The First Tourist Cruise from the U.S. Arrives in Havana

A new chapter in the thaw between Cuba and the U.S. is being written today with the arrival at the port of Havana of the ship “Adonia,” the first tourist cruise to dock at the Havana port from a U.S. port. For years, the presence of such ships in the Caribbean island has been common, although until now, a stop of this nature had not occurred.

A few days ago, the ship “MSC Ópera” was present, which then crossed the Atlantic and arrived yesterday at the port of Vigo, where more than two hundred Spanish tourists disembarked. The Cuban population, awaiting the arrival of the Carnival giant's ship, gave a warm welcome to its 704 passengers, docking at one of the piers of Old Havana, very close to the restored building of the Lonja de Comercio, funded by Spanish financial contributions.

The ship “Adonia” operates a seven-day circuit based in Miami that includes stops in Cienfuegos and Santiago de Cuba. According to U.S. media reports, each ship pays an average of $500,000, and the average spending of each tourist at the planned stops is estimated at $100. More than a dozen lines have announced plans to travel to Cuba, which, if realized, would contribute more than $80 million annually to the Cuban regime's coffers.

Photo: Alexandre Meneghin / Reuters