For a brief period not so long ago, cruise ships departing the U.S. were able to offer travelers a simple, legal way to visit an island that had long been closed off to U.S. tourists. Related: Carnival Cruise Line's new ban surprises passengers President Barack Obama relaxed travel restrictions to Cuba in 2016,

The cruise line has an added fee that can get quite expensive and some passengers like it while others want it to go away.

U.S. travelers are not giving up hope that cruises will one day return to a bucket-list travel destination in the Caribbean. For a brief period not so long ago, cruise ships departing the U.S. were able to offer travelers a simple, legal way to visit an island that had long been closed off to U.S. tourists.