HAVANA, June 5 (Xinhua) -- As the last U.S. cruise ship sailed away from here Wednesday after new regulations by Washington banned this type of travel to the Caribbean nation, many were left wondering what's next for the former Cold War enemies.
Royal Caribbean's "Empress of the Sea" left Havana with hundreds of its passengers on the top deck waving Cuban flags and cheering, while many locals onshore said goodbye to the latest symbol of the deteriorated bilateral ties.
The scene came just a day after the U.S. administration banned U.S. citizens' group people-to-people educational travel to Cuba, and stopped permitting visits to its southern neighbor by passenger and recreational vessels as well as private and corporate aircraft.
"I'm really not surprised but definitely disappointed. U.S. citizens should have the right to travel where we wish, it's ironic that (U.S. President Donald) Trump is banning us from coming here, when supposedly we're the freest nation in the world," Kira Clark, a U.S. passenger onboard the last cruise ship, told Xinhua.
Major U.S. cruise companies like Carnival Corporation, Royal Caribbean and Norwegian Cruise Lines said Wednesday that they were either cancelling their Cuba itineraries or rerouting them to new ports in the Caribbean.
The new regulations have affected nearly 800,000 bookings that have been scheduled or already underway, according to a statement released Wednesday by the Cruise Lines International Association.
These bookings were made under a license issued by the U.S. government that allowed "people-to-people" travel to Cuba.
"Very disappointing. I don't think there's any reason for these new regulations. It has been great being here. People are very friendly and we have learned about Cuba's educational, heritage and cultural values," Nick Ferraro, another passenger aboard the "Empress of the Seas" told Xinhua shortly before departing.
U.S. cruises brought to Cuba 340,000 Americans in 2018, which doubled the figure in the previous year and made the United States the second largest source of visitors to the island nation following Canada, according to data by the Cuban Ministry of Tourism.
Another 298,000 U.S. citizens visited the Caribbean country last year by other means like commercial flights, private vessels and aircraft.
Since the first ships arrived in Cuba in 2016 as a result of a thaw in bilateral relations promoted by former Cuban President Raul Castro and former U.S. President Barack Obama, thousands on both shores have benefited from the booming industry.
"I am very disappointed that these political decisions affect ordinary Cubans, those who live off tourism and also my friends and family who want to visit Cuba and now the Trump administration is banning them," Lucy Himstedt, a U.S. citizen who departed on the last cruise ship, told Xinhua.
The latest U.S. move will drain off one of the major channels for U.S. citizens to visit Cuba and an important source of income for Havana.
People-to-people educational travel was a category created by the Obama administration to allow Americans to visit the island nation on organized tours that promoted cultural exchanges.
"We came to Cuba on what became the last cruise ship to visit Havana. It's very disappointing. The Cuban people are very friendly. We actually learned a lot during this trip and engaged with locals," Brian Mock, one of the last U.S. citizens to board the cruise ship, told Xinhua.
According to the new regulations, U.S. citizens can still visit the island country with the other 11 licenses, including academic, scientific, humanitarian and religious purposes, among others, but they have to provide evidence of staying at privately-owned hotels, eating at privately-owned restaurants and so on.
The U.S. Department of Treasury can request documentation of such activities for up to five years.
Different organizations, which support engagement with Havana, criticized Washington's decision to further roll back bilateral ties.
"For decades, the U.S. has placed restrictions on trade and travel with Cuba in an attempt to overthrow the government. The policy has failed miserably, causing widespread hardship for the Cuban people and leading to no political change on the island," said Collin Laverty, president of Cuba Education Travel, a U.S.-based company that brings travelers to the Caribbean nation.
According to the Cuban Ministry of Tourism, 257,500 U.S. citizens, not including those of Cuban origin, visited the Caribbean nation from January to March, 55 percent of whom arrived on cruise ships.
Over the last weeks, the United States has implemented several measures against Havana in order to punish the Caribbean nation for its support to Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, whom the White House is openly seeking to oust from power.
U.S.-Cuban relations have plummeted since Trump became president, who partially rolled back the detente initiated by Obama and reverted to Cold War rhetoric, while maintaining re-established diplomatic ties.
