Cuba cruises could become less flexible under new Trump policy
Cruises from the USA to Cuba will be allowed to continue under President Trump's new Cuba policy, but the trips could become more restrictive, industry and Cuba watchers say.
Passengers on voyages to Cuba operated by U.S.-based companies such as Norwegian Cruise Line and Royal Caribbean may no longer be able to get off ships in Cuban ports such as Havana to explore on their own, says John Kavulich, president of the U.S.-Cuba Trade and Economic Council, a group that supported the Obama administration's rapprochement with the island nation.
While final rules won't be written for several months, it is likely that "only group tours will be permitted for passengers on the vessels," Kavulich says.
The new policy, which Trump announce today at an event in Miami, will end individual "people-to-people" travel from the USA to Cuba, which has been allowed for the past year under relaxed rules implemented by the Obama administration. Travelers on "people-to-people" trips to Cuba once again will be required to be part of a licensed Group.
