Photograph by Henryk Kotowski
When the Cuban embargo is over (it’s no longer “if”), one of the Caribbean country’s prime exports — besides cigars and sugar and baseball players — will be time capsules. That’s right, time capsules. A chance to go back in time before all those ’57 Chevys wind up in the junkyard, a chance to see how most people lived half a century ago.
Once tourists get a glimpse of Cuba today, as in a port call or three, they’ll want to see more. One of two things is likely to happen: (1) the cruise industry will grow, or (2) There will be some cannibalization of existing Caribbean ports, especially the ones veteran cruisers are weary of visiting. And eventually, which means somewhere down the road, ships may be home-ported in Cuba at the possible expense of places like Tampa and Mobile…and as a stopping off-port, Key West.
What price, a time capsule?
You can be sure the travel industry, and especially cruise section, is already getting its ducks (or sharks) in a row to be ready when the time comes. Since supply and demand 
always determines the price of cruising, the rush is expected to set the bar high. There will probably not be anything less than $100 a day in the early days of mass-market cruises to Havana.
Some small lines, from countries other than the U.S., are already breaking water in Cuba cruising. For the bigger lines, and bigger ships, it goes beyond pointing the bow southwest and heading off to the land of time capsules. The infrastructure in Cuba has to be able to accommodate 2,000-to-3,000-passenger cruise ships, and to process that many people through a terminal in reasonable time.
It’s safe to assume that can’t happen now…but who knows?
Cuba is, after all, a time capsule.
Today at portsandbows.com: Two new ships for Carnival Corp
Royal Caribbean Majesty of the Seas
3 nights
January 9, 2015
Miami (return): CocoCay, Nassau
Inside: $97
Cost per day: $32
www.royalcaribbean.com