Silva, Associated Press senior producer, based in Havana. We chatted at Las Terrazas, one of the restaurant/bars Ernest Hemmingway used to frequent, a stop on the “Get to Know Hemmingway” city tour. Based in Havana for the past ten years, the veteran reporter covers hard news, including the embargo. “Officials here in Cuba think their efforts are greater than those of the U.S.” When the anticipated door opens, prominent commercial giants, other than the cruise industry, will have a deeper stake in the country’s 11 million consumers. When allowed, Kimberley Clarke, Kraft, General Mills, Proctor & Gamble will push to step ashore first. It is striking to walk through a neighborhood grocery store and not see any recognizable necessities. Crest, Cheerios, Tide, you want it – not there. Should Royal Caribbean have their eyes on doing turnarounds in Havana with the Oasis of the Seas? Take your time packing. Some goals might be too grand. “The harbor could never handle it,” says port director Mr. Picos. “The maximum we can accommodate is a 70,000-ton ship with 2,000 passengers. Longer berths are planned, but not needed today.” The largest ship to come in recent times is the 1,500passenger Thomson Dream (January 2011). What you need to know now When will the wait be over and what is needed? Better infrastructure? The existing finger of the three-prong cruise terminal can handle two smaller ships with ease. When visionaries say that Havana lacks infrastructure, they can only be referring to facilities to dock mega-ships. The one well-maintained terminal, built in 1930, and the harbor itself cannot accommodate any vision of a mega-cruise model.
four ships. That is not likely, says Mr. Picos. “There will be no money spent on improvements until we have more ships,” he adds. The present terminal building with docking for two ships is unique, compared to going ashore in other Caribbean ports. First of all, it is indeed a formidable building, 16,000 sq. ft. on two levels, not an open-air cement pier leading to an openair shopping center. And history is across the street. The lower level has room for 20 motor coaches, enough space to move luggage and tour passengers boarding or the in-bounds coming from Jose Marti International Airport. When the port has traffic, it all flows well. The upper level’s dated wooden parquet floor has endured, along with the planters, souvenir shop, and encased architect’s model of the port’s future, providing the cruise embarkation experience an interesting museum-like quality. Ship photographers can forego the usual backdrop for your boarding picture. After the security checkpoint, pose in front of two attention-getting vintage American cars, gladly extinct and on display leading to the gangway – one is a 1958 Lincoln Continental (375 hp). The other gem (for fans of such) is a blue 1948 Dodge with automatic transmission (102 hp). Auto Zone should be a sponsor. The classics are donated by the Cuba National Transport Museum and serve as an iconic symbol of the country, a visible remnant of a lost era when U.S. automakers had a piece of the action. Today, Hyundai and KIA are the leading car sellers,
This means companies with small ships – Silversea, Seabourn, and select Princess Cruises vessels will be the obvious winners in the early days. If one or two of the other vacated harbor buildings were renovated, the port could host
Fourth Quarter 2011 • Cruising Magazine 23