Travelore Cruise News: Royal Caribbean Starts Its Visits To Havana

Cuba Welcomes to Adventure Seekers Onboard Empress of the Seas
 



 
It was a historic day for Royal Caribbean International on April 24th when the cruise line made its inaugural visit to Cuba with the newly revitalized Empress of the Seas as part of a 5-night sailing from Miami. Adventure-seeking vacationers were among the cruise line’s first guests to explore the island country known for its legendary nightlife, iconic music and distinct culture. Guests participated in curated excursions throughout Havana, including rides in 1950s classic American cars to the city’s most famous locales, including the old quarter and the Havana Club Museum.

“We’re thrilled to be a part of Cuba’s future, ushering in Royal Caribbean’s next big adventure with Empress of the Seas’ first visit to Havana. Vacationers will now be able to experience a destination like no other, with authentic and immersive experiences that bring to life the vibrancy of Havana and its traditions,” said Michael Bayley, President and CEO, Royal Caribbean International.

The vibrant Cuban culture extends beyond land to the experience onboard Empress of the Seas. From cortaditos and café con leche in Café Royal to salsa music and dancing in Boleros Latin lounge, guests will enjoy a range of onboard activities developed to bring the spirit of the island to life throughout the entire journey.

After returning to Miami, Florida, Empress of the Seas will reposition to Tampa, Fla. for the summer season – the cruise line’s first ever summer program from the destination – offering a series of four, five and six-night sailings, including day and overnight visits to Havana, along with stops in Key West, Fla. and Belize City, Belize, as well as Costa Maya and Cozumel, Mexico. Sailings from Tampa are available through Nov. 4, 2017 when Empress returns to Miami for the winter season, adding calls to CocoCay and Nassau in The Bahamas.               

Empress of the Seas spans 11 guest decks, encompasses 48,563 gross registered tons, carries 1,602 guests at double occupancy and features 795 staterooms.

Travelore Cruise News: Oceania & Regent Ships Will Travel To Cuba

Havana/flickr/Marika Bortolami

Frank Del Rio, president and CEO of Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings, is expecting a call any day giving final approval from the Cuban government for several of the company’s ships to cruise to the island. The ships will come from the Oceania line, but ships from the flagship lines could also be included.

At a press briefing onboard the Seven Seas Explorer — Regent’s new “world’s most luxurious ship” — Cuban-born Del Rio said he’s already received tentative approval to send Oceania Cruises’ 684-passenger Regatta to Cuba before the end of the year. That ship is expected to offer itineraries that include circumnavigations of Cuba.

Also headed to Havana (assuming the final okay) will be the Oceania line’s 1,250-passenger Marina in 2017. Del Rio mentioned that other NCLH ships will visit the island on Western Caribbean and Panama Canal itineraries, but he stopped short of saying whether the ships would be in the fleets of Norwegian Cruise Line or Regent.

However, when I asked what port he might drop in favor of Havana, he was quick to say Key West — which happens to be on some Western Caribbean itineraries of theNorwegian Jade, Norwegian Pearl, Seven Seas Mariner, and Seven Seas Explorer.

Del Rio also suggested that Havana could be substituted for a day at sea or even Great Stirrup Cay, Norwegian Cruise Line’s private Bahamian island.

“We want to use Havana as much as possible,” he said. “It’s an incredible place. I cried more than once when I went there in September… I have traveled the world, and I just marveled [at Cuba].”

Currently, the only American brand cruising to Cuba is Carnival Corporation’s social impact line Fathom, with the 705-passenger Adonia doing bi-weekly cruises out of Miami. Royal Caribbean is also looking to launch cruises with its 2,020-passenger Empress of the SeasASAP — meaning as soon as they get the green light from Cuba.

by Fran Golden

Carnival Announces Ports Of Call For Planned Cuba Cruise

 (AP) — Carnival's proposed cruises to Cuba will include two colonial cities outside Havana, Cienfuegos and Santiago de Cuba, in addition to the Cuban capital, the cruise company said Wednesday.

Carnival is working to finalize approval from the Cuban government for the planned seven-day trips from Miami on a ship from the new Carnival brand, Fathom.

