Floodgates open on Cuba cruises
You’ll soon be able to sail from the USA to Cuba with some of the best-known cruise lines. Cruise giants Royal Caribbean and Norwegian will kick off sailings from Florida to the island nation in April and May, respectively, after receiving long-sought approvals from the Cuban government. Also adding sailings from Florida during the first few months of the year will be smaller brands Azamara Club Cruises, Oceania Cruises, Regent Seven Seas Cruises and Pearl Seas Cruises.
Royal Caribbean will use its smallest ship, the 1,602-passenger Empress of the Seas, for Cuba voyages. It’ll sail a single cruise to Cuba from Miami in April before re-positioning to Tampa as a base. Norwegian is tasking its 2,004-passenger, Miami-based Norwegian Sky to the sailings. Cuba’s limited infrastructure makes it difficult for bigger vessels to visit.
The new voyages to Cuba will be the first from established cruise brands in decades. The only cruise vessel now sailing from the USA to Cuba is the 704passenger Adonia, which flies the flag of Fathom, a little-known, one-ship brand launched earlier this year by Carnival Corp. Adonia began bi-weekly voyages to Cuba in May but soon will end the trips. Fathom has struggled to gain traction with consumers, and Carnival Corp. announced last month that the brand would shut down its cruise operations next spring.
The Cuba calls planned by the lines will provide an opportunity for “people-to-people” exchanges between Americans and Cubans as allowed by U.S. rules governing visits to Cuba, the companies have said.