Cruise Lines to Wait and See on New Cuba Travel Restrictions by Adam Leposa / Travel Agent Central April 19, 2019 @ 9:00AM EDT
- Spokespeople for Carnival Cruise Line, Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings (NCLH) and Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. have all told Travel Agent that they are monitoring the situation following this week’s announcement, but that they have not made any changes to their Cuba itineraries at this time.
- Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. – “At the moment: “We’re reviewing the recent statements to evaluate their impact on our guests and our company,” a spokesperson for Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd., which owns the Cuba-sailing Royal Caribbean International and Azamara Club Cruises brands, tells Travel Agent. “For now, we are sailing our Cuba itineraries as scheduled and will keep our guests updated if anything changes.”
- Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings – “We are closely monitoring recent developments with respect to US-Cuba travel,” says an NCLH spokesperson. “At this time no new regulations have been issued and accordingly, the Company’s itineraries which include Cuba as a destination will continue as scheduled.” All three NCLH brands — Norwegian Cruise Line, Oceania Cruises and Regent Seven Seas Cruises — offer Cuba itineraries.
- Carnival Cruise Line – “We are still evaluating this announcement, but we have not made any changes to our itineraries,” says a spokesperson for Carnival Cruise Line. “Booked guests will receive a communication if their itinerary is impacted.”
- [State Department and Treasury] announced Wednesday new restrictions on nonfamily travel to Cuba, as well as additional limits on the amount of money Cuban-Americans can sent to their relatives on the island. The details of the restrictions, however, have not yet been announced, and it is at this time unclear as to which of the 12 categories of nonfamily travel the restrictions could affect.
Here is what tentatively is in place thus so far: Changes scheduled to take affect May 2, 2019
- New: The
Trump administration announced a new cap on the amount of money families in the
United States can send their relatives in Cuba: $1,000 per person per quarter.
- Under the rules initiated by President Obama, there are 12 types of legal travel to Cuba. They were created to allow American travel that wasn’t officially “tourism.” You can still travel to Cuba as part of a group trip with an officially licensed tour operator such as Insight Cuba or Intrepid Travel. Jun 21, 2017
- If you take more than the equivalent of $5,000 USD in cash, you have to declare it or risk confiscation.
- TOURIST VISA REQUIRED: Tourist travel to Cuba remains prohibited. You must obtain a license from the Department of Treasury or your travel must fall into one of 12 categories of authorized travel.
- Americans traveling to Cuba in 2019 will need to
obtain a Cuban tourist card, which is similar to a travel visa. Currently here is how much a Cuban Tourist
Card costs based on airlines:
- Delta: $50, purchase at the gate
- JetBlue: $50, purchase at the gate
- Southwest: $50, purchased online and delivered at the gate
- United: $75 ($50 visa fee + $25 admin fee), purchase at the gate
- American: $85 ($50 visa fee + $35 admin fee), purchase online and sent via mail or at a Cuba Ready” Kiosks at CLT or MIA airports for $100 ($50 visa fee + $50 admin fee)
- Cuban passports are issued to citizens of Cuba to facilitate international travel. They are valid for 6 years from the date of issuance but have to be extended every 2 years. The cost of issue of this passport is about US$400 (CUC 400) and US$200 for every two years if one person lives in the United States.
The 12 categories of authorized travel to Cuba are:
- Family visits;
- Official business of the U.S. government, foreign governments, and certain intergovernmental organizations;
- Journalistic activity;
- Professional research and professional meetings;
- Educational activities;
- Religious activities;
- Public performances, clinics, workshops, athletic and other competitions, and exhibitions;
- Support for the Cuban people;
- Humanitarian projects;
- Activities of private foundations or research or educational institutes;
- Exportation, importation, or transmission of information or informational materials;
- Certain authorized export transactions.
Check with your travel professional before booking or planning a trip to Cuba. If you already have a trip, please contact your travel professional, cruise line or airlines for further updates before you go. Be prepared and safe travels.