Budget Travel: Current avenue to Cuba is a cruise

When former President Barack Obama announced a dramatic new extension in the right of Americans to visit Cuba, it was instantly assumed that a flood of tourism soon would be loosed on that Caribbean nation.

That was more than a year ago, and hopes for a large wave of tourism there have not been realized. The proof is seen in the recent decision of several airlines to cut back the flights they had once scheduled to Cuba. Spirit Airlines is the latest to phase out (at least partially) its Cuba plans, following the earlier announcement to the same effect by Silver Airlines, operating from Fort Lauderdale. Other airlines have greatly reduced the number of flights they operate to the Cuban capital.

As for using standard accommodations for a typical trip, the American visitor is faced with a limited choice of hotels already jammed with visitors from Canada, Britain, Germany and other foreign lands. When a room opens up in the few standard hotels, it typically is priced at a forbidding $600 or $700 a night, which usually is rejected by the American visitor. What remains are shabby Havana apartments rented by local residents (casas particulares). Apparently, the number of Americans willing to make use of them is limited, resulting in a fairly small number of Americans making an air-and-land visit to Cuba.

The average visitor is instead relegated to booking a cruise that makes an overnight stop in Havana, and here the possibilities currently are more promising. All three of the major mass-volume cruise lines (Carnival, Royal Caribbean and Norwegian) have assigned their smaller, older ships to cruises making a stop in Cuba, and it is estimated that approximately 175,000 Americans will enjoy such sea-based trips this year. (The cruise lines’ older, smaller ships — carrying 1,800 to 2,000 passengers apiece — are able to make use of the limited docks in Havana that cannot accommodate the larger, more modern ships.)

So if you crave a visit to Cuba this year and you are not willing to stay in a sometimes-shabby and uncomfortable apartment, your best opportunity is a cruise. Visit the websites of the mass-volume cruise lines to see what’s available.

Note to the reader: Please be sure to confirm all rates and details directly with the companies in question before planning your trip. The information in this column was accurate when it was released, but prices are competitive, sometimes limited and can always change without notice.

— Arthur Frommer is the pioneering founder of the Frommer’s Travel Guide book series. He co-hosts the radio program, The Travel Show, with his travel correspondent daughter Pauline Frommer. Find more destinations online and read Arthur Frommer’s blog at frommers.com.