New US to Cuba Travel Rules Start, Cruises Still Not Permitted

(11:37 a.m. EST) – The opening of Cuba to citizens of the United States who wish to cruise there will take a tiny step forward tomorrow when new travel regulations promised by President Obama last month go into effect. General tourist travel — including cruises — is still prohibited, but travelers visiting the island for a dozen predesignated reasons may now do so without a special license. Additionally, the limit on money spent in the country has been eliminated and visitors may use U.S. credit and debit cards during their travels.

The 12 broad categories under which travel to Cuba are allowed remain the same as they have always been and include such classifications as journalistic activity, professional research, educational activities, religious activities, public performances, clinics, workshops, athletics, exhibitions and support for the Cuban people, among others. What has changed is that individual travelers will no longer need a special license for their travel from the Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control.

Among other notable changes, airlines will be allowed to provide direct flights to Cuba from the United States without a special license, and travelers may bring back up to $400 worth of goods, including $100 in alcohol and tobacco products.

Mass travel to Cuba from the United States, including large-ship cruising, requires congressional approval.

For more on what a Cuba cruise is like, read our Cuba Cruising Basics and see our Cuba cruise photo album.

–By Dori Saltzman, News Editor