Cruise & Cruise Line

Hapag-Lloyd Cruises to Deploy Europa 2 to Cuba for First Time

by Jason Leppert
Last updated: 12:00 PM ET, Wed April 27, 2016

Photo courtesy of Hapag-Lloyd Cruises

There is no shortage of announced cruises to Cuba recently, and now Hapag-Lloyd Cruises is joining in by sending its EUROPA 2 to the Caribbean country for the first time on two sailings in October and November of 2016.

Highlighted port calls are Havana, Santiago de Cuba, Cienfuegos and Isla de la Juventud, and excursion opportunities will include a city tour in Santiago de Cuba and a salsa dance course in Cienfuegos, as well as stops at El Floridita, a favorite bar of Ernest Hemingway, Casa de la Musica and Variete Tropicana, all classic Cuban haunts. Other Caribbean stops along the way on 12- or 13-day itineraries will be Aruba, Curacao, St. Lucia, St. Martin, the British Virgin Islands, Ocho Rios and Montego Bay.

Unlike lines such as Fathom, which plans Cuban cruises roundtrip from Miami, Florida, Hapag-Lloyd will not visit any American destinations. When asked if the cruises will accommodate U.S. citizens under person-to-person government requirements, a spokesperson for the line said that such guests will need to secure their own visas.

The 12-day sailing is scheduled for Oct. 24 - Nov. 6, 2016 with a starting cost of $8,870 per person, and the 13-day is set for Nov. 5-19, 2016 beginning at $9,470 per person.