# Why are there no ferries to Cuba, from anywhere? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [April 26, 2010, 11:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-there-no-ferries-to-cuba-from-anywhere/537467 "2010-04-26T23:53:55Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2010, 2:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-there-no-ferries-to-cuba-from-anywhere/537467/21 "2010-04-27T14:31:12Z")
> [@Tom\_Tildrum](#): > > …If memory serves, US law prohibits Americans from spending money in Cuba. I think you’re mistaken. There are limits as to how much money you may send to relatives in Cuba if you’re of Cuban descent, but unless I overlooked it, what restrictions there are while you’re visiting there appear to be imposed by Cuba itself: \*Since November 2004, the U.S. dollar has not been accepted for commercial transactions. U.S.-issued debit and credit cards also are not accepted in Cuba. The Cuban government requires the use of convertible Cuban pesos or non-convertible Cuban pesos (“moneda nacional”) for all transactions… \* From here: [404 - Page Not Found](http://travel.state.gov/travel/cis_pa_tw/cis/cis_1097.html) That said, the U.S. dollar is widely accepted on the sly in Cuba as part of the underground economy, from what I’ve read. ---
**Author:** ![Keeve](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/f07891/32.png) [@Keeve](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Keeve)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2010, 2:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-there-no-ferries-to-cuba-from-anywhere/537467/22 "2010-04-27T14:51:49Z")
Interesting! Thanks! ---
**Author:** ![An\_Gadai](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/d6d6ee/32.png) [@An\_Gadai](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/An_Gadai)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2010, 2:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-there-no-ferries-to-cuba-from-anywhere/537467/23 "2010-04-27T14:54:53Z")
> [@Floater](#): > > They could do it in shorter time but for duty free reasons all ships make a stopover in Mariehamn on the Åland archipelago between Sweden and the Finnish mainland (like the Canary Islands Åland is not part of the EU). They’re both in the EU but have special status with regard to it. ---
**Author:** ![KarlGrenze](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/dbc845/32.png) [@KarlGrenze](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KarlGrenze)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2010, 3:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-there-no-ferries-to-cuba-from-anywhere/537467/24 "2010-04-27T15:00:22Z")
> [@The\_Great\_Philosopher](#): > > Why are there only two countries that “may want to go to Cuba”? Why not a link between Cancun and Cuba? Both places are popular tourist destinations with huge local populations as well. I find it hard to believe in those circumstances that there is literally no demand, whatsoever, for any cheap transport connection. Flights between Cancun and Cuba are hundreds of dollars - a 100-mile ferry would surely be a hell of a lot quicker and cheaper. If your argument is that there is literally no demand for a transport connection by sea between Cuba and any of its neighbors, I think the burden of proof lies with you on this one. I meant that there are two island countries, in the Caribbean, where ferry connections to Cuba would be more logical. You’re right, I did not consider Mexico. Again, I’m not sure how economically feasible that would be. And it is more than 100 miles between Cancún and Havana. And I’m sure it won’t be as quick as a plane ride. C’mon, the ferry ride between PR and its islands is still longer than the plane ride between San Juan and their municipal airports. > [@](#): > > Maybe. But if you’re saying _every single_ potential traveler thinks like that, and that there’s not even enough demand to sustain, say, one ferry crossing a week to Cancun or Haiti, I think you need to back that up, because it strikes me as very odd. Well, Mexico and Dominican Republic, and Jamaica, and other islands of the Caribbean with tourist spots (really, put Haiti out of it) that can have commerce with Cuba, have not established ferry services with Cuba. And while I’ve heard good things about the ferry between Dominican Republic and Puerto Rico, or Puerto Rico and its islands (like I said, cheaper), I’ve not heard a great demand for ferry services to Cuba. Air travel, yes. Ferry, nope. ---
**Author:** ![KarlGrenze](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/dbc845/32.png) [@KarlGrenze](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KarlGrenze)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2010, 3:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-there-no-ferries-to-cuba-from-anywhere/537467/25 "2010-04-27T15:03:45Z")
Oh, and Haiti has enough troubles on its own to have a ferry service with Cuba. Why, exactly, of all the things that country has to do to recover, would establishing a ferry service be anywhere near a priority? Haiti has neither the same amount of tourist traffic of other islands, nor the cultural and language closeness of Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico, and Mexico. ---
