Carnival: Yanqui Si, Cuba No? Carnival will allow Cuban-Americans to travel to Cuba on an inaugural cruise but Cuba may not allow the journey By Spencer Jakab The Wall Street Journal April 18, 2016
The U.S. Cuba love-fest seemed to be going swimmingly last month when President Obama visited the island nation. U.S. companies involved in tourism such as Starwood were among the first to jump on the bandwagon given the popularity of the island before ties were severed. And that was before cheap jet travel and, of course, cruise ships catering to the mass market.
But Carnival Corp, the world’s largest cruise line, didn’t anticipate an odd Cuban law when it announced an inaugural cruise for May 1: Cuban-born U.S. citizens are sometimes allowed to fly to the communist nation but not to arrive by sea. Indignant Cuban-Americans initially weren’t accepted as passengers, prompting an outcry, lawsuits, and even comments by Secretary of State John Kerry.
A good public-relations exercise turned into a nightmare for Carnival, so it changed tack on Monday. It said it would accept bookings from Cuban-Americans, putting the onus on Cuba to change the law in the next two weeks. This ship hasn’t sailed, but will it?
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