By the Cuba Journal Staff
Fathom, a social impact cruise ship brand owned by the Carnival Corporation, has announced approval from the Cuban government to call on ports in Cuba.
Carnival is the first US company to receive Cuban approval since the Cuban revolution in 1959.
Cuban approval was the final step remaining for the ambitious new cruising concept. The company received approval from the US government to sail to Cuba in July 2015.
Norwegian Cruise Line and Royal Caribbean Cruises are preparing for their own ventures. MSC Cruises, the world’s fourth largest cruise line, already calls on Cuba from a non-US port. US citizens have not been allowed on the Havana-based cruises due to US travel restrictions and rules.
Fathom’s website is booking reservations for the Cuba cruise at prices ranging from $1,800 per person for an inside cabin to $7,320 for a suite. The inaugural voyage for the Adonia 1, with a capacity for 704 passengers, is May 1 with arrival in Havana the same day.
Fathom onboard activities will feature Spanish lessons, impact workshops, specialty restaurants, cultural immersion opportunities, among other options.
The itinerary includes: cultural activities in Havana for the first two days; cultural immersion at sea on day three; a call at Cienfuegos on day four; a call at Santiago de Cuba on the final day.
Cuban authorities from Havanatur Celimar, various other agencies and Carnival Corporation today signed agreements enabling cruising by Carnival Corporation to Cuba.
Launched June 4th, 2015 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.
“We’re pioneering history and we’re so excited for people to join us in that experience,” Fathom president Tara Russell said recently in a statement to local media.
