Cruise Ships to Increase Arrivals in Cuba

The number of arrivals of cruise ships at Cuban ports is expected to surpass the figure reported in previous years, said an executive in the specialized tourist sector. Norberto Perez, general director of the Aries Transport Company, in charge of commer- cializing cruise ships opera- tions in Cuba told reporters that a new company named Cuba Cruises will manage arrivals here of cruise ships, such as Canada’s Louis Cristal, which called at the south-central harbor of Cienfuegos on Saturday. Perez said that 10 cruise ships will call at Cuban ports during the current high tourist seasons, including the luxurious Europa, the Albatross and the Thompson Dreams, which is the largest of all, with capacity for 785 passengers. The Thompson Dreams visited Havana harbor on December 6. The international tourist modality is affected in Cuba by the US economic, commercial and financial blockade of Cuba, which bans American citizens from visiting the island, the executive said.

(acn)