Carnival cruise line starts Havana cruises in may

havana-live-cuba carnival latinoThe weeklong cruises will be aboard the Adonia, which carries 710 passengers, during which the vessel is not allowed to stop at other counties

HAVANA,march 14th Starting in May, Carnival Corporation plans to offer trips from Miami to the Caribbean island nation, the company announced on Tuesday.
Carnival says it would become the first American cruise company to visit Cuba since the 1960 trade embargo. The trips will be through its new brand, fathom, which focuses on trips where passengers sail to a destination in order to volunteer there.

CEO Arnold Donald called the Cuba plans “an important first step” for his company and for the cruise industry.

“We’re certain this is the tip of the iceberg in what’s going to come in the years to come,” Donald told the Associated Press.

The weeklong cruises will be aboard the Adonia, which carries 710 passengers. The ship is relatively small for the industry; ships sailing under the company’s namesake line carry nearly 3,000 passengers. Adonia won’t have a casino or Broadway shows. And guests shouldn’t expect to spend their time in Cuba snorkelling or riding Jet Skis.

Each day, under US regulations governing Cuba visits, they will have to spend at least eight hours involved in some type of cultural experience. Donald notes that the Adonia’s small size allows the ship into Cuban ports that aren’t ready to accommodate larger vessels.

Carnival is expecting high demand for the voyages and has priced them accordingly. Prices start at $2,990 per person plus taxes and port fees. A similar service-oriented trip on the same ship to the Dominican Republic starts at $1,540 per person.
(Agencies)