When Cuba swung open its doors to the US to cruise lines in 2016, welcoming US travelers to its sandy shores for the first time in over five decades, passengers clambered aboard MV Adonia to be one of the first to sail to the island nation in the Caribbean.
That voyage, operated by Carnival Cruise Line’s Fathom Travel from Miami, took nearly 700 passengers to Havana, the capital city seemingly trapped in time in the 1950s.
By 2017, the cruise line’s 2,052-passenger Carnival Paradise began sailing to Havana – the largest ship to call – on 5-night voyages from Tampa, Florida, joined by Royal Caribbean, Norwegian Cruise Line, Oceania Cruises, and Regent Seven Seas Cruises vessels.
In order for guests to travel to Cuba from the US, the cruise lines had to provide “people-to-people” educational travel itineraries designed to have passengers involved in community projects.
But, by June 2019, new travel restrictions were reinstated, interrupting the short-lived dream of tourism and cultural exchange, and cruise lines had to scrap calls to Havana in favor of other Caribbean nations.
Six years later, passengers have asked Carnival Cruise Line to push for a return. The cruise line’s Brand Ambassador, John Heald, shared a letter from an unnamed guest who said, “I hope the cruise lines are lobbying the government for permission to go back to cruising to Cuba.”
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The letter prompted Heald to post a now-closed poll on his Facebook page on whether or not Carnival Cruise Line’s American guests would like to sail to Cuba.
The response was overwhelmingly in favor, with more than 11,500 guests giving their aye-aye to the 7,500 who poo-pooed the idea before the post was closed.
“My wife and I were lucky enough to get to go on a cruise to Havana when it was open for cruises. We LOVED it! The people were so happy to see Americans finally visiting their country, and we felt like our money could really make a difference in their lives,” said Wayne Brockinton.
“I felt bad for them when cruises were cut off. We would go back in a heartbeat,” he continued.
Brockinton’s opinions were echoed by hundreds, although others began a political debate.
Ready for Growth
Before the US put a stop on cruises to Cuba, its Havana port signed a 15-year management agreement in 2018 with Global Ports Holding (GPH), the company behind the success of Nassau Cruise Port, San Juan Cruise Port, and Saint Lucia Cruise Port.
At that time, GPH planned to expand Havana port’s berths from two to six by 2024 to accommodate the increased passenger capacity, which had reached 850,000 via its various ports by 2018 year’s end.
Due to the restrictions against US-based cruises, however, the company now acts as a consultant to Havana port rather than management and has halted its construction plans.
While cruises to Cuba are not available from US ports, non-American cruise companies still take passengers to Havana and other ports around the island.
Ambassador Cruise Line, which is headquartered in England, recently visited Havana and Santiago de Cuba on January 27 and 31, 2025, respectively, during the 1,200-passenger Ambition’s 45-night roundtrip voyage from London.
Its 1,400-guest Ambience, also sailing from London, will arrive in Havana on February 16, 2025.
Meanwhile, Carnival Corporation, which owns Carnival Cruise Lines, along with Royal Caribbean, Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings, and MSC Cruises, are all currently involved in a legal battle that, as of late January 2025, has reached the Supreme Court.
The cruise companies have been accused of violating embargos and trafficking by docking in Havana between 2015 and 2019 and are being sued for $439 million in damages by Havana Docks Corporation.
The companies were found not guilty in a federal appeals court in October 2024.