**Author:** ![garygnu](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/garygnu/32/2924_2.png) [@garygnu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/garygnu)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2010, 3:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-there-no-ferries-to-cuba-from-anywhere/537467/26 "2010-04-27T15:21:07Z")
> [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](#): > > I think you’re mistaken. There are limits as to how much money you may send to relatives in Cuba if you’re of Cuban descent, but unless I overlooked it, what restrictions there are while you’re visiting there appear to be imposed by Cuba itself: > > \*Since November 2004, the U.S. dollar has not been accepted for commercial transactions. U.S.-issued debit and credit cards also are not accepted in Cuba. The Cuban government requires the use of convertible Cuban pesos or non-convertible Cuban pesos (“moneda nacional”) for all transactions… \* > > From here: [404 - Page Not Found](http://travel.state.gov/travel/cis_pa_tw/cis/cis_1097.html) > > That said, the U.S. dollar is widely accepted on the sly in Cuba as part of the underground economy, from what I’ve read. From your own link: “The Cuban Assets Control Regulations are enforced by the U.S. Department of the Treasury and affect all U.S. citizens and permanent residents wherever they are located, all people and organizations physically located in the United States, and all branches and subsidiaries of U.S. organizations throughout the world. The regulations require that persons subject to U.S. jurisdiction be licensed in order to engage in any travel-related transactions pursuant to travel to, from, and within Cuba. Transactions related to tourist travel are not licensable.” To me, that says the US does not allow its citizens to spend money in Cuba. (However, there would be little record of a dockside bribe.) ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2010, 3:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-there-no-ferries-to-cuba-from-anywhere/537467/27 "2010-04-27T15:27:09Z")
I don’t think so. As I read it, as a U.S. tourist you need a license - now pretty freely granted, I’ve read - to go there, but once you’re there you can pay or give your dollars to anyone who doesn’t mind breaking Cuban law. ---
**Author:** ![suranyi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e36b37/32.png) [@suranyi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/suranyi)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2010, 3:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-there-no-ferries-to-cuba-from-anywhere/537467/28 "2010-04-27T15:28:10Z")
All right, so far I’ve seen very few examples of ferries being used in the Carribean at all – and all of those are to connect pieces within one country that are very close: Puerto Rico to some of its smalller islands, Cozumel to the Yucatan, Belize to some offshore islands. Nobody knows of any ferries connecting islands in the Carribean that are different countries, or different colonies. So why should the lack of ferries to Cuba be surprising? ---
**Author:** ![KarlGrenze](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/dbc845/32.png) [@KarlGrenze](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KarlGrenze)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2010, 3:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-there-no-ferries-to-cuba-from-anywhere/537467/29 "2010-04-27T15:40:29Z")
> [@suranyi](#): > > All right, so far I’ve seen very few examples of ferries being used in the Carribean at all – and all of those are to connect pieces within one country that are very close: Puerto Rico to some of its smalller islands, Cozumel to the Yucatan, Belize to some offshore islands. Nobody knows of any ferries connecting islands in the Carribean that are different countries, or different colonies. For the third time, Dominican Republic to Puerto Rico. > [@](#): > > So why should the lack of ferries to Cuba be surprising? The OP seems to think of a ferry service catered to tourists, when most ferry services, although touristy, also have a large component of just regular folks, visiting relatives, and non-touristy businesspeople. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Great\_Philosopher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/3ec8ea/32.png) [@The\_Great\_Philosopher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Great_Philosopher)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2010, 3:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-there-no-ferries-to-cuba-from-anywhere/537467/30 "2010-04-27T15:43:41Z")
