Adonia Cruise to Reopen U.S.-Cuba Sea Route

HAVANA, Cuba, May 2 (acn) The Adonia cruise, owned by the Fathom Company, a subsidiary of Carnival Corp., which reopens the sea route between the U.S. and Cuba, will dock today in the capital's Sierra Maestra Cruise Terminal.

Adonia, the first U.S. cruise that in more than half a century will drop anchor in Havana Bay, will make a two day stop in Havana to then continue its journey to the ports of Cienfuegos and Santiago de Cuba, returning to South Florida on May 8 and an itinerary to the island that will be repeated every two weeks.
According to the program published on its website by Fathom, during their two days in Havana participants in this expedition will carry out cultural activities and on their way to Cienfuegos will experience a "cultural immersion" in Caribbean waters.
The tour will not include visits to Cuban beaches because leisure activities are not among the 12 categories authorized by the U.S. government for citizens of that nation traveling to Cuba.
Among the actions allowed by the U.S. government are the carrying out of religious, family, journalistic or cultural activities, but not tourist, since this area is still vetoed by the Trade Sanction Reform and Export Enhancement Act (Title IX) approved by the U.S. Congress in 2000.
Carnival spokesman Roger Frizzell said the trip is the experience of a traditional cruise, where participants will go "sightseeing and visit people"; however, although the U.S. citizens are traveling in a motor vessel usually used for tourism, they won't be able to perform activities of this kind, due to the restrictions of the U.S. blockade imposed on Cuba.
"Seven days that will change the way we see the world." This is how Fathom promotes the week-long trip to Cuba, in which they assure emotion will be present even in the air because on board the ship they will enjoy Cuban films and the traditional music and cuisine of the pearl of the Caribbean.
The ship, which departed shortly after 4:00 p.m. on Sunday from Miami, was remodeled in 2011 after 10 years in operation, and has a capacity for 710 passengers and 381 crew members. It was chosen by Carnival, the largest cruise company in the world, to reopen the sea route between the U.S. and Cuba.
On March 21, Carnival signed agreements with the island's Havanatur Celimar travel agency, enabling the beginning of a new era in maritime communications between the two countries, separated by only 144 kilometers of sea.
As informed, half a dozen Cuban-Americans are traveling in the Adonia, the first to arrive by sea after Cuba recently authorized the entry and departure of Cuban citizens, regardless of their immigration status, as passengers and crew on cruise ships.
The measure was announced after a prohibition that lasted decades due to terrorist attacks on the people of the island and the substantial resources provided in this way as support for counterrevolutionary armed groups.
The reopening of the sea route by the Adonia takes place in the context of the process towards normalization of ties that began with the reestablishment of diplomatic relations between Cuba and the United States, the reopening of embassies in Washington and Havana in July and August, 2015, respectively, and the visit of President Obama to the Cuban capital in March.