Within hours of President Barack Obama shaking hands with Cuban President Raul Castro on Monday during Obama’s first visit to the island nation, another historic first was announced.
Carnival Corp., the company behind the Carnival Cruise Line brand, announced that its new Fathom Travel brand received approval from Cuban authorities to set sail for Cuba, The Miami Herald reports.
Fathom’s ship Adonia will leave Miami on its inaugural trip to Cuba on May 1.
Tara Russell, Fathom’s president, explains in a news release:
“We have been told that we will be the first cruise line to sail from the U.S. to Cuba with our historic inaugural sailing.”
The seven-day cruises, which include cultural exchange programs, will depart from and return to the Port of Miami on Sundays. The first stop in Cuba will be the capital of Havana on Mondays, and other ports of call currently include Cienfuegos and Santiago de Cuba.
The Miami Herald reports that gaining Cuban approval entailed surveying whether infrastructure at Cuba’s ports could support cruise ships. Fathom’s 704-passenger Adonia is small enough to dock at the Cuban ports included in its weeklong voyages.
Prices for Fathom’s seven-day trips around Cuba start at $1,800 per person. That includes all meals, on-board experiences and on-the-ground activities. However, the price excludes Cuban visas, taxes, fees and port expenses. To learn more, visit Fathom.org.
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