Simons Chase 
Cuban President Raul Castro on Tuesday met a delegation of US Congressmen led by Senators Patrick Leahy (D-Vermont) and Thad Cochran (R-Miss) who were visiting Cuba. Judging by comments expressed by the congressional delegation, Castro appears to want to continue working on improved ties with Washington despite U.S. President Donald Trump’s vow to reverse direction. … Read more
Royal Caribbean’s 6,000-passenger Harmony of the Seas’ onboard attractions include a mock Central Park with live plants and trees, drinks prepared by robots, a 1 1/2-hour production of the musical “Grease,” – plus a 10-story thrill slide. A lot has changed since the 961-foot, 2,200-passenger Queen Elizabeth sailed in the late 1960s. Boat size inflation, driven by … Read more
In Cuba, artist Yoan Capote says, “the sea is a symbol for hope, but it’s also a symbol for a trap, for tragedy.” Applying thousands of nails to plywood to create a series of seascapes, Capote’s hands were bloodied, yet there is a benthic quality to the works that conveys both beauty and treachery to … Read more
A new hotel in Old Havana will be operated by Europe’s oldest luxury hotel group. When construction is complete later this year, the Gran Hotel Kempinski Manzana La Habana will be Cuba’s first five-star hotel (on the European rating system). The hotel will occupy the historic Manzana de Gómez building. The grand structure, dating to 1890, … Read more
Navigating the rough diplomatic waters between the U.S. and Cuba has gotten easier since Obama and Castro established diplomatic relation in 2015, but the actual sea that separates the two nations has been a long-standing source of cooperation. Maritime Navigation Officials from Cuba’s charting agency traveled to Maryland and met with National Ocean Service representatives … Read more
Since the 1960s, the U.S. has maintained an embargo against Cuba through various laws, regulations, and presidential proclamations that restricts trade, travel, and financial transactions. Key legislation related to the embargo includes the following: • Trading with the Enemy Act of 1917 (TWEA). TWEA granted the President broad authority to impose embargoes on foreign countries … Read more
Habanos S.A., the distribution and marketing arm of Cuba’s state-owned cigar industry, said recently that it expects to immediately gain 25-30% of the U.S. premium cigar market if the U.S. lifts its trade embargo – and up to 70% within a few years. History Cuba’s once dominant position in the world’s cigar market (rolled tobacco) diminished … Read more
Cuba is what the travel industry would love to be if it could. If you exclude Cuban-Americans traveling to Cuba, only about 150,000 Americans (non Cuban-American residing in America) traveled to Cuba in 2015. By comparison, about 21 million Americans visited Mexico last year – and Delaware, that wedge of industrial landscape between New Jersey … Read more
Cuba has been at the center of a raging immigration debate in the U.S. over the last several weeks. President Donald Trump’s executive orders last week limiting immigration to the U.S. may be the first such directives in recent years, but they are hardly the first time the U.S. government has sought to restrict immigration. … Read more
by Simons Chase Moving around Havana using taxis is the best way to cover a lot of territory in one of the most beautiful cities in the Western Hemisphere. The problem is that your camera takes on a life of its own. With what seems like little effort, photos come out with astounding color and … Read more
