Carnival makes deal with Cuba to allow Cuba-born travelers to cruise
When Carnival first announced it would begin cruises to Cuba on its Fathom brand, there was one hitch: Travelers who were born in Cuba would not be able to take the trip, since Cuban law bans them from entering and leaving the country by sea.
That didn't sit well with many Cuban Americans, and even lead to a lawsuit in federal court in Miami.
On Friday, however, Carnival announced that cruises to Cuba would begin May 1, as originally planned — with everyone on board who wants to go. The cruise line successfully negotiated with the Cuban government to lift the ban for travelers on commercial vessels.
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"We made history in March, and we are a part of making history again today," said Carnival CEO Arnold Donald. "This is a positive outcome and we are extremely pleased. We want to extend our sincere appreciation to Cuba and to our team who worked so hard to help make this happen."
Two Cuban-American men asked a Miami federal judge earlier in the week to guarantee that Cuban exiles would not suffer discrimination on the upcoming trips, according to the Associated Press.
The men's lawyer, Tucker Ronzetti, asked the judge to rule so that the cruise line will make good on its word.
"They could change their minds in the future," Ronzetti told U.S. District Judge Marcia Cooke.
The cruises, on Fathom's 704-passenger Adonia, would be the first between the two nations in more than 50 years and are part of the thaw in relations between Washington and Havana. Yet the Cuban exile ticket dispute also shows much work is ahead in relations and business between the two former Cold War foes.
On each trip, Fathom will visit three ports in Cuba: Havana, Cienfuegos and Santiago de Cuba. Leisure tourism remains banned (until Congress acts), so the cruise is educational.
Guests can join in onboard experiences, "including Cuban- and Caribbean-inspired food and films, music and dancing," and special onboard programming ranges from "an orientation of Cuba's history, customs and culture, to geographic-inspired entertainment, to casual and fun personal enrichment activities, along with conversational Spanish lessons," according to Carnival.
The status of the lawsuit is unclear in light of Carnival’s announcement on Friday.
"We believe it is without merit given our decision earlier this week to update our booking process to accept all travelers wanting to book cruise to Cuba," a Carnival spokesperson told Mashable.
Additional reporting by the Associated Press.
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