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Adios, Fidel... hello Havana???


*Mach*

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As you've probably heard, Fidel Castro has stepped down as dictator of Cuba to be replaced by his 'younger' brother Raoul the new dictator of Cuba...

I doubt this will make much difference in the near term but do you guys think that in a few years we might see Havana on the list of ports of call for Carnival?

It seems as though Havana would be convenient to pretty much all of the Gulf Coast home ports and, of course, Florida.

Cigar smokers unite!!! :D

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As you've probably heard, Fidel Castro has stepped down as dictator of Cuba to be replaced by his 'younger' brother Raoul the new dictator of Cuba...

 

I doubt this will make much difference in the near term but do you guys think that in a few years we might see Havana on the list of ports of call for Carnival?

 

It seems as though Havana would be convenient to pretty much all of the Gulf Coast home ports and, of course, Florida.

 

Cigar smokers unite!!! :D

 

That was a poll question I started a few weeks back and many would like it,but I think our goverment will still block it for years to come.:(

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I wish the embargo would end but I don't see it happening. The way the politics play now there is little upside for an end to the embargo as it isn't a hot button issue for most Americans, but it can be the difference between victory and defeat for a Presidential candidate in a close election.

 

Some day the embargo will end but I don't see it happening before the Cuban government reforms, allows free travel for its citizens and holds free elections. That won't happen any time soon.:(

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That was a poll question I started a few weeks back and many would like it,but I think our goverment will still block it for years to come.:(

 

 

Could well be and I expect that you're probably right. Personally, I'm hoping that folks who love to travel might bring some pressure to bear on their lawmakers.

The only real downside that I can see would be the lack of infrastructure in Cuba. I know that Carnival and other cruise lines have invested many millions of dollars in ports around the world. I wonder if they'd we willing to make the same investment in Cuba... ???

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The only real downside that I can see would be the lack of infrastructure in Cuba. I know that Carnival and other cruise lines have invested many millions of dollars in ports around the world. I wonder if they'd we willing to make the same investment in Cuba... ???

 

I don't think infrastructure is an issue. Cuba is chock-full of high end resorts where Cubans can only work...not play. Tourism is Cuba's main source of hard currency. I don't think cruise lines would worry about investing in Cuba.

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http://www.havana-mobile.com/

 

Mobile and Havana have had a sister city relationship for years now. There is some limited trade between the port of Mobile and Cuba. The mayor and other city and state officials have travelled to Havana as well as hosting Cuban officials to the city of Mobile. Maybe Carnivals first ship to call on Cuba should be one from Mobile due to the relationship between the two cities.

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The moment the U.S. embargo is eliminated, the cruise lines will be making deals to open up Cuban ports of call. Heaven knows the Caribbean basin needs some freshening up with respect to port offerings. We shall see if Castro himself was the target of the embargo or whether Cuba being a communist country was the reason.

 

It really doesn't make sense to continue an embargo against a country simply because it has a communist government. If this was the case how does one explain the massive trade with China (China is close to being America's largest trading partner, if not so already) as well as full relations and trade with Vietnam? Both of these nations are communist countries and both are cruise destinations offering ports of call.

 

Could be some interesting times and discussions approaching.....:)

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The moment the U.S. embargo is eliminated, the cruise lines will be making deals to open up Cuban ports of call. Heaven knows the Caribbean basin needs some freshening up with respect to port offerings. We shall see if Castro himself was the target of the embargo or whether Cuba being a communist country was the reason.

 

It really doesn't make sense to continue an embargo against a country simply because it has a communist government. If this was the case how does one explain the massive trade with China (China is close to being America's largest trading partner, if not so already) as well as full relations and trade with Vietnam? Both of these nations are communist countries and both are cruise destinations offering ports of call.

 

Could be some interesting times and discussions approaching.....:)

We may need a few folks to die off over here as well. The problem is they would not be bullied or bribed,and the big kid on the block took his ball and went home.They quickly forgot the dictatorship(Batista) that caused empty handed peasants to charge down the guns.Put a U.S. embargo on any Caribbean country and they will suffer worse than the poor Cubans.Remember it was tourists and Levi's that caused the U.S.S.R. to collapse not the military or postering. Still the collapse was not in our best interest .

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Having been stationed at Gitmo many, many years ago, and having a job of flying the perimeter of the base for security, I'd dearly love to go back to Cuba,,,,as a tourist. I doubt, as others have speculated above, that the demise of Castro will change much down there. I think that cruising into Cuba would be OUTSTANDING!

 

Ken

"SkyMaster"

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Although I don't see immediate changes and surely no end in sight for communism in Cuba, I do see the door just cracking open for some opportunities:

 

Raul Castro will continue the communist regime in Cuba, however he has been characterized as being more open to (positive) change. One of the things mentioned recently is that he would allow Cuban farmers to own their land.

 

I know that many of you are probably thinking "What does this have to do with my Carnival ship stopping in Cuba??". The reason why I mention this is because this "land owning thing" is a huge step away from Fidel's way of ruling. If this is an indication of things to come, and Raul does turn out to be a ruler who will be more open to changing things there, then that might open the door to communication and a new relationship between the U.S. and Cuba.

 

In my opinion, the embargo has been in place this long not because of communism in Cuba, but because of FIDEL in Cuba.

 

And yes, I will definitely be putting my deposit down as soon as a cruise to Cuba is announced!

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Although there will still be a Castro in charge, my friend in Miami that still has family in Cuba, said there is dancing in the streets, and a lot of happy people today... it's a big day for a lot of people... but I don't see THAT much changing.

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I would love to sail to Cuba. I would also like to see the exiles get thier property returned to them so they can go home. As the saying goes there is no place like home !!!

x2! Well maybe not all their property that would bring back the 2 class society and another revolutionary war.

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Although there will still be a Castro in charge, my friend in Miami that still has family in Cuba, said there is dancing in the streets, and a lot of happy people today... it's a big day for a lot of people... but I don't see THAT much changing.

 

As you've probably heard, Fidel Castro has stepped down as dictator of Cuba to be replaced by his 'younger' brother Raoul the new dictator of Cuba...

 

I doubt this will make much difference in the near term but do you guys think that in a few years we might see Havana on the list of ports of call for Carnival?

 

It seems as though Havana would be convenient to pretty much all of the Gulf Coast home ports and, of course, Florida.

 

Cigar smokers unite!!! :D

 

As a fellow cigar smoker I would love to see the embargo lifted. But, as both of you said there probably won't be much change as long as there is still a Castro in power, no matter what his first name is.

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