Is it possible to travel to Cuba by sea (from e.g. Mexico)?
When I was reading about Cuba around the time I visited there (2008), I got the impression that the only way in is by air.
Now, as of 2012, is this (still) the case? Or are there any cruises, ferries, or other sea travel options for reaching Cuba, legally, from some of the nearby counties? (Either for a day-trip or a longer visit.)
I mean, Mexico is close. So are Jamaica, Bahamas, and many other island nations. (And Florida, of course, but I suppose we can count that out for now.) You can easily fly to Havana from e.g. Kingston, Nassau, or Cancún—it'd only make sense if you could take a boat too.
Image from Bing Maps
(For the purposes of this question, assume that the Cuban tourist card/visa is already sorted out.)
Best Answer
Most of the time you will see huge cruise ships in Havana. But this is part of a cruise and even though you will have a day or two in Havana, you will not be allowed to stay on the island.
If you have your own boat you can just sail to Cuba but have to arrive at one of seven ports. There is some good information about this at cruisingincuba.com
I don't think there are scheduled ferries to anywhere, when I was in Cancun some years ago I was looking for a boat to Cuba and couldn't find any.
Pictures about "Is it possible to travel to Cuba by sea (from e.g. Mexico)?"
Can you take a boat from Mexico to Cuba?
Cancun to Havana ferry in 2022: There are no ferries from Cancun, Mexico to Cuba. Unless you're smuggling Mezcal to Cuba or cigars back into Mexico save time and fly to Cuba.Can you go from Mexico to Cuba?
You can visit Cuba in a completely legal way, obtaining a visa in advance, or you can do what many Americans do \u2014 simply book a flight from another country, like Mexico. Read on for the ways to visit Cuba legally when you hold a US passport.Can you sail a boat to Cuba?
What about private aircraft and boats; can they travel legally to Cuba? The authorization for private vessels and private aircraft (such as private fishing boats and private sailboats, and corporate or private jets) is revoked. So, they are not legal for travel to Cuba.Can you ride a boat to Cuba?
Getting to Cuba by boatSailing into Cuba is possible, with a handful of international marinas receiving foreign vessels, including Marina Hemingway in Havana, Marina Marlin in Santiago de Cuba, and Marina D\xe1rsena in Varadero.Flying From MEXICO to HAVANA, CUBA!! 🇲🇽 ✈️ 🇨🇺 (Cuba Vlog Day 1)
More answers regarding is it possible to travel to Cuba by sea (from e.g. Mexico)?
Answer 2
Update as of 2016 Dec 14
According to this page (in Spanish): http://cartasdesdecuba.com/turismo-a-cuba-en-yates-de-lujos/
The company Sailo (boat rental) is offering trips to Cuba from Florida.
There have also been news about cruise ships that include Cuba in their itinerary (also in Spanish): http://www.diariodecuba.com/cuba/1481146729_27256.html
===============================
According to the Helms-Burton Act, ships docking at Cuban ports are not allowed to dock at U.S. ports for six months (these restrictions have been eased by Obama's administration, but with Trump's election there is no way to know what will happen next).
On top of that, there is a law in Cuba that forbids Cuban nationals from boarding a ship without a special permit from the government. For these reasons, traveling to/from Cuba by sea has become very rare.
Sources: Stack Exchange - This article follows the attribution requirements of Stack Exchange and is licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0.
Images: Gerhard Lipold, Mehmet Turgut Kirkgoz, thiago japyassu, Pok Rie