Cuba Journal By Alexander Britell BACUNAYAGUA — It’s one of the Caribbean’s most famous cocktails, and perhaps the one that most typifies the best and worst of Caribbean tourism: the piña colada. This cocktail, which is said to have been born at the Barrachina bar in San Juan, Puerto Rico (or, others would have you believe, at … Read more
By the Cuba Journal staff Fathom, Carnival Corporation’s new “social impact” cruise brand, has announced it will visit three Cuban ports of call — Havana, Cienfuegos, and Santiago de Cuba — when it begins operations next year. The company has also unveiled the seven-day itinerary travelers will experience during their Cuban “cultural immersion.” In June 2015, Fathom … Read more
By the Cuba Journal staff Air France is ramping up its service from Paris to Havana, the carrier announced this week. The expansion will mean up to three additional flights between Charles de Gaulle and Jose Marti airports beginning this summer. From late March to mid-May, Air France will operate 10 weekly flights between Paris … Read more
The World Health Organization (WHO) has officially recognized Cuba as the first country to eliminate HIV transmission from mother to child. Margaret Chan, MD, director-general of WHO, calls this breakthrough “one of the greatest public health achievements possible.” These measures simultaneously eradicated the transmission of syphilis from mother to child in Cuba, WHO noted. WHO … Read more
More flights to Cuba By the Cuba Journal staff JetBlue continues to add more charter flights to Cuba. The New York City-based carrier announced Monday that it had expanded its partnership with Cuba Travel Services, with plans to launch a second nonstop flight between New York and Havana. The expansion comes after the US further … Read more
Anthony Bourdain artfully sums up what’s happening in Cuba by saying, “The toothpaste is out of the tube and there’s no putting it back.” His visit to Cuba kicks off Season 6 of Parts Unknown this Sunday at 9 p.m. ET on CNN. Bourdain’s visit to Cuba is the second US TV show host to … Read more
The channels continue growing By the Cuba Journal staff In a testament to the strengthening commercial relations between the United States and Cuba, shipping company SC Line has begun service between Fort Lauderdale’s Port Everglades and the Cuban seaports of Mariel and Santiago, according to a report by the Sun Suntinel. The company’s Caroline Russ … Read more
Paris Hilton took advantage of the thawing relations between the United States and Cuba and visited Havana earlier this year. The results were more than predictable as can be seen from her Instagram account. Posing in front of the original "Habana Hilton Hotel" that my great grandfather Conrad opened here in 1958. 🏢 A post … Read more
Every year for the past 23 years Cuba has introduced a resolution at the UN’s General Assembly criticizing the US embargo against Cuba and demanding its end. The US has lost all previous UN votes by an overwhelming margin. Last year’s tally was 188-2 with only Israel siding with the US. This year, Obama may … Read more
Explaining the latest changes By the Cuba Journal staff The United States has further loosened travel restrictions to Cuba. Though ordinary tourism remains banned, Americans can now visit Cuba, without applying for a license from the government, for the following reasons: visits to close relatives, academic programs, professional research, journalistic or religious pursuits, and participation … Read more
