Capture Havana from your cruise and unleash nostalgia among Cubans: "So close and yet so far."

A video from the cruise ship Oasis of the Seas shows the coast of Havana, stirring up nostalgia among Cubans on social media. Many emigrants express a longing for their homeland and loved ones.

Caribbean CruisePhoto © @pergolascoronado / TikTok

A Cuban on board the Oasis of the Seas cruise ship, operated by Royal Caribbean, shared a video on TikTok showing the coasts of Havana from offshore. The images evoked nostalgia and emotions among thousands of users on social media.

"Get ready because it's time for the people of Havana, where are the Habaneros? This cruise is passing right by Cuba. You can see what Havana is, Old Havana, everything along the malecón. We're heading to Mexico, sailing along the coast of Cuba. We just passed Santa Cruz del Norte and we're right in front of the shores of the Havana malecón, so close..." the traveler narrated while filming the capital's coastline.

The author of the video confessed that seeing Cuba from the sea stirs mixed feelings: "I still feel nostalgic watching these kinds of videos; Cuba is always a country so close to us, yet they live so differently from us."

In the comments, many users shared the same sentiment. "I think if I got that close, I would jump in and swim to hug my mom," wrote a Cuban. Another commented: "Thank goodness you passed during the day; if you had passed at night, you wouldn't see anything. My heart would leap out of my chest."

The recording also received messages from emigrants who have not returned to the island in years. "I haven't set foot on my land for 5 years, I haven't seen my parents," lamented one of them.

The cruise continued its course towards Mexico, leaving behind the coastal silhouette of Havana and a sea of emotions among those who still view Cuba as a nearby place in distance, but distant in reality.

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Yare Grau

Originally from Cuba, but living in Spain. I studied Social Communication at the University of Havana and later graduated in Audiovisual Communication from the University of Valencia. I am currently part of the CiberCuba team as an editor in the Entertainment section.