Cuba will allow Cuban-born to arrive on Carnival cruise ship

Cuba will allow Cuban-born to arrive on Carnival cruise ship

Cuba is easing a long-standing ban on the Cuban-born returning to the
island by sea
Carnival had said they expected the change but was ready to delay May 1
cruise if it didn't happen
BY DOUGLAS HANKS
dhanks@miamiherald.com
LINKEDIN

Cuba is easing a long-standing ban on the Cuban-born returning to the
island by sea, clearing the way for Carnival to launch a Miami-to-Havana
route that was the subject of a national controversy when the company
declined to sell tickets to Cuban-born Americans.

CNN's Havana bureau reported the news early Friday morning; Carnival
Corp. issued a release confirming shortly thereafter. The reported
change in Cuban policy constitutes a significant win for Carnival, which
was forced to resume selling tickets to Cuban-born Americans amid a
storm of controversy and a threat by Miami-Dade to block the Doral-based
company from having access to its terminals at the county-owned PortMiami.

When Carnival announced earlier this year it would be the first U.S.
cruise company to return to Cuba, it made public its plans to comply
with Cuban rules banning Cuban-born people from returning to the island
by sea. (Cuban-born Americans have been the primary travelers to Cuba by
air.) It did not become a controversy until Miami Herald columnist
Fabiola Santiago railed against the policy when she tried to purchase a
ticket and was turned down.

Carnival relented and said it would resume selling tickets to Cuban-born
Americans and would delay the cruise, slated to sail May 1, until Cuban
policy changed. But Carnival executives also said they expected the
Cuban government to change the policy before the cruise was set to
launch. Carnival Corp., which owns the Carnival cruise line and other
brands, is launching the cruise under its new fathom brand.

It was unclear Friday morning how far Cuba was going with its change in
policy, and whether the new rule would apply just to cruise ships or
smaller vessels.

Source: Cuba will allow Cuban-born to arrive on Carnival cruise ship |
Miami Herald -
http://www.miamiherald.com/news/local/community/miami-dade/article73281592.html