The Grand Classica, a cruise ship from the United States that was chartered for a trip to Cuba, was turned away by the Cuban government when it arrived in Havana on Friday. The trip was billed as a family reunion voyage that would allow Cuban residents to come aboard the ship to visit their relatives.
The Feb. 14-18 cruise, with prices starting at $599, offered a proposition that was enticing for Cuban Americans who for various reasons have had trouble returning to their homeland: their Cuban relatives living on the island would be able to visit them aboard the ship, enjoy a concert, and eat and drink with them while the ship was off the coast of Havana.