The No. 1 operator of cruises to Cuba reported last week that phone inquiries had doubled since new U.S. regulations regarding travel to Cuba were issued two weeks ago, and 50% of the calls were coming from U.S. citizens.
Website traffic has tripled, said Dugald Wells, president and CEO of Calgary, Alberta-based Cuba Cruise.
Wells said that immediately following the surprise announcement of a thaw in U.S.-Cuba relations, Cuba Cruise also saw an uptick in bookings from residents of Canada, its top market.
“In some part, we attribute that to people saying, ‘I want to see Cuba before it changes,’” Wells said.
Cuba Cruise is in its second season of sailings around Cuba, using the 35-year-old Louis Cristal, a ship it chartered from Cyprus-based Louis Cruises. The Cristal carries some 960 passengers at double occupancy. It is currently running about 60% capacity, which Wells described as “break-even territory in our second year of operations. Obviously we’d love to sail full.”
(At least one other cruise operator, Star Clippers, offers sailings from Cuba, but a spokeswoman did not respond to a request for comment.)
Cuba Cruise has a jump on numerous U.S.-based cruise companies that have to varying degrees expressed interest in sailing to Cuba, but until the U.S. government-imposed embargo is lifted, those lines have no immediate plans to start going there.
In a recent forum for travel agents on the Freedom of the Seas, Michael Bayley, president of Royal Caribbean International, said, “Obviously, the latest announcement about the liberalization of relations is of interest to us.”
But speed bumps lie ahead.
Bayley said Royal has a team studying the possibilities, but most of the ports in Cuba are incapable of handling ships of the size of the Freedom of the Seas. The one exception, he said, is Havana, but that port has serious infrastructure issues.
“At the moment, there’s effectively been no change for our industry,” said Bayley who estimated it might be three to five years before major cruise companies go to Cuba.
Operators of smaller ships are somewhat more optimistic. Edie Rodriguez, president of Crystal Cruises, said that if conditions were right, it would be relatively easy to add a port call in Cuba.
Michael Bayley, Royal Caribbean’s president, said that most of the ports in Cuba are incapable of handling ships of the size of the Freedom of the Seas. The one exception, he said, is Havana, but that port has serious infrastructure issues.
“We’re able to switch itineraries very quickly,” Rodriguez said. “We’ll just swap out a port.”
But like other cruise executives, Rodriguez said the Cuban infrastructure was an obstacle. “The roads are so bad you’d have to go very slowly,” she said. “Our guests would not be happy about that.”
Wells agreed that the infrastructure lags. “Cristal is the biggest ship we can safely maneuver into and out of these ports we go to,” he said. “So we’re kind of limited in our future growth by the infrastructure.”
But some facilities are good, including a terminal in Havana that was upgraded for Pullmantur before the Spanish line was acquired by Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. and stopped sailing into Cuba.
And all the terminals in Cuba are well located, Wells said.
“These passenger terminals may be dated and frayed, but they’re right in the middle of town,” Wells said. “You walk off the ship and cross the road and you’re in that postcard with the cobblestone streets and the old American cars and the big churches. It’s fantastic.”
Currently, fewer than 5% of the passengers sailing with Cuba Cruise are U.S. citizens. Those who are come through two tour operators, Road Scholar and Insight Cuba, which have Treasury-approved people-to-people programs in one of 12 travel categories, such as education or athletics.
Previously, such trips involved detailed documentation, reporting and approval from Treasury officials. Now, under general licenses, there is less paperwork required.
“It’s much less onerous than it was, but you still need to be part of a group that is under the auspices of a [company] that operates such tours,” Wells said.
Cuba Cruise does offer a way to book directly through its website. However, after booking, travelers must register with the nonprofit Fund for Reconciliation and Development and receive back a participant letter of authorized travel. The cost is $75.
For agent bookings, Cuba Cruise has been paying 12% commission, but it is increasing that to 15% for the balance of its season through mid-March. It pays 8% on shore excursions.
Wells said he expected to be competitive even if Cuba opens to larger cruise companies.
“We’re focused on the destination,” he said. “We’re going into smaller ports. Our entertainment program is 90% Cuban and a couple of Canadian acrobats from Cirque du Soleil. We’re really working hard to present a program that is an authentic, somewhat in-depth exploration of Cuba as a destination.”
Cruise travelers who feel like they get onboard and immediately start emptying their pockets of nickels and dimes are not alone. Today’s mainstream mega-ships offer an ever-increasing number of eating, drinking and entertainment options that levy fees atop the base fare. Long gone are the days when a perilous bar bill was the only onboard financial concern. Surcharges and add-ons are here to stay.
1. Blue Man Group. 
2. Cruising’s Best Pizza. Long prized by Cruise Critic readers for its best-at-sea slices, Carnival gave its cooked-to-order pizza a makeover on Carnival Breeze in 2012. And it got better. We’re not talking wood-fired-from-Naples good, but the palate-pleasing pies exhibit an impressive balance of (thin) crust, sauce and cheese — and they come fresh from the convection oven fee-free. It’s rolled out that pizza on numerous ships across the line.