The cruises have already been approved by the United States. Americans cannot travel as ordinary tourists to Cuba under current U.S. regulations, but they may participate in certain types of trips, including people-to-people trips that foster cultural exchanges.

Carnival said the trips will "focus on supporting cultural exchange and economic development for the Cuban people and include a variety of artistic, educational and humanitarian activities."

The preliminary itinerary includes meetings with artists, entrepreneurs, schoolchildren and others in settings ranging from the Afro-Cuban community in Havana's Muraleando neighborhood to an organic farm to colonial heritage sites.

Carnival says the Cuba cruises will begin in May.

All trips offered by the Fathom brand will have a focus on volunteering in a destination. The brand is also selling service trips to the Dominican Republic.

Travelore News: Carnival Plans To Start Cuba Cruises May 1

PHOTO: Fathom is proceeding with plans to start Cuba sailings on May 1 on the 700-passenger Adonia. (Courtesy of Fathom)

While still awaiting approval from Cuban authorities, Carnival Corp.’s new Fathom brand is proceeding with plans to sail to the island nation starting in the spring.

“Our intention is for the first trip to depart May 1, if not before,” Fathom President Tara Russell told reporters on a press trip in the Dominican Republic.

The itineraries will likely include three destinations in Cuba — the capital of Havana, Santiago de Cuba in the southeast, and Cienfuegos on the southern coast, she said.

The cruises will offer cultural exchange programs with Cuban artists, small business owners, food producers, musicians and filmmakers. That programming would qualify for the People-to-People licenses authorized by the U.S. Treasury Department to allow travel to Cuba. In July, Carnival Corp. received approval from the U.S. government for Cuba cruises, but was waiting for the OK from Cuban authorities. On Aug. 31, Carnival Corp. CEO Arnold Donald told reporters in a video conference that there was “nothing to report” relating to Cuba approvals.

Fathom was designed as a “social impact” brand offering cruises with volunteer experiences and “impact travel activities” in the Dominican Republic starting in April aboard the 700-passenger Adonia. Shortly after Carnival announced the brand in June, it revealed that it would alternate weekly departures to Cuba.

Russell described Fathom as “a different kind of cruise that combines your love of travel with your desire to make a difference.”

Lead fares initially announced were $2,990 for Cuba and $1,540 for the Dominican Republic, but have come down to $1,600 and $974, respectively, according to the website on Sept. 3.

From THERESA NORTON MASEK, www.travelpulse.com 

Travelore News: Carnival Corporation Granted US Approval For Travel To Cuba

Carnival Corporation, the world's largest travel and leisure company, today announced that the US Department of the Treasury and the US Department of Commerce granted approval for the company to begin travel to Cuba. Carnival Corporation intends to take travelers to Cuba beginning in May 2016 via its newly-launched fathom brand – a new social impact travel brand providing purpose-oriented, social impact experiences, initially in the Dominican Republic.

Carnival Corporation intends to operate fathom travel itineraries directly to Cuba for the purpose of providing cultural, artistic, faith-based and humanitarian exchanges between American and Cuban citizens. Authorized under current US-to-Cuba travel guidelines, the new Cuban itineraries on fathom will strictly comply with US Department of Treasury rules that allow licensed travel companies to transport approved travelers to Cuba to engage in activities that support the Cuban people. Carnival Corporation is in active discussions and plans to work with the appropriate authorities in Cuba so that Cuban approval is granted.

Launched June 4 as Carnival Corporation's 10th global brand, fathom is designed as a purpose-driven brand to enrich the lives of its travelers and in the case of the Dominican Republic, drive sustainable social impact on a significant scale. The brand expects to attract 37,000 annual travelers who collectively could spend a total of more than 100,000 days a year either volunteering or immersing in educational and cultural exchanges in local communities.

Beginning in April 2016, fathom will embark on weekly seven-day voyages from Port Miami aboard the MV Adonia, a 710-passenger vessel redeployed from Carnival Corporation's P&O Cruises (UK) brand. fathom's first impact destination will be the northern region of the Dominican Republic, where Carnival Corporation's new port of call, Amber Cove, will serve as home base.

