Royal Caribbean has become the first cruise line to take action in response to the new U.S. Cuba travel ban which goes into effect today, June 5.
Royal Caribbean Cancels Calls to Cuba
In response to the new U.S. Cuba travel ban which begins today Royal Caribbean has already canceled calls to Havana, Cuba. The Miami-based cruise line first reacted by stating it is watching to see how the will impact them and just hours later a new statement on its website was released.
Latest from Royal Caribbean:
We are aware of the new U.S. travel restrictions to Cuba and we are analyzing the details to understand the impact to future sailings. We expect to know more within the next 24 hours and will communicate any changes as soon as we are able. In the meantime, we are adjusting the itineraries of our June 5 and June 6 sailings, which will no longer stop in Cuba. We are communicating with our guests about those changes.Â
Even though the full spoke of the Cuba ban and the impact on the cruise industry is not yet known Royal Caribbean has decided to cancel two stops to the country. The June 6 departure from Miami, Florida for Empress of the Seas will no longer feature a call to Havana. It was originally set call there on June 7 during its 4-day sailing.
Related: Cruise Lines React to U.S. Cuba Travel Ban
The other Royal Caribbean cruise ship impacted by the travel ban is Majesty of the Seas. The ship’s June 5 departure from Port Everglades will no longer include a visit to Havana on June 6.
All other upcoming Cuba sailings could also be affected and the cruise line will be providing further updates in the coming hours. Cruise Hive will keep readers informed on how the cruise industry is being impacted by the new Cuba travel ban which begins today.
We can also expect further updates from Carnival Cruise Line, Norwegian Cruise Line and Virgin Voyages.