3. Sunset Over the Ocean. It’s one of the most beautiful sights in nature, and it doesn’t cost a 15-cent piece extra. Grab a loved one’s hand (or your favorite cocktail), walk over to the ship’s railing, and take a deep breath. You’ve seen it before, sure, but watching the sunset over the ocean never fails to give you that, “I’m on vacation, and life is good” moment. Enjoy.
4. Ham & Cheese Croissant-wiches. When is a sandwich more than just sliced bread and filling? When it’s Royal Caribbean’s addictive ham and cheese mini-croissant, a flaky, cheese-y, three-bite morsel topped with lettuce, tomato, mustard and mayo. The fee-free mini-wich has long been a staple in Royal Caribbean’s signature 24-hour Cafe Promenade. One word of warning: Post-cruise ‘wich withdrawal can be severe.
5. Big-Screen Wii Battles. If you’ve been honing your video-gaming skills, but never had an audience who could appreciate your expertise, you’re in luck. The entire Norwegian Cruise Line fleet is outfitted with Nintendo’s interactive gaming system, Wii. “Boxing,” “bowling” and other tournaments are offered on most sailings. We recommend you show off properly on the two-story screen in the atrium.
6. All-You-Can Eat Indian. To us, the lack of line for Carnival’s fee-free Tandoor dining option is hard to fathom. The aromatic grab-and-go counter, typically open for lunch, serves up Indian comfort food made by the line’s Indian cooks. Dig into grilled meats and fish, curries, daals and basmati rice alongside essential accouterments like mint chutney, raita and achar (pickle).
7. Dancing Lessons. Country line-dancing, waltz and tango, the electric slide — cruise ships are great places to try out a variety of dance genres without enrolling in Arthur Murray classes (which would levy a fee besides). It’s okay to have two left feet — until you try out your new steps during pre-dinner live music. The couples there have been burning up dance floors for decades. And on 
8. Milk and Cookies. You’re lounging poolside in the afternoon, and all of a sudden you get a craving for something sweet — but you’re perfectly comfortable and don’t want to move. What do you do? If you’re onboard a Princess cruise, you relax while the waitstaff bring over fresh, soft-baked cookies and ice-cold milk. And then you silently wish that you could afford to employ someone to do the same for you at home.
9. Free Cabin Toiletries. We can’t figure out why, but finding Carnival’s famous complimentary in-cabin toiletry baskets always inspires a stupid grin. Inclusions rotate, but on our last Carnival cruise, we sucked on cherry Ludens, and kept hair frizz-free with Pantene conditioner and teeth from turning brown with Arm & Hammer whitening toothpaste. It’s the little things.
10. Surfing at Sea. At-sea surf simulators first debuted on
11. AquaSpa Cafe. With its AquaSpa Cafe concept, 
12. Poolside Milkshakes. Most ships do free soft-serve ice cream, but 
13. Outdoor Movies. The flicks may not be first-run, but admission is free, and you can bring in treats from your cabin or the buffet without having to smuggle them under your jacket. Lido Deck movie screens are even more romantic than the real deal, with prime viewing from the pool by day and on snuggly loungers covered with warm blankets (and popcorn!) at night.
14. Climbing the Mast. Tall ship line 
15. People-watching. There is no better free entertainment than positioning a chair in a high-traffic zone on the pool deck, promenade or atrium and watching the antics of your shipmates. From fashion snafus to bizarre behavior and juicy conversations overheard, what you witness on a cruise ship can rival the best reality TV.
16. Time to 
17. Broadway Onboard. In the mood to see a Broadway show without paying Broadway ticket prices? You’re in luck. Check out “Hairspray” on Royal Caribbean’s Oasis of the Seas, “Chicago” on Allure of the Seas, “Saturday Night Fever” on Liberty of the Seas, “Rock of Ages” on Norwegian Breakaway or “Legally Blonde: the Musical” on Norwegian Getaway. You can also catch West End and TV stars such as illusionist Derren Brown and classical singing star Russell Watson. And the best thing about this entertainment? — it’s all gratis.
18. Bathrobes for All. Carnival takes a proletariat approach to cabins — there are no 1,000-square-foot suites with baby grand pianos on the Fun Ships. And everyone, from the inside cabin occupier to the passenger in the modest-sized suite, gets a bathrobe. Who is to decree that only cruisers with money should be able to spend their post-shower moments in comfort? Not Carnival. (Note: Holland America also provides robes to all.)
19. Coronary Burgers. If you’re craving a complimentary heart attack on a bun, give one (or several) of Guy Fieri’s burgers a try at Guy’s Burger Joint. This fee-free venue will be added to the pool decks of 14 Carnival ships through 2015, offering burgers on buttered buns with a choice of toppings like blue cheese crumbles, onion rings and chipotle mayonnaise.
20. Mini-Golf. For anyone who wants to avoid crowds and catch some sun without lazing by the pool, top-deck mini-golf is a great option — and it’s free. Offered on some Royal Caribbean, Carnival, Disney, Princess and MSC ships, to name a few, the courses generally aren’t a full 18 holes, but they can still be challenging, as your putting will be affected by the ship’s movement. For an even more competitive twist, join a mini-golf competition, usually offered once per sailing.
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