Who Can Cruise To Cuba? – Complete Guide

If you are considering a cruise to the Caribbean, you may be wondering if you can cruise to Cuba.

I’ve visited Cuba and it was brilliant, I’d recommend it to anybody who is able to go. That said, not everybody is able to cruise to Cuba.

I took a family holiday to Cuba in 2010, but I have never visited by cruise ship.

Can You Cruise to Cuba?

Citizens of the US cannot cruise to Cuba and as a result US-based cruise lines no longer offer cruises to Cuba.

People from outside the US are able to cruise to Cuba and there are a number of non-US cruise lines that still offer itineraries to Cuba – Marella for example.

For passengers from outside of the US, it is still possible to cruise to Cuba. The number of options has decreased dramatically but the option is still there for those who want it.

Pre 2019

Between 2017 and 2019, US cruise ships were able to dock in Cuba.

In June 2019 the regulations were changed to make it illegal for people from the US to travel to Cuba under the ‘people to people’ category.

It also made it illegal for any American-owned cruise line to visit Cuba so overnight all of the big American cruise lines pulled out of Cuba.

Can Americans Still Visit Cuba if Not on a Cruise?

There is a way that Americans can still visit Cuba.

The regulations change affected only ‘people to people’ travel and travelling under the ‘Support the Cuban People’ category is still allowed. Many companies focus on providing trips like this.

‘People to people’ is basically any group tour for the purposes of tourism such as organised guided tours and cruise ships. On the other hand ‘Support of The Cuban People’ is designed for individual travellers.

In order to fall into this category, the traveller is required to support the Cuban people and promote activities intended to strengthen Cuban society.

It definitely is difficult for Americans to visit Cuba, although not impossible.

British Cruise Lines

British cruise lines are still able to provide cruises to Cuba. The British cruise line Fred Olsen are currently one of the biggest providers of Cuban cruises.

They focus on providing a traditional cruising experience on small and medium-sized cruise ships.

I have only taken one Fred Olsen cruise, where I went to Norway, “In Search of the Northern Lights”.

Find out more about this traditional cruise line here:

Another British cruise line that cruises to Cuba is Marella. They provide all-inclusive cruises and focus on the family market.

It is, in theory, possible to cruise to Cuba from the UK – however this rarely happens in reality.

Most transatlantic cruises travelling from the UK to the Caribbean would usually stop in the US on the way.

In the majority of cases, passengers had to fly to a destination in the Caribbean in order to cruise to Cuba.

The above itinerary is an example of a cruise offered by the British cruise line Fred Olsen.

Overnight Stays

Most cruises to Cuba include an overnight stay in the country’s capital, Havana. This allows guests to spend an evening in the city and really experience its culture.

I did visit Cuba, but not on a cruise. We spent a week in Havana, and I have to say it was one of the most interesting places I’ve ever been to.

Being from the UK, it was quite a culture shock, but I’m very glad that I went. We saw a lot of the country, and I’d love to return one day to see how things have changed.

For me one of the biggest things to get used during my time in Cuba was the lack of toilet seats, toilet paper and locks on the cubicle doors!

It was eye-opening to see people queuing up for their food allowances and hearing from our guide about how she and her family lived.

Cruise Options For Non-US Citizens

There are a couple of options when it comes to cruising to Cuba from outside of the US.

The first option is to fly to the Caribbean to take a Cuban cruise. The second option is to combine the Cuba part into a longer itinerary.

The itinerary below shows a ‘Grand South America voyage’ that departs from Southampton and lasts 79 nights.

Note how the above itinerary doesn’t dock in the US. If the cruise came across and docked, for example, in New York before moving down to the Caribbean, it would be unable to visit Cuba.

Is It A Problem If UK Citizens Visit Cuba?

Only if they wish to travel to the United States afterwards.

If you want to visit the USA and have been to Cuba since January 12, 2021 visiting the USA could be a problem.

You become ineligible to use the ESTA system if you have visited Cuba.

An ESTA, or Electronic System for Travel Authorization, is an automated system that determines if a visitor is eligible to travel to the United States under the Visa Waiver Program (VWP)

The fact that you have been to Cuba does not prohibit you from visiting the USA. It just means that you cannot use the automated ESTA system to apply for a visa waiver, where you will need to apply for a visitor visa in advance. You will need to be more organised in your trip planning.

Could an American Book on One of These UK Cruises?

No. If an American tried to book onto one of these cruises which are going to Cuba it should flag up on the cruise lines system so that the American citizen cannot book onto the cruise.

A potentially murky area is where a person has dual citizenship.

The USA wouldn’t let you back into the US if you had come from Cuba – so it’s probably best not to try and exploit passport citizenships in this way.

What About Canadians or Australians?

Cuba has more tourists from Canada than from any other place. There are no restrictions on Canadians visiting Cuba so most simply fly down.

There is no reason why a Canadian, or Australian, or anybody of any other nationality other than American should be unable to book on a cruise visiting Cuba.

Of course in reality this is much easier said than done. A number of British lines are still cruising to Cuba, but for a Canadian, this isn’t usually very practical.

It is possible that they could fly down to the Caribbean to join a ship, but long cruises from the UK or Europe would be very difficult for the majority of Canadians.

Before You Go

Find out why you might want to consider the Mediterranean for your next cruise adventure here:

7 Reasons Why Your Next Cruise Should be in The Mediterranean

Find out when is the best time of year to visit popular cruise destinations here:

Cruise Destinations and Timings (Peak Seasons, Popular Itineraries and Weather)