HAVANA, Cuba (AFP) — Cuba cleared the way Friday for the resumption of cruise voyages from the United States, lifting a restriction on Cubans entering or leaving the country by sea.

The change of a rule that dates back to the Cold War was announced in a statement published in the communist party newspaper Granma. The restriction will be lifted Tuesday.

The change – until now Cubans could enter or leave the country only by plane – is yet another offshoot of the restoration of diplomatic relations last year between Havana and Washington.

Its climax was a historic visit to Cuba last month by President Barack Obama.

Commercial flights between the two countries are also expected to resume soon.

Leisure giant Carnival had won permission from both governments to run cruise ships between Florida and Cuba.

But initially, because of the now-lifted restriction, Carnival could not accept reservations from people born in Cuba.

The first ship had been due to set sail for Havana on May 1.

Amid an uproar from Miami’s large Cuban-American community, largely opposed to the Cuban government, and from the US government, Carnival reversed course and said it would take reservations from people of Cuban origin.

Carnival said it was in talks with the Cuban government on lifting the maritime entry and exit restriction and warned that the first cruise would be postponed unless the Cubans changed their policy.

The government statement published Friday said Cubans can now enter and leave the country by sea “regardless of their migratory status.”