MIAMI, May 2, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Carnival Corporation
& plc (NYSE/LSE: CCL; NYSE: CUK), the world's largest leisure
travel company, sailed into Havana
this morning completing the first leg of its historic inaugural
voyage to Cuba that began on May 1,
2016, from Miami. The
company's 10th and newest brand, Fathom, made history today with
its arrival into Havana, marking
the first time in over 50 years that a U.S. cruise line has sailed
from the U.S. to Cuba. It is also the first time in decades that
Cuban-born individuals have been able to travel by sea to or from
Cuba.
Fathom travelers were greeted by fanfare and a festive
celebration as they arrived in the Port of Havana, the first of three destinations that
guests will visit as part of the brand's exclusive seven-night
voyages to Cuba. Following this week's inaugural trip to Cuba,
Fathom's 704-passenger Adonia luxury cruise ship will begin
operating its weeklong itineraries to Cuba every other week.
"Our arrival today in Havana is
a special moment in history that contributes to a more positive
future, and we congratulate our colleague Arnie Perez on being the first person born in
Cuba to step ashore under Cuba's
new policy," said Arnold Donald, CEO
of Carnival Corporation. "We are so honored that Carnival
Corporation and our Fathom brand can be part of such a meaningful
milestone. As we worked to become the first U.S. cruise company to
sail from the U.S. to Cuba in more than five decades, it was clear
just how much interest there is from travelers who want to
experience Cuba. We believe there is no better way to experience
Cuba and see this beautiful island than to cruise with us on
Fathom, and we look forward to providing a very special and
rewarding experience to everyone who sails with us."
"We are extremely excited and very humbled by this historic
opportunity to give Fathom travelers an exclusive chance to
experience Cuba, which is a unique destination unlike anywhere else
in the world," said Tara Russell,
president of Fathom and global impact lead for Carnival
Corporation.
Russell added: "Our guests are now able to visit three beautiful
destinations on the island all in one week, with the convenience of
only having to unpack once while we sail on the Fathom Adonia, our
premium small ship with its excellent and diverse dining, service
and accommodations. Cuba is a beautiful island with great people
and a rich history and culture, and we are so excited we are the
first U.S. cruise line that will be giving travelers the
opportunity to enjoy Cuba with all the comforts and convenience of
being on board our ship. We look forward to making sure our guests
have an extraordinary experience."
CARNIVAL CORPORATION'S FATHOM BRAND AND ITS VOYAGES TO THREE
PORTS OF CALL IN CUBA
During each sailing, Fathom will visit Havana, Cienfuegos and Santiago de Cuba, three ports of call for which
Carnival Corporation has obtained berthing approval.
As part of this historic sailing in this inaugural year,
travelers will enjoy an exciting Cuban experience and will sail
aboard Adonia, a premium small ship where they can choose to
partake in onboard experiences, including Cuban- and Caribbean-inspired food and films, music and
dancing, and much more.
Special onboard programming will include a wide variety of
activities covering an array of interests, ranging from an
orientation of Cuba's history, customs and culture, to
geographic-inspired entertainment, to casual and fun personal
enrichment activities, along with conversational Spanish
lessons.
Seven-day itineraries on Carnival Corporation's Fathom brand
will generally depart from PortMiami on Sundays at 4:30 p.m. Eastern Time (ET). The ship will arrive
at its first destination, Havana,
the following morning (Monday) at 11 a.m.
ET. The Adonia returns to its homeport, PortMiami, at
7:30 a.m. ET on Sunday.
Prices for seven-day itineraries to Cuba start at $1,800 per person, excluding Cuban visas, taxes,
fees and port expenses and including all meals on the ship, onboard
experiences and several on-the ground activities. Prices will vary
by season.
To reserve a spot on future sailings, travelers may contact
their travel professional or call 1-855-9Fathom. Visit Fathom's
"Cruise to Cuba" page at fathom.org to learn more about the brand's
weeklong itineraries to Cuba.
About Carnival Corporation & plc
Carnival
Corporation & plc is the largest leisure travel company in the
world, with a portfolio of 10 cruise brands in North America, Europe, Australia and Asia comprised of Carnival Cruise Line,
Fathom, Holland America Line, Princess Cruises, Seabourn, AIDA
Cruises, Costa Cruises, Cunard, P&O Cruises (Australia) and P&O Cruises (UK).
Together, these brands operate 100 ships visiting over 700 ports
around the world and totaling 221,000 lower berths with 16 new
ships scheduled to be delivered between 2016 and 2020. Carnival
Corporation & plc also operates Holland America Princess Alaska
Tours, the leading tour companies in Alaska and the Canadian Yukon. Traded on both
the New York and London Stock
Exchanges, Carnival Corporation & plc is the only group in the
world to be included in both the S&P500 and the FTSE 100
indices.
Additional information can be found on www.carnival.com,
www.hollandamerica.com, www.princess.com, www.seabourn.com,
www.aida.de, www.costacruise.com, www.cunard.com,
www.pocruises.com.au, www.pocruises.com and www.fathom.org.
Photo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20160502/362449
Photo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20160502/362452
Photo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20160502/362454
To view the original version on PR Newswire,
visit:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/carnival-corporation-arrives-in-havana-to-complete-historic-voyage-from-us-to-cuba-300261023.html
SOURCE Carnival Corporation & plc