Florida → Cuba ferries are starting soon - but when?
Ferry services between Florida and Cuba have been approved, which is pretty huge. However no definitive schedule has been set. I'm asking this question so that when a date is known, it can be put as an answer for references.
So the question - when will the new ferry services start?
(I'm happy for the question to wait until a date is known, so 'not yet' or 'unknown' is not an answer yet).
Best Answer
Not yet a real ferry service, but the first US cruise to Cuba is supposed to sail today. http://www.miamiherald.com/news/business/tourism-cruises/article74753237.html
UPDATE: the cruise sailed and arrived in Havana: http://www.miamiherald.com/news/nation-world/world/americas/cuba/article75096132.html
As passengers cheered, Carnival Corp.’s Fathom Adonia arrived at Havana harbor on Monday morning, officially reestablishing the U.S. cruise business in Cuba.
The voyage of the Adonia, with about 600 passengers aboard, was the first trip from a U.S. port directly to Cuba in more than 50 years, and the importance of the historic trip wasn’t lost on anyone.
The first article gives also some details about the legal struggle that preceded the voyage.
My assumption is that the ferry companies are (were?) facing similar problems. But a tour along the websites of some of those companies did not reveal any new information.
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Are there ferries from Florida to Cuba?
U.S. Approves Ferry Service From Florida To Cuba : The Two-Way : NPR. U.S. Approves Ferry Service From Florida To Cuba : The Two-Way At least four companies said they received approval for ferry licenses. It's been five decades since ferry service between the U.S. and island has been offered.Are there ferries to Cuba?
As of late 2016 there are numerous companies that have received the US Department of Treasury and Commerce's approval to sail to Cuba. American Cruise Ferries, Baja Ferries, Bale\xe0ria, CubaKat, Havana Express, FRS, Attica Group & United Caribbean Lines.Can you get a boat from Miami to Cuba?
The 92 miles between Miami and Havana, Cuba, by boat takes a minimum of 8 hours to cover. It can take as long as 14 hours, depending on the weather and the speed of your boat. Many different types of boats can be used to reach Cuba, and they vary in distance, speed, and ease of use.Is there a ferry to Cuba from Key West?
3. Getting To Cuba From Key West By Sea. The simplest way to organize a day trip from Key West to Cuba is to travel by ferry.Flo Rida - Good Feeling [Official Video]
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Answer 2
Just to provide the answer by @user31253 some flavor since it's a direct quote:
From official website of one of the Ferry Companies CubaKat
Experience Passenger Ferry Service to Cuba from Florida
In early May 2015, the U.S. government, through the Department of Treasury, began issuing licenses to American ferry operators to provide service to Cuba.
As of late June 2015, however, the Cuban government has not provided licenses to ferry operators. Because of this, CubaKat (and other ferry companies) are waiting to begin full operations.
Answer 3
Another update: Ferries from Florida not a priority for Cuban government (Tampa Bay Times, May 23, 2017):
[T]wo years to the month since ferries were federally licensed to sail to the island nation, the vessels still have not received porting rights from the Cuban government.
And that wait won't be ending soon.
Ferries are not a priority, José Ramón Cabañas, Cuba's ambassador to the United States, told the Tampa Bay Times during a recent visit to St. Petersburg.
For now, he said, Cuba prefers to focus on expanding its cruise industry.
The logistical problem seems to be that ferry operators would want to carry cargo. The Port of Havana can handle passengers but isn't set up to handle large amounts of cargo; meanwhile, Mariel (the largest cargo port in Cuba, 50 miles from Havana) isn't set up to handle large numbers of passengers. Without further infrastructure investment, there isn't a good single destination for Florida-Cuba ferries.
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