Basically it sounds like none of us actually know the reason, we’re all just speculating. Anyone with any actual evidence about the issue? Local Cubans, magazine/newspaper articles on the subject, travel guides?
Not Wrong.
Where did I say from The United States? This thread is not asking about ferry service between Cuba and The United States. It is talking about anything leaving or arriving in Cuba. Period.
Plenty of flights enter and leave Cuba, even with the limitations on travel for Cubans. But people would rather fly to those destination than take a ferry.
Did you fail logic in school? There are actual embargos and laws in place which prevent or at least inhibit the importation or transportation of Cuban cigars into The United States. If pressed, a person could provide cites for those particular laws. So it is not a lack of demand keeping Cohibas out of America.
However, there are no laws or rules or government restrictions preventing a ferry service in Cuba. If there were, someone would have come along by now to quote from it. There isn’t. Yet, you don’t want to accept that.
There could have been a ton of reasons, which is why this wasn’t a stupid question. BUT, you have to accept that since nobody can find a law or government restriction banning ferry service in Cuba, that such a law doesn’t exist! It’s like you have your mind set on what the answer should be and just aren’t accepting it.
Cubans manage to fly on airplanes despite the explicit travel authorization required. I don’t know how many get to do it, but I’m sure it’s not many! This is not a law preventing a ferry service though. If they can leave in a plane, they can leave in a ferry. This is just another reason why there is lack of a demand for ferry service. The passenger pool is tiny to begin with, and those potential passengers that do exist are flying, and not looking for ferry service.
I don’t find it hard to believe in the least. And, in fact, if someone actually produced a cite for a law banning ferry service in Cuba, I would be surprised.
I took an island hop in The Bahamas recently. The plane tickets were cheap, and there were only like 3 other people on the plane. Not many passengers.
Had a ferry been available, I would have opted to fly anyway. Cause it was faster and more convenient.
The only reason I would opt for a ferry ride over a plane ride is if I was taking my car with me. Like the ferry I took from Holland to the UK.
If it’s just me and no car? Plane every time. Unless the ferry is HUGELY cheaper. But to make a ferry that cheap, it would require a high volume of passengers, which does not exist in Cuba.
[Moderator Note]
Let’s avoid personal shots like this in GQ. No warning issued.
Colibri
General Questions Moderator
Exactly. So I’m wondering whether a lack of demand is not really what’s keeping Cubans off the ferries, but some sort of direct or indirect government action. Or some other reason I haven’t thought of.
You’re right, I won’t accept that you’ve proven there are no government restrictions on ferry services just because, “if there were, someone would have come along by now to quote from it”. You don’t have any more expertise in this area than I do, so either back your statements up with something concrete or stop wasting my time please.
Well, don’t underestimate the level of control of the Cuban government. Any ferry service in Cuba is by definition state owned, since private ownership, business especially, is illegal. So if that’s the answer you’re looking for then there it is, there isn’t ferry service in Cuba because the government has not seen fit to create one, or reinstate it in this case.
By the same token one could ask why there are no ferries connecting the Hawaiian Islands. That would seem to be even more useful than ferries connecting islands in the Carribean. (The Hawaiian Superferry was tried a few years ago and failed.)
I think all arguments related to distance and type of water are red herrings. In all cases the problem is either governmental regulation or lack of demand.
Plenty of large, long distance ferries are basically cruise ships with car decks. Color Line is forever calling the ships on their Oslo-Kiel line “cruise-ferries” and promoting “cruises” which basically mean up and down on the same ship without getting off. If you saw one of these ships at a distance and didn’t notice the honkin’ big doors, you might well assume you were looking at a cruise ship.
Incidentally, until a few years ago there were two daily sailings (with two different companies) between Oslo and Northern Jutland. Now there is only one - the company running the other one decided it wasn’t a money-maker and they were going to focus on other things.
BTW, thanks to everyone who has corrected me on the ferry vs cruise thing.
Yes. This was also a time when Havana’s casino gambling made Las Vegas look like a podunk town in the desert. The rise of communism in Cuba did more for Vegas than anything else.
Very insightful.
Doesn’t it seem we’ve covered the waterfront here? Demonstrative evidence of the policies of the Cuban government and the US government. Prima facie case made by the lack of ferries between Cuba and countries other than the US. And evidence of some ferries in the Caribbean, but mostly very short haul.
Where was that?
I have a friend who goes to Cuba for any medical. He says he goes by boat from Haiti.
I agree.
Between the US embargo against Cuba and the War on Drugs, any ferry services to or from Cuba would probably experience higher than normal stops at sea by the US Navy or Coast Guard. If drugs were found, then it’s likely that the ferry itself would be seized.
There’s also the fact that Cubans might leave Cuba in droves (e.g. economic refugees) if there were an easier method to do so. There’s little incentive for the Cuban government to allow its citizenry to travel freely as there’s a significant chance that many would make the return trip.
I didn’t initially realize that this thread is from four years ago. I’d forgotten commenting in it back then, and I’m vaguely embarrassed that I chuckled at my own wit before realizing that that was me.
Times change http://havanaferrypartners.com/ “Our goal is to provide high-speed, cost effective, passenger ferry service from Port Everglades and Key West, Florida to Havana, Cuba.”
Not really. There is a second company that even signed a contract to build ferries in early 2012.
But in march 2012, Obama said “NO WAY”.
I guess its unethical , as emigrants from Cuba may jump into the water at USA to avoid USA authorities, and then its expensive for the USA government to police ,rescue and repatriate the emigrants. (AS they didn’t buy a return flight to USA.)