Shortly after Royal Caribbean Cruises Limited announced its approval to sail to Cuba, its Azamara Club Cruises and Royal Caribbean International brands have detailed their initial itineraries to the Caribbean island nation.
The Azamara Quest will set sail roundtrip from Miami, Florida on March 21, 2017 on an existing 13-night itinerary, available to book now, that has been updated to include an overnight visit in Havana. The Azaleas, Bourbon Street and Havana sailing will additionally feature Key West, Florida; Tampa, Florida; Cozumel, Mexico and an additional two overnights in New Orleans, Louisiana.
"Destination Immersion is the heartbeat of our brand as expressed by our overnight stay in Havana, Cuba. Our guests rely on our programs to provide authentic, interactive experiences that dive deep into the cultures of the destinations we visit," says Larry Pimentel, President and CEO of Azamara Club Cruises.
"We've spent years defining and refining each voyage to enable our guests to explore their favorite ports in new ways and discover hidden gems in places they've never been before. Cuba has been a destination on our radar for years and being one of the first cruise lines to bring American guests to this amazing country, is an important offering that will resonate in a real way with our loyal guests."
[READMORE]READ MORE: Norwegian, Royal Caribbean Receive Approval to Sail to Cuba[/READMORE]
The line's Land Discovery program offerings in Havana will include the following:
Hemingway's Havana ~ A 4-hour excursion exploring the relationship between the American writer and Cuba in order to see where he lived, fished, ate and enjoyed cocktails.
Old Havana City Sightseeing ~ An overview tour to the fortresses, government edifices, squares, cemeteries and market likes of Morro Castle, La Cabaña, El Capitolio and more.
Best of Havana 8-hour Tour ~ An all day excursion including a Cuban lunch and discovery of the city's cemetery, square, artistic neighborhood, artisanal market and literary connections.
Azamara added, "In time, the line looks to also add additional ports of call in Cuba into several of its itineraries."
[READMORE]READ MORE: Cruising To Cuba: What Comes Next?[/READMORE]
As for Royal Caribbean International, the cruise line will deploy its newly refurbished Empress of the Seas to Havana on three departures, now available to book. The first will be a 5-night cruise from Miami leaving on April 19, 2017. Then after repositioning to Tampa, the ship will again head to Cuba on a 7-night April 30 sailing and a 5-night May 20 voyage.
"Royal Caribbean is the world's most exciting adventure company, and we're thrilled to introduce culture-seeking travelers to Cuba. As the unrivaled innovators of the cruise experience, no company is better positioned to help adventurers explore and experience this culturally rich destination," said Michael Bayley, President and CEO, Royal Caribbean International.
Besides the chance to enjoy cultural people-to-people experiences in Havana ashore, the Empress of the Seas will also feature cortaditos and café con leche in Café Royal, salsa music and other activities onboard.
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