> [@suranyi](#): > > All right, so far I’ve seen very few examples of ferries being used in the Carribean at all – and all of those are to connect pieces within one country that are very close: Puerto Rico to some of its smalller islands, Cozumel to the Yucatan, Belize to some offshore islands. Nobody knows of any ferries connecting islands in the Carribean that are different countries, or different colonies. > > So why should the lack of ferries to Cuba be surprising? If that’s true, why are there no ferries used in the Caribbean? I suspect a big part of the reason is the distances involved. But where the distances aren’t too long - such as between Cuba and Mexico, Haiti, the Bahamas, maybe even Jamaica - why are there no ferries? > [@](#): > > Oh, and Haiti has enough troubles on its own to have a ferry service with Cuba. Why, exactly, of all the things that country has to do to recover, would establishing a ferry service be anywhere near a priority? > > Haiti has neither the same amount of tourist traffic of other islands, nor the cultural and language closeness of Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico, and Mexico. The Haitian earthquake was only 6 months ago. Why were there no ferries before that? I realize there wouldn’t be much tourist demand for a Cuban-Haitian link, but come on, they’re only 50 miles apart. There has to be some local and cultural links between those people, right? Enough to warrant a once-a-week ferry service at least? ---
**Author:** ![The\_Great\_Philosopher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/3ec8ea/32.png) [@The\_Great\_Philosopher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Great_Philosopher)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2010, 3:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-there-no-ferries-to-cuba-from-anywhere/537467/31 "2010-04-27T15:49:32Z")
> [@KarlGrenze](#): > > The OP seems to think of a ferry service catered to tourists, when most ferry services, although touristy, also have a large component of just regular folks, visiting relatives, and non-touristy businesspeople. Nope. There’s no ferries at all, for anyone. I’m just trying to understand why! If the same odd situation applies to other Caribbean countries too, then my question applies to them as well. ---
**Author:** ![suranyi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e36b37/32.png) [@suranyi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/suranyi)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2010, 3:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-there-no-ferries-to-cuba-from-anywhere/537467/32 "2010-04-27T15:59:15Z")
> [@KarlGrenze](#): > > For the third time, Dominican Republic to Puerto Rico. Sorry, I missed that one. OK, that’s the one example. ---
**Author:** ![alphaboi867](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alphaboi867/32/3898_2.png) [@alphaboi867](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/alphaboi867)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2010, 4:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-there-no-ferries-to-cuba-from-anywhere/537467/33 "2010-04-27T16:05:15Z")
Armando Ruiz is [trying](http://cuba.foreignpolicyblogs.com/2009/09/13/ferry-from-miami-to-havana-tbd/) to get a licence from the federal government to operate a cruiseferry between Miami and Havana so Cuban-Americans can more easly visit relatives in Cuba and bring more stuff with them. Before diplomatic relations were severed there were several ferries operating between Cuba & the US. ---
**Author:** ![KarlGrenze](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/dbc845/32.png) [@KarlGrenze](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KarlGrenze)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2010, 5:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-there-no-ferries-to-cuba-from-anywhere/537467/34 "2010-04-27T17:41:20Z")
> [@The\_Great\_Philosopher](#): > > The Haitian earthquake was only 6 months ago. Why were there no ferries before that? I realize there wouldn’t be much tourist demand for a Cuban-Haitian link, but come on, they’re only 50 miles apart. There has to be some local and cultural links between those people, right? Enough to warrant a once-a-week ferry service at least? Haiti is the poorest country in the continent. It was that way before the earthquake, it will continue to be that way in the nearby future. A ferry between Cuba and Haiti would have only been possible with Cuban initiative. Why exactly would a communist country establish a commercial enterprise with the poorest country around? Humanitarian aid, sure. Anything else, why? You must realize Haiti has a strong French influence while its neighbors have mainly a Spanish influence. There is this language barrier issue, to begin with. The cultural links with Cuba are closer with the other countries I mentioned. Economically, it doesn’t really make sense. Like others and I have mentioned, there are ferry services, over short, frequently travelled distances, enough to make economic and social sense. ---
**Author:** ![KarlGrenze](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/dbc845/32.png) [@KarlGrenze](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KarlGrenze)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2010, 5:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-there-no-ferries-to-cuba-from-anywhere/537467/35 "2010-04-27T17:42:49Z")
> [@alphaboi867](#): > > Armando Ruiz is [trying](http://cuba.foreignpolicyblogs.com/2009/09/13/ferry-from-miami-to-havana-tbd/) to get a licence from the federal government to operate a cruiseferry between Miami and Havana so Cuban-Americans can more easly visit relatives in Cuba and bring more stuff with them. Before diplomatic relations were severed there were several ferries operating between Cuba & the US. That would make a lot more sense, and probably be more stable and economically possible than other things mentioned here. Maybe it’ll get pass politics. ---
