The Carnival Corporation has gained approval to sail from Miami into the port of Havana, Cuba.
The first Carnival Cruise is expected to pull into Havana in May, according to the Miami Herald.
Cuban authorities from Havanatur Celimar and other agencies approved the bid for its Cuba voyage, which will be the first time in more than 50 years that a cruise ship will travel from the United States to Cuba.
Arnold Donald, the CEO of Carnival Corp., says it’s a historical opportunity for Americans who want to experience Cuba.
Travelers will be able to sail to the island aboard Carnival’s Fathom brand.The line’s 704-passenger Adonia will take travelers on seven day trips around Cuba. The three ports listed on Fathom’s site include Havana Cinfuegos and Santiago de Cuba. Prices start at $1,800 per person, plus a Cuban visa, fees, taxes and port expenses.
Fathom’s website gives a description historic trip:
For the true traveler, the world isn’t just something to be seen. It’s something to be touched. Experienced. Shared. And as you join the first wave of U.S. travelers to Cuba by sea for more than half a century, you’ll feel the excitement in the air from the moment you step on board your ship. Cuban movies, Cuban music, Cuban cuisine – they’ll all be part of your outbound voyage, as you learn more about the remarkable people you’re about to meet.
The U.S. gave the cruise line permission in Julyto sail into Cuba for social impact trips.
The announcement came moments after President Obama visited the island for a news conferences with Cuban President Raul Castro in Havana. The President later spoke before Cuban business leaders. He said a wide range of U.S. companies are interested in seeing economic relations restored between Washington and Havana.
President Obama’s trip is the culmination of an effort to restore the tires between the two nations.
