S. Embassy in whichever country you were stranded and it would help you expedite the process of getting home.
Do you carry your passport off the ship or leave it in the safe? Why?
Fanmail Friday: August 6th Edition
This fanmail Friday answers a few questions that I received via email. A couple of them are pretty common questions with one being pretty specialized but interesting nonetheless. As always if you have any questions feel free to email them to me using the contact form on this website.
Usually when do you have to be back onboard the ship? If I am set to be in port from 1-10pm what time do I have to come back?
Each night you will receive a daily ship program which details everything going on for the following day. In that program it will list the time you are set to be in port and will also tell you the all-aboard time. You only have to be back onboard by the time given, however in order to be sure you don’t miss the ship its best to either be back onboard the ship or at least within walking distance within one hour of the ships departure time.
The reason I say one hour is because I have seen instances of taxis breaking down on the way back to the port. In fact, on my last cruise we picked up a group of cruisers that were stranded on the side of the road. Most ports have shops, cafes or other activities right by the dock so you can still maximize your time in port but from a safe distance. Anytime I need to take a tender back to the ship I usually shoot for 30 minutes before the last tender is set to depart.
I broke my tibia and am now on crutches will this ruin my cruise?
Although it will of course be harder to get around than if you hadn’t broken your leg, there is no reason why your cruise will be ruined. Cruise ships are very good at catering to passengers with disabilities, even if it’s only crutches. Although ships are huge these days, elevators are usually very conveniently located and the crew will be very accommodating. Depending on which type of cast you have, water activities may be out of the question but that shouldn’t ruin a cruise, there are tons of activities that you will still be able to enjoy.
Going into port will probably present the biggest challenge. If I were in your shoes (or cast) I would get a wheelchair while in port. Depending on where you are going it may be difficult to navigate the terrain on crutches. Another option could be booking sightseeing tours since you can usually find one that involves being shuttled around rather than you doing the walking.
Is there a weight limit for the Oasis of the Seas zip line?
Yes, every zip line has a weight limit. I can’t tell you for sure what the weight limit of that particular zip line is but I can assure you that it does have one. While I doubt there will be an actual scale there to get your exact weight please do yourself a favor and don’t lie. Although that zip line does look like great fun, no amount of fun is worth putting yourself in danger.
I know that the Oasis of the Seas is the biggest cruise ship but will the Allure of the Seas be bigger since it is newer?
No. Actually they are sister ships. Although the Oasis was the first one built the Allure will be nearly identical.
Oasis of the Seas:
Passenger Capacity: 5,400 double occupancy
Gross Tonnage: 220,000
Staterooms: 2,700
Decks: 16 high
Length: 1,187′
Max Beam: 184.40′
Draft: 30′
Allure of the Seas:
Passenger Capacity: 5,400 double occupancy
Gross Tonnage: 220,000
Staterooms: 2,700
Decks: 16 high
Length: 1,187′
Max Beam: 184.40′
Draft: 30′
Same size, same capacity, basically the same ship. The only difference will be superficial things like decor and of course the crew.
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