DORAL, Fla. (WSVN) — Carnival Corporation has announced Carnival’s Fathom brand will allow all travelers, including Cuban-Americans, to book cruises to Cuba.
Arnold Donald, CEO of Carnival Corporation, announced Monday that they are still optimistic about Cuba changing its policies. "We want everyone to be able to go to Cuba with us," said Donald. "We remain excited about this historic opportunity to give our guests an extraordinary vacation experience in Cuba."
The historic voyage, the first American cruise to Cuba in 50 years, turned into a public relations storm for Carnival because Cuban policy does not allow Cuban-Americans to travel to the island by boat. "I guess they realized what they were planning to do was discriminatory," said Cuban-American resident Jacinto Acebal.
Carnival Cruise Line released a statement that said they are continuing "active discussions with Cuba, asking that travel on Fathom be on a level playing field with air charter travel to Cuba and remains confident its discussions with Cuba will result in a positive outcome for everyone who wants to travel to Cuba, including those who are Cuba-born."
"I think Carnival misunderstood our community, and now they have a better sense of what the people are thinking," said U.S. Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, R-Fla.
Protesters, Cuban-Americans and even Secretary of State John Kerry, have all voiced their disapproval of the lingering policies. "Repression is taking place in Cuba," said one protester. "We can’t let it happen here in Miami, too."
Kerry stated in a press conference that the cruise line "needs to not discriminate." According to Cuban-Americans, Carnival Corporation was discriminating because they agreed to follow Cuba’s policies that do not allow Cuban-Americans to sail.
Ros-Lehtinen believes the industry has taken notice of what the people have called for. "The people have spoken out, and the industry has taken note," she said.
The first cruise to Cuba is set to sail May 1, but Carnival Corporation has said if Cuba’s policies do not change, they will delay the inaugural cruise.
Before Carnival changed its policy, Miami-Dade Mayor Carlos Gimenez said they were clearly violating the county’s human rights ordinance. "I think it’s the right thing to do, and I’m also happy that, unless the law changes, that they are going to cancel the cruise," he said.
"I guess Carnival feels like they have won," said Ros-Lehtinen. "But really, it’s a reminder to all the businesses that are operating in and around our community that the Cuban people have not forgotten the pain and the anguish that is caused by the Cuban regime."
Despite the promotional videos and the advertisements, many Cuban-Americans still think luxury cruises to Cuba are a bad idea. "They are just trying to make more money. That is all they are doing," said Acebal. "Cuba is not going to change. Castro is not going to change."
Over the weekend, Cuban President Raul Castro told Cubans that the U.S. was attempting to weaken their revolution. Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodriguez said President Barack Obama’s trip to the island nation was just to "dazzle."