HAVANA--Major U.S. cruise operators said on Wednesday they will no longer sail to Cuba following the Trump administration's ban on travel to the Caribbean island, angering travelers and prompting worries about trip cancellations and company earnings.
The new restrictions are aimed at pressuring Cuba's Communist government to reform and stop supporting Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro. "Due to changes in U.S. policy, the company will no longer be permitted to sail to Cuba effective immediately," Carnival Corp said.
A spokesman for Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings Ltd said the company had ceased all calls to Cuba and was modifying previously scheduled sailings.
The U.S. State Department said on Tuesday the country would no longer permit visits to Cuba via passenger and recreational vessels, including cruise ships and yachts, as well as private and corporate aircraft.
American Airlines Group Inc, JetBlue Airways Corp and United Airlines, which started flying to Cuba in 2016, said they were reviewing the revised regulations. Delta Air Lines Inc said it had stopped accepting bookings to Cuba under the so-called people-to-people license as of midnight on June 4. Customers who booked under the exemption before that time will be allowed to travel.
"The reduction in the number of travelers will probably mean the end of U.S. commercial air flights from places outside Florida because there won't be sufficient demand to fill regular flights," said William LeoGrande, a Cuba expert and a professor of government at American University.
The ban was effective as of Wednesday, the U.S. Commerce Department told Reuters, giving cruise lines no grace period to change destinations and sowing confusion among cruise passengers. Both Carnival and Royal Caribbean said they would stop at different non-Cuban ports and would offer compensation to travelers.
Carnival said the guests currently aboard its Carnival Sensation cruise that set sail on June 3 would now stop in Mexican island Cozumel on Thursday instead of Havana. The company said the guests would receive a $100 onboard credit for the inconvenience.
"We are working as quickly as possible to secure alternative itineraries for the remainder of our Cuba voyages and expect to have information for sailings further out in the next 2-3 days," Carnival said. It has three cruise lines that sail to Cuba.
Royal Caribbean said all cruises on the 'Majesty of the Seas' and 'Empress of the Seas' this year will have alternative ports in the Caribbean. It is also working on alternate itineraries for 2020 sailings. Guests can cancel their current booking for a full refund, or can keep their sailing date with a new itinerary and receive a 50% refund, Royal Caribbean said.