Following the inaugural April month of voyages to the Dominican Republic, fathom intends to offer both Dominican and Cuban itineraries on a systematic and regular basis, giving travelers the opportunity to choose from two destinations and a range of activities from social impact in the Dominican Republic and educational and cultural exchanges in both countries designed to have a positive, transformative effect on the lives of the travelers.

"We are excited about receiving US approval as the very important first step to ultimately take travelers to Cuba under the existing 12 criteria for authorized travel. We look forward to working with the Cuban authorities for their approval to help make the social, cultural and humanitarian exchanges between US citizens and the people of Cuba a reality," said Arnold Donald, President and CEO of Carnival Corporation. "We know there is strong demand from travelers who want to immerse themselves in Cuban culture, so this is a historic opportunity for us to enable more people to experience Cuban society. It is also an important opportunity for our new fathom brand to expand its positive influence in the world with this potential to add full-week immersion sailings to Cuba to its already planned full-week social-impact itineraries to the Dominican Republic beginning in the spring of 2016."

Tara Russell, president of fathom and global impact lead for Carnival Corporation, added: "We're incredibly excited and humbled by this potential opportunity to help travelers experience the amazing beauty and culture of Cuba, while being able to provide educational and cultural exchange activities that will benefit both the traveler and the Cuban people. After establishing the Dominican Republic as our first partner destination, Cuba represents an important step for us to expand our ability to offer meaningful and enriching experiences to purpose-driven travelers. Our goal remains the same for both destinations – to enable travelers to immerse, learn, serve and flourish while making enduring, sustainable contributions on a scalable and systematic basis. We are looking forward to building what we intend to be a beautiful and lasting friendship with the Cuban people."

Led by Russell's strong background in social entrepreneurship, fathom seeks to develop lasting social impact partnerships that allow for meaningful personal enrichment of the traveler, while providing systematic, long-term educational, environmental and economic development benefits in its partner countries.

"We're very interested in exploring the prospects of expanding our partnership with fathom to include Cuba, building new impact programs and lending our assistance to strengthen existing initiatives that will help educational, cultural and humanitarian efforts already going on in Cuba," said David Luther, founder and executive director of IDDI, a non-profit organization with the mission to help alleviate poverty in rural and urban areas in the Caribbean. "IDDI has long-standing relationships in Cuba and more than a decade of experience working on the ground side-by-side with local officials to make a positive impact in Cuban communities. Nothing else like fathom exists to bring hundreds of like-minded travelers a week to communities of people who need ongoing support. With fathom and its travelers, the potential for making a lasting impact in people's lives is tremendous. We look forward to partnering closely with fathom to take our programs to the next level, and support growth and prosperity for the citizens of Cuba."

Americans Can Now Take Shorter Cruises To Cuba

Changes in regulations now allow Americans to take shorter cruises to CubaCredit Cuba Cruise

Under newly relaxed regulations governing travel to Cuba, Cuba Cruise is offering Americans seven-night trips that circumnavigate the island.

In the past, American passengers had to book lengthier land-and-sea itineraries with a sanctioned American tour operator. Now securing passage aboard the 1,200-passenger Louis Cristal involves reserving the trip with Cuba Cruise, a Canadian company, andregistering for a People-to-People Program with the Fund for Reconciliation and Development, an American nonprofit. The organization then issues a participant letter authorizing travel.

Sailors can embark in Montego Bay, Jamaica, or in Havana for trips that include visits to six Unesco World Heritage Sites in and around Santiago de Cuba, Cienfuegos and the capital. Americans are limited to educational shore excursions, all of which are optional, including visits to Fidel Castro’s birthplace, the mountains of Baconao Park, the Spanish colonial city of Trinidad and Havana via a vintage auto.

The cruises run through March and will resume in December. They start at 782 Canadian dollars a person, or $637.50 at 1.22 Canadian to the U.S. dollar, plus port fees (178 Canadian dollars) and the cost of registration ($75), excluding airfare.

Contributed by ELAine GLUSAC

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