One Time Enough For Cuba? In the Long Run: Nope

United​ ​States​ ​citizens​ ​have​ ​waited​ ​decades​ ​to​ ​visit​ ​Cuba.​ ​​ ​Answering​ ​the​ ​call​ ​for​ ​more​ ​in​ ​the Caribbean,​ ​clever​ ​Carnival​ ​Corporation​ ​figured​ ​out​ ​how​ ​to​ ​make​ ​that​ ​happen,​ ​with​ ​other​ ​cruise lines​ ​following​ ​suit​ ​shortly​ ​thereafter.​ ​After​ ​sailing​ ​to​ ​the​ ​‘new’​ ​island​ ​on​ ​board​ ​Carnival​ ​Paradise, I​ ​am​ ​puzzled​ ​by​ ​one​ ​rather​ ​common​ ​comment​ ​from​ ​those​ ​who​ ​have​ ​been​ ​there​ ​before​ ​me. “Nice,​ ​but​ ​once​ ​was​ ​enough”​ ​said​ ​just​ ​about​ ​every​ ​American​ ​I​ ​had​ ​the​ ​occasion​ ​to​ ​ask​ ​prior​ ​to sailing.​ ​I​ ​should​ ​have​ ​asked​ ​more​ ​people.

It’s​ ​one​ ​thing​ ​to​ ​check​ ​Cuba​ ​off​ ​a​ ​bucket​ ​list​ ​and​ ​move​ ​along​ ​to​ ​the​ ​next​ ​item.​ ​I​ ​get​ ​that.​ ​​ ​What​ ​is rather​ ​strange​ ​to​ ​me​ ​is​ ​the​ ​“once​ ​was​ ​enough”​ ​thought​ ​by​ ​many​ ​who​ ​have​ ​been​ ​to​ ​Cuba.​ ​​ ​Here then​ ​are​ ​is​ ​some​ ​food​ ​for​ ​thought​ ​on​ ​repeating​ ​Cuba​ ​like​ ​we​ ​might​ ​any​ ​other​ ​island​ ​in​ ​the Caribbean.

Well,​ ​it’s​ ​really​ ​not​ ​like​ ​any​ ​other​ ​island​ ​in​ ​the​ ​Caribbean​: ​Cuba​ ​is​ ​huge​ ​for​ ​one thing,​ ​far​ ​larger​ ​than​ ​any​ ​other​ ​island​ ​in​ ​the​ ​Caribbean.​ ​The​ ​communist​ ​element​ ​too​ ​adds an​ ​additional​ ​difference…but​ ​just​ ​that.

You​ ​really​ ​want​ ​to​ ​start​ ​building​ ​that​ ​relationship​ ​in​ ​Havana​ ​now​:​ ​Years​ ​from​ ​now you​ ​will​ ​want​ ​to​ ​know​ ​the​ ​name​ ​of​ ​the​ ​bartender​ ​at​ ​a​ ​favorite​ ​Cuban​ ​place.

It​ ​will​ ​get​ ​better.​​ ​Look​ ​at​ ​MSC​ ​Cruises.: ​​ ​It​ ​took​ ​them​ ​a​ ​decade​ ​to​ ​figure​ ​out​ ​what​ ​North American​ ​cruise​ ​travelers​ ​want​ ​and​ ​how​ ​to​ ​deliver​ ​it.​ ​Their​ ​first​ ​attempt:​ ​fail.​ ​​ ​Now:​ ​a viable​ ​contender.​ ​​ ​​ ​Similarly,​ ​Cubans​ ​are​ ​figuring​ ​out​ ​what​ ​American​ ​tourists​ ​want​ ​and delivering​ ​it.

The​ ​huge​ ​mass​ ​of​ ​history​ ​to​ ​be​ ​explored,​ ​learned​ ​from​: ​The​ ​whole​ ​Communist​ ​thing is​ ​different​ ​than​ ​other​ ​Caribbean​ ​islands​ ​that​ ​are,​ ​well,​ ​not.​ ​Far​ ​less​ ​chat​ ​about​ ​sugar plantations,​ ​the​ ​spice​ ​trade​ ​and​ ​Mayans/Aztecs/Romulans​ ​here.

They​ ​want​ ​us​ ​bad:​​ ​“Forget​ ​what​ ​you​ ​have​ ​heard,​ ​we​ ​REALLY​ ​WANT​ ​YOU​ ​HERE”​ ​said a​ ​very​ ​engaging​ ​guide​ ​on​ ​a​ ​very​ ​inclusive​ ​tour,​ ​typical​ ​of​ ​shore​ ​excursions​ ​that​ ​include more.

Don’t​ ​forget:, not​ ​everyone​ ​has​ ​had​ ​a​ ​beef​ ​with​ ​Cuba:​​ ​Canadians,​ ​for​ ​example,​ ​face few​ ​restrictions​ ​in​ ​Cuba.​ ​​ ​It’s​ ​the​ ​1960’s​ ​America​ ​they​ ​have/had​ ​a​ ​problem​ ​with.​ ​​ ​That​ ​will dissolve​ ​shortly:​ ​they​ ​are​ ​catching​ ​on​ ​to​ ​capitalism​ ​just​ ​fine​ ​it​ ​seems.

How​ ​was​ ​your​ ​weather?:​​ ​It​ ​rained​ ​all​ ​day​ ​when​ ​we​ ​were​ ​there.​ ​I​ ​want​ ​to​ ​go​ ​back​ ​to​ ​see if​ ​the​ ​weather​ ​gods​ ​will​ ​be​ ​kind​ ​to​ ​me​ ​next​ ​time.

There​ ​is​ ​a​ ​lot​ ​to​ ​be​ ​explored​ ​in​ ​Cuba.​ ​​ ​While​ ​we​ ​were​ ​in​ ​Havana​ ​overnight,​ ​allowing​ ​Carnival Paradise​ ​cruise​ ​travelers​ ​to​ ​see​ ​life​ ​there​ ​throughout​ ​the​ ​day,​ ​we​ ​barely​ ​scratched​ ​the​ ​surface on​ ​what​ ​Cuba​ ​has​ ​to​ ​offer.​ ​​ ​Plan​ ​on​ ​two​ ​visits​ ​anyway,​ ​maybe​ ​more​ ​as​ ​Cuba​ ​opens​ ​up​ ​and reveals​ ​an​ ​island​ ​not​ ​unlike​ ​any​ ​others​ ​in​ ​the​ ​Caribbean.

Chris Owen shares frank, inside information about cruise vacations on ChrisCruises.com