Cuba Cruise announces partners

Cuba Cruise announces partners



CUBA STANDARD — Cuba Cruise Inc., a Calgary-based startup company that

offers around-Cuba cruises next winter season, announced partnerships

with major tour operators around the globe.



The company, which plans to launch its first cruise Dec. 16, said it has

formed partnerships with Canadian tour operators Transat Holidays, Hola

Sun and Caribe Sol. In Germany, Cuba Cruises was picked up by FTI and

DER, in the UK by The Holiday Place, in Denmark by Albatros, in

Australia by Cruise Abroad, Worldwide Cruise Centres and Seven Oceans

Cruising, in Japan by Amphitryon Japan Co, Ltd., in Brazil by Uneworld

Viagens, and in Israel by Eshet Incoming.



The tour operators, according to Cuba Cruise, will be providing air,

land and sea packages with flights departing from major international

airports. Cuba Cruise grants travel agents a 12-percent commission, and

even pays an 8-percent commission on land excursions and beverage

packages, an offer rarely seen in the cruise industry.



The company bowed at the ITB tourism fair in Berlin in early March,

followed by participation in the Scandivian TUR fair, and Brazil's

WTM/Braztoa. Prices start at CAD$586.



Cuba Cruise, started by Toronto entrepreneur Dugald Wells, will use the

960-passenger Louis Cristal. The ship, owned by Cyprus-based Louis

Cruises, will be home-ported in Havana during 15 weekly runs this coming

season from December through March. Other stops of the seven-day cruise

include Punta Francés on the Isle of Youth, Cienfuegos, Montego Bay in

Jamaica, Santiago de Cuba, and Holguín.



Cuba Cruise joins Britain's Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines and Tropicana

Cruises, a London-based startup with links to Russia, in offering

cruises in Cuba. The cruise industry in Cuba has been hampered by the

fact that the world's largest cruise lines are U.S.-based and subject to

the embargo. At least two European companies that started offering Cuba

cruises were eventually bought by one of the U.S. cruise giants and

pulled out of Cuba. Other small Canadian and European operators have

come and gone, beset by startup woes.



Source: "Cuba Cruise announces partners « Cuba Standard, your best

source for Cuban business news" -

http://www.cubastandard.com/2013/06/19/cuba-cruise-announces-partners/