Most adventures in life require only one thing.
Money.
That’s true of adventurous Americans who want to cruise Cuba so they can visit before commercialization takes over, which is inevitable. Last week, licenses were issued to four ferry companies to allow travel across the 90 miles of the Caribbean Sea that has been a wall of water for half a century.
It is subject to approval by the Cuban government, so nobody knows when this complicated relationship will allow it.
There is a more certain way to go…and that brings up the money. International Expeditions is starting to run Cuba cruises in December, on a ship called the Panorama. The cruise 
starts at Cienfuegos, which is in Cuba, and 10 days later ends in Havana. Flights to Cienfuegos and from Havana are not included.
The cruise price starts at $4,599.
But is it certain that Americans can go?
At this moment, Americans can’t go to Cuba for a vacation. That could change by the time the cruise starts (December 17), of course, with everybody from President Obama to the Castros to the Pope trying to bridge 56 years of differences and dissidents. If it doesn’t, there’s a series of ways around the restriction, none of which have anything to do with vacations.
However, if you’re involved in “humanitarian projects” or “religious activities” or “professional activities” you’re okay. And here’s one that seems looser than all the others: “any type of support for the Cuban people.”
Considering that the Panorama carries only 48 passengers, it’s probably not insurmountable, if you want to guarantee you’ll see Cuba by year’s end. If being first doesn’t matter and the budget does, it’s probably better to wait until the ferry service is activated. The cost is expected to be about $250, round-trip.
And once the ferries are good to go, major cruise lines won’t be far behind.
In the news…
• Princess announces "exotics cruises" schedule for 2016-17
• Seattle claims it's biggest West Coast homeport with 895,000 passengers
• Jill (Love Boat) Whelan spends (God)Mothers Day as Princess ambassador
Today at portsandbows.com: The Princess to Asia expansion
Carnival Imagination
4 nights
May 31, 2015
Long Beach (return): Catalina, Ensenada
Oceanview: $279
Cost per day: $69
www.carnival.com