As of Friay, travel to Cuba is a lot easier.  It’s part of President Barack Obama’s new policy to normalize relations with Cuba.

Here in Central Florida, that’s prompting interest not seen in many, many years.

Eric Norber’s company, Cultural Contrast, has arranged legal travel to Cuba for about 3,000 people over the last 25 years.

Norber said he expects to arrange travel for another 3,000 people this year alone because of the eased U.S. travel restrictions.

“In 25 years, I’ve never had the phone ringing as much as it has been ringing in the past week,” said Norber.

Cultural Contrast helps travelers get a license from the U.S. Treasury Department to travel to Cuba legally.  Eventually he hopes to get his airline, Havana Seaplane Co., off the ground and into Cuba.

“I don’t have Cuban ancestry," Norber said. "I don’t have a personal connection to the country, other than the first time I went to Cuba legally on a licensed trip. I actually just fell in love with the Cuban people, the Cuban culture, the warmth of the personality of the island.”

Even as Americans explore new travel options to Cuba, Cubans shopping or running errands near the travel company, Cubamax, were more cautious with their hope and with their opinions.  Jesmy Hernandez is an employee.  She said the company is getting a lot of calls asking about the new laws, but for now she’s waiting to see exactly what the new changes will mean.

“We’re waiting for everything because we don’t know exactly in the future if it’s going to be what all the Cubans want,” said Hernandez.

A Cubamax customer, Ydalmis Martines, was sending non-perishable food to her family in Cuba when we talked to her. She said the changes could be good for the people still living in Cuba.

“Our family is in Cuba, so it’s good for the whole family. Too many people in Cuba need help,” said Martines.

No matter the origin of interest in travel to Cuba, one message kept coming up: a visit back home or to experience Cuban culture is not an endorsement of the Cuban government -- or of U.S. policy.

Senator Marco Rubio, R-Florida, continues to speak out against the president’s move to normalize relations with Cuba and ease travel restrictions.

In his latest statement, the Cuban-American senator said:

“… One thing that’s become even more crystal clear today is that this one-sided deal is enriching a tyrant and his regime at the expense of U.S. national interests and the Cuban people.”

Q&A: Easing Cuba travel restrictions

Q: CAN U.S. CITIZENS VISIT CUBA?

A: The U.S. Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control oversees travel to Cuba. There are 12 categories of people who are allowed to visit. They include close relatives of Cubans, academics, those traveling on official government business, those on humanitarian or religious missions, journalists and people on accredited cultural education programs.

Q: WHAT CHANGED?

A: The groups of people allowed to visit Cuba remain the same but they no longer need to apply for a license to travel.

Q: WHAT ABOUT EVERYBODY ELSE?

A: That's fuzzier. It's still illegal for Americans to visit Cuba if they don't fit into one of those 12 groups, but without the need to apply for a license it could be impossible for the government to enforce such a restriction.

Q: HOW CAN I BUY A TICKET?

A: Until now, the government has issued licenses to tour operators who then help travelers obtain visas and sell spots on trips to Cuba. Many of them are mom and pop travel agencies in Florida, catering to Cuban-Americans. Others are large tour companies offering weeklong educational trips for $3,000 to nearly $8,000 a person. The new regulations allow travel agents and airlines to sell tickets without the need for a specific license from Office of Foreign Assets Control. That means it will be much easier to book a trip and prices should come down significantly.

Q: HOW DO U.S. TRAVELERS BUY GOODS IN CUBA?

A: Banks and credit card companies have been prohibited from doing business in Cuba. That gets lifted in these new rules. But don't expect to see ATMs or businesses accepting Visa, MasterCard or American Express immediately. Large hotels are likely to be the first businesses to let travelers swipe to pay but mom and pop restaurants or local shops could take much longer. So travelers - in the near term - still need to bring a lot of cash.

Q: WHAT CAN AMERICANS BRING BACK?

A: Authorized visitors can bring home up to $400 worth of goods acquired in Cuba for personal use. This includes no more than $100 worth of alcohol or tobacco products.

Q: WILL THERE BE LIMITS TO THE NUMBER OF VISITORS?

A: Without the need for a license, there is no limit. However, Cuba only has so many hotel rooms and other necessary infrastructure to support tourism. In the short term, that will curtail the number of visitors.

Q: WHO FLIES FROM THE U.S. TO CUBA?

A: American Airlines, JetBlue and Sun Country offer charter flights to the Cuban cities of Havana, Holguin, Santa Clara and Cienfuegos. Until now, the only way onto those planes was through one of those travel agencies. That could quickly change. But don't expect airlines to suddenly flood the market. Like all other route decisions, airlines need to see if there is a large enough market willing to pay high enough airfares. For instance, a Southwest Airlines spokesman said Thursday, "Cuba is a good future opportunity we are studying." And Cuba is still a difficult destination to serve. JetBlue brings a mechanic along on each of its charter flights.

Q: ARE THERE OTHER WAYS FOR AMERICANS TO VISIT CUBA?

A: The Cuban government doesn't prohibit Americans from visiting. So for years, intrepid travelers have broken the U.S. law by entering Cuba via Mexico or Canada and asking officials not to stamp their passports.