Would you cruise to Cuba?

"Val Kraut" wrote in message
...

" I would love to go to Cuba, I was mesmerized just cruising by it!

We had a similar experience. On a 17 day southern Carrib cruise out
of Lauderdale we sailed along the nothern shore. You could see structures
and building on the shore with binoculars. At the time I couldn't help but
think that not too many years back we probably would have gotten a once
over inspection by a passing patrol boat or mig coming that close. I'm not
really sure how well things have been maintained - and would most likely
shy away from a port where the main attraction is poverty.



It would be interesting to see the condition of the coral reefs. Whether
they are pristine. Or whether the poverty of the island has driven the
locals to do things like dynamite fish. Or whether the recent strong
hurricanes have damaged the reefs like they did in places like Cozumel.

--Tom

"Kurt Ullman" wrote in message
...
In article
,
RicodJour wrote:

O
Doesn't a different culture count for anything? I know I'd like to
see someplace where Detroit Big Iron from the 50's was still being
driven daily. It'd be like a page from the past, but the
deterioration from age and economic punishment would make it look like
an alternative-future today.

For a day or two. Then the old cars would be sold off to American
collectors. I went to Havana about 7 years ago when they still gave out
Humanitarian and education licenses to go. Over a week it was
considerably less interesting and alluring (g). I am guessing that
within a fewmonths it would resemble most every other Caribbean tourist
trap.

Since other countries aside from the US have had access to Cuba recently,
who's to say that the cheap Asian import automakers haven't already invaded
the island.

Tom K wrote:


Since other countries aside from the US have had access to Cuba recently,
who's to say that the cheap Asian import automakers haven't already invaded
the island.



What other countries didn't have access to Cuba? I was under the
impression that the US was the only one actually boycotting them, and
that the UK frowned on Cuba but there was no actual boycott.
I know Canadians can go there. I have Canadian friends that bring me
cigars all the time. Wait, did I say that out loud? Mexicans go there too.

Clay

"frijoli" wrote in message
...
Tom K wrote:


Since other countries aside from the US have had access to Cuba recently,
who's to say that the cheap Asian import automakers haven't already
invaded the island.

What other countries didn't have access to Cuba?

I said that other countries DID HAVE access to Cuba.

That's why I was wondering why they still have all the old US cars from the
50's there.

--Tom


I was under the impression that the US was the only one actually
boycotting them, and that the UK frowned on Cuba but there was no actual
boycott.
I know Canadians can go there. I have Canadian friends that bring me
cigars all the time. Wait, did I say that out loud? Mexicans go there too.

Clay

Tom K wrote:
"frijoli" wrote in message
...
Tom K wrote:
snip
"Since other countries aside from the US have had access to Cuba recently,...."
--Tom



What other countries didn't have access to Cuba?
Clay


I said that other countries DID HAVE access to Cuba.

--Tom


You made it sound like it was new.

Clay

In article , George Leppla
wrote:

If the US changes it's policies towards Cuba and allows visitation, tourism,
etc..... are you looking forward to going there?

Yes. I visited Cuba 25 years ago which was the last time some tourism
was allowed. It would be interesting to make a return visit and see the
changes. Twenty Five years ago Soviet cargo ships were coming and going
in the Havana harbor.

I know that ten years ago one cruise line exec told me that they had
contingency plans to change itineraries "almost immediately" if they
would be allowed to stop in Cuba. Home-porting some ships in Cuba
would not be out of the questions, either.

I would prefer to spend a week there over a cruise ship stop but if
Cuba was on a cruise itinerary I could think of things to do in a day.

--
Charles

In article , Tom K
wrote:

It would become another port, but I'm not sure that
I perceive anything unique about it.

Cuba is unique. Different from what else you have seen in the Caribbean.

--
Charles

"Charles" wrote in message
d...
In article , George Leppla
wrote:

If the US changes it's policies towards Cuba and allows visitation,
tourism,
etc..... are you looking forward to going there?

Yes. I visited Cuba 25 years ago which was the last time some tourism
was allowed. It would be interesting to make a return visit and see the
changes. Twenty Five years ago Soviet cargo ships were coming and going
in the Havana harbor.

I know that ten years ago one cruise line exec told me that they had
contingency plans to change itineraries "almost immediately" if they
would be allowed to stop in Cuba. Home-porting some ships in Cuba
would not be out of the questions, either.

I would prefer to spend a week there over a cruise ship stop but if
Cuba was on a cruise itinerary I could think of things to do in a day.

--
Charles

The scenes of Cuba I have seen recently show abject poverty. How long would
it take to develop an infrastructure that could handle cruise ships or
tourists? I think I'll let someone else take the first few trips.

Harry Cooper



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In article , Tom K
wrote:

Since other countries aside from the US have had access to Cuba recently,
who's to say that the cheap Asian import automakers haven't already invaded
the island.

They want American cars. Before the revolution Cuba was the largest
importer of American cars. But the reason they have kept those cars up
is that they be easily bought and sold. Cars after 1959 must be bought
through the state and sold through the state.

--
Charles

In article , Tom K
wrote:

It would be interesting to see the condition of the coral reefs. Whether
they are pristine. Or whether the poverty of the island has driven the
locals to do things like dynamite fish. Or whether the recent strong
hurricanes have damaged the reefs like they did in places like Cozumel.

Cubans don't dynamite fish. There is some stress to the reefs from
overfishing but it is from fishing boats, not dynamite and with 3000
miles of coastline there are lots of pristine reefs because Cuba is a
undeveloped and isolated country. Here is a link from National
Geographic about the wonderful Cuban coral reefs.

http://ngm.nationalgeographic.com/ng...ts_n_sounds/me
dia.1.1.html

--
Charles