**Author:** ![mnemosyne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c4cdca/32.png) [@mnemosyne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mnemosyne)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2010, 6:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-there-no-ferries-to-cuba-from-anywhere/537467/36 "2010-04-27T18:25:47Z")
Another element to consider is that, while plane service is more expensive, a lot of the types of planes being used in the Caribbean are relatively cheap to maintain turboprops and break even at about 30% passenger load (well, the Dash-8 does; admittedly it’s the plane I’m most familiar with). STOL capability is also pretty advantageous in small islands - it’s easier to make a small runway than a serviceable port. Being able to go rather quickly from island to island for the passengers, and being able to fill the rest of the plane with cargo/postal revenue for the airline, is an advantage over ferries which are much slower, even if they can carry more. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Great\_Philosopher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/3ec8ea/32.png) [@The\_Great\_Philosopher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Great_Philosopher)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2010, 6:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-there-no-ferries-to-cuba-from-anywhere/537467/37 "2010-04-27T18:42:17Z")
> [@KarlGrenze](#): > > Haiti is the poorest country in the continent. It was that way before the earthquake, it will continue to be that way in the nearby future. A ferry between Cuba and Haiti would have only been possible with Cuban initiative. Why exactly would a communist country establish a commercial enterprise with the poorest country around? Humanitarian aid, sure. Anything else, why? So people who want to go there can go there, in exchange for money? > [@](#): > > You must realize Haiti has a strong French influence while its neighbors have mainly a Spanish influence. There is this language barrier issue, to begin with. The cultural links with Cuba are closer with the other countries I mentioned. Hey, Indonesia has a language barrier with Malaysia, not much in common culturally and huge swathe of difficult sailing between them. There’s still dozens of ferry services that work that route. I get your argument making sense for there not being _a lot_ of ferries, but one a week? One a month? If you’re trying to say that demand to go to a place that’s only 50 miles away is really that astonishing low, I think the burden of proof lies with you to prove it. > [@](#): > > Economically, it doesn’t really make sense. Like others and I have mentioned, there are ferry services, over short, frequently travelled distances, enough to make economic and social sense. Cuba to Mexico, Haiti, the Bahamas and even Jamaica are all short distances. They’re all routes frequently travelled by airlines, which are much more expensive than ferries. So why has no one tried to set up a once-a-week ferry service? If you’re saying it’s because the demand for any of those routes is literally 0% - not enough to fill a single ferry - then I think you need something to back that up. ---
**Author:** ![Rigamarole](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/77aa72/32.png) [@Rigamarole](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rigamarole)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2010, 6:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-there-no-ferries-to-cuba-from-anywhere/537467/38 "2010-04-27T18:53:50Z")
When I lived in Mexico, I knew some people (Americans) who claimed they had taken a boat to Cuba and back. There must be some. ---
**Author:** ![obfusciatrist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/4af34b/32.png) [@obfusciatrist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/obfusciatrist)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2010, 7:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-there-no-ferries-to-cuba-from-anywhere/537467/39 "2010-04-27T19:03:02Z")
Not particularly relevant, but on the “long ferry route” discussion early on I’d point out that you can take a ferry from Prince Rupert, Canada, to Whittier, Alaska, or from Cordova, Alaska, to Dutch Harbor (with stops along the way). Both of those routes are about 850-900 miles in a straight line and I don’t think they go in a straight line. (The Alaska Marine Highway System [community map](http://www.dot.state.ak.us/amhs/map/community_map.html)) ---
**Author:** ![ashenRiot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/65b543/32.png) [@ashenRiot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ashenRiot)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2010, 7:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-there-no-ferries-to-cuba-from-anywhere/537467/40 "2010-04-27T19:11:39Z")
In response to the OP, I was in Jamaica (OchoRios) several years ago and i distinctly remember seeing a sign at the hotel advertising ferry day-trips to Cuba. I don’t know if they still do it but at least back then it did happen. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-there-no-ferries-to-cuba-from-anywhere/537467.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-there-no-ferries-to-cuba-from-anywhere/537467.md?page=3)