US Bans the Most Common Way for Americans to Visit Cuba, Ends Visits by Cruise Ship
The Treasury Department is ending a nearly two-decade-old program that has been the most common way for Americans to legally visit Cuba, meaning that recreational trips to the island nation will now be illegal.
"It means American travelers will find it much more difficult to go to Cuba and see for themselves what's going on in Cuba," said Philip Brenner, a professor of international relations at American University who has written extensively about US-Cuban relations. "It doesn't mean they won't be able to go, but it will be a hurdle, and the people who simply have no trip in educational trips might now decide to go to the Galapagos."
That effectively includes the travel via the cruise ships that made up more than half of visits by Americans to Cuba.
"Cruise ships are dead," said Robert L. Muse, a Washington, DC-based lawyer who's been involved in several cases involving US-Cuban relations over the years. "Effective today, they're gone. The cruise lines can set fire to their itineraries for the rest of the year and through 2021."
The new US rules forbid the popular people-to-people tours and decertifies trips by private vessels, air or sea. The new rules come into effect Wednesday, June 5.
"Cuba continues to play a destabilizing role in the Western Hemisphere, providing a communist foothold in the region and propping up US adversaries in places like Venezuela and Nicaragua by fomenting instability, undermining the rule of law, and suppressing democratic processes," Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said. "This administration has made a strategic decision to reverse the loosening of sanctions and other restrictions on the Cuban regime. These actions will help to keep US dollars out of the hands of Cuban military, intelligence, and security services."
People-to-people travel from the US to Cuba, which allowed Americans to go to Cuba for cultural and educational purposes, was first allowed in 2000 under President Bill Clinton, remained in place under restrictions under President George W. Bush, and then was loosened considerably under President Barack Obama in the last administration's attempt to seek a rapprochement with Havana and improve relations with the rest of Latin America.
"The P2P tours were successful because they gave Americans an opportunity to go to that country and, secondly, was good for Cubans with any kind of entrepreneurial flair who could cater to a pretty well-educated, pretty affluent demographic that was going on those P2P trips," Muse said, referring to people-to-people trips. "The advantages of an informed US public and the emergent economic dimension in Cuba are gone now. So it's all very sad."
Under the administration of President Donald Trump, however, Obama-era Cuba policies have been rolled back. In April, the White House announced new limits on remittances Cuban-American families could send to relatives on the island and warned that more prohibitions were coming. It wasn't clear until today, however, that those bans would include the popular 19-year-old people-to-people tours.
The Trump administration had already ended individual P2P tours in 2017. The new Treasury rules finish the job by also quashing group P2P tours. The regulations don't affect humanitarian, religious, research, government or family visits. It creates an exemption for trips for "support for the Cuban people," which remains ill-defined.
It's not clear whether cruises already booked for travel to Cuba will be allowed to complete those voyages, or whether they'll be be forced to discontinue Havana and other Cuban cities as ports of call immediately.
Brenner estimated that the new US regulations will mean a loss of about 400,000 tourists. Cuba had been hoping to reach 5 million visitors this year.
"So they're going to fall short of that," he said.
The irony, Brenner and Muse both said, is that the new regulations won't hurt the Cuban government nearly as much as the artists and burgeoning merchant class that rose up to meet the needs of American tourists who came via the P2P tours.
"It's going hurt the businesses, the private restaurants, the art galleries, the people coming with the National Geographic Society and the Smithsonian and the Museum of Modern Art who actually patronized Cuban businesses and artists," Muse said. "It's going to hurt Cubans on the ground, not-for-profits, educational programs, and the arts, music and dance, who are the real victims of this."
TPG featured card
at American Express's secure site
Terms & restrictions apply. See rates & fees.
| 3X | Earn 3X Miles on Delta purchases. |
| 1X | Earn 1X Miles on all other eligible purchases. |
Pros
- Delta SkyClub access when flying Delta
- Annual companion ticket for travel on Delta (upon renewal)
- Ability to earn MQDs through spending
- Various statement credits for eligible purchases
Cons
- Steep annual fee of $650
- Other Delta cobranded cards offer superior earning categories
- Earn 100,000 Bonus Miles after you spend $6,000 or more in purchases with your new Card within the first 6 months of Card Membership and an additional 25,000 bonus miles after you make an additional $3,000 in purchases on the Card within your first 6 months, starting from the date that your account is opened. Offer Ends 04/01/2026.
- Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card Members receive 15 Visits per Medallion® Year to the Delta Sky Club® when flying Delta and can unlock an unlimited number of Visits after spending $75,000 in purchases on your Card in a calendar year. Plus, you’ll receive four One-Time Guest Passes each Medallion Year so you can share the experience with family and friends when traveling Delta together.
- Enjoy complimentary access to The Centurion® Lounge in the U.S. and select international locations (as set forth on the Centurion Lounge Website), Sidecar by The Centurion® Lounge in the U.S. (see the Centurion Lounge Website for more information on Sidecar by The Centurion® Lounge availability), and Escape Lounges when flying on a Delta flight booked with the Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card. § To access Sidecar by The Centurion® Lounge, Card Members must arrive within 90 minutes of their departing flight (including layovers). To access The Centurion® Lounge, Card Members must arrive within 3 hours of their departing flight. Effective July 8, 2026, during a layover, Card Members must arrive within 5 hours of the connecting flight.
- Receive $2,500 Medallion® Qualification Dollars with MQD Headstart each Medallion Qualification Year and earn $1 MQD for each $10 in purchases on your Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card with MQD Boost to get closer to Status next Medallion Year.
- Enjoy a Companion Certificate on a Delta First, Delta Comfort, or Delta Main round-trip flight to select destinations each year after renewal of your Card. The Companion Certificate requires payment of government-imposed taxes and fees of between $22 and $250 (for itineraries with up to four flight segments). Baggage charges and other restrictions apply. Delta Basic experiences are not eligible for this benefit.
- $240 Resy Credit: When you use your Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card for eligible purchases with U.S. Resy restaurants, you can earn up to $20 each month in statement credits. Enrollment required.
- $120 Rideshare Credit: Earn up to $10 back in statement credits each month after you use your Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card to pay for U.S. rideshare purchases with select providers. Enrollment required.
- Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card Members get 15% off when using miles to book Award Travel on Delta flights through delta.com and the Fly Delta app. Discount not applicable to partner-operated flights or to taxes and fees.
- With your Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card, receive upgrade priority over others with the same Medallion tier, product and fare experience purchased, and Million Miler milestone when you fly with Delta.
- Earn 3X Miles on Delta purchases and earn 1X Miles on all other eligible purchases.
- No Foreign Transaction Fees. Enjoy international travel without additional fees on purchases made abroad.
- $650 Annual Fee.
- Apply with confidence. Know if you're approved for a Card with no impact to your credit score. If you're approved and you choose to accept this Card, your credit score may be impacted.
- Terms Apply.
- See Rates & Fees