MIAMI, April 18, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Carnival
Corporation & plc (NYSE/LSE: CCL; NYSE: CUK), the world's
largest leisure travel company, today announced that the company is
continuing discussions with Cuba to allow cruise ships to operate
in the same manner as current air charter operations, which
transport Cuba-born individuals to and from Cuba.
Fathom will begin sailing its 704-passenger Adonia luxury cruise
ship to Cuba every other week starting on May 1, marking the
first time in over 50 years that a cruise ship has sailed from the
U.S. to Cuba.
Carnival Corporation also announced that it is accepting
bookings on its 10th and newest brand, Fathom, from all
travelers to Cuba, regardless of their country of origin, and is
looking forward to its historic inaugural voyage to Cuba
on May 1, 2016. While optimistic that Cuba will treat
travelers with Fathom the same as air charters today, should that
decision by Cuba be delayed past May 1, Carnival Corporation
will delay the start of its voyages to Cuba accordingly.
Carnival Corporation continues active discussions with Cuba,
asking that travel on Fathom be on a level playing field with air
charter travel to Cuba and remains confident its discussions with
Cuba will result in a positive outcome for everyone who wants to
travel to Cuba, including those who are Cuba-born.
Fathom has updated its reservations process and all travelers
can book its cruises to Cuba, including Cuban-born individuals, in
anticipation of Cuba allowing travel on a similar basis as they
would if they were traveling by air.
"We want everyone to be able to go to Cuba with us," said
Arnold Donald, CEO of Carnival
Corporation. "We remain excited about this historic opportunity to
give our guests an extraordinary vacation experience in
Cuba."
"We have already seen tremendous consumer interest in the
incredible Cuba journey we have put together," said Tara Russell, president of Fathom. "Our guests
will visit three beautiful and unique 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."
Carnival Corporation's Fathom brand and voyages with 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 the Adonia, 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 to 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
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 secure a spot on future sailings, a $600 per person deposit is required for all cabin
categories and occupancy levels. Final payment is due 90 days prior
to departure. 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 www.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.
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SOURCE Carnival Corporation & plc