Second Carnival Corporation brand receives approval for Cuba voyages from Port Tampa Bay
By
Rebecca Gibson |
Carnival Corporation’s Carnival Cruise Line has been approved to start sailing to Cuba from June 2017.
The corporation made history in May 2016 when it’s Fathom brand became the first US cruise company to sail to Cuba in more than 40 years. Fathom will continue sailing from Miami to the island until May 2017.
Sailing from Port Tampa Bay on the west coast of Florida, Carnival Cruise Line’s Carnival Paradise will operate a series of four- and five-day voyages with an overnight visit to Cuba. Based on guest capacity, the 2,052-passenger Carnival Paradise will become the largest cruise ship in history to sail from the US.
“Our iconic Carnival brand has carried tens of millions of passengers to the Caribbean during its nearly 45-year history, and we are excited that our largest brand will sail guests to Cuba, one of the most sought-after destinations in the world,” said Arnold Donald, CEO of Carnival Corporation. “Our first-hand expertise gained from being the first to sail from the US to Cuba in decades, and carrying more US passengers than any other cruise company over the past year, will be invaluable in helping our Carnival brand make sure its guests have a great vacation experience to what is becoming one of the Caribbean’s most desired destinations.”
Carnival Corporation is also ‘optimistic’ that it will be granted approval for additional brands to travel to Cuba in future.
“The Caribbean is already the world’s most popular region for cruising, and we are excited about expanding our itineraries across several of our brands to include Cuba,” said Donald.