New Victory cruise line plans trips from Florida to Cuba

New Victory cruise line plans trips from Florida to Cuba
Arlene Satchell
Sun Sentinel
Another cruise line sets its sights on Cuba

A new cruise line based in Miami hopes to offer trips from Florida to Cuba.

Victory Cruise Lines Ltd. is awaiting approval from the Cuban
government, President and CEO Bruce Nierenberg said in a phone interview
Wednesday.

Meanwhile, the cruise company will begin sailing July 8 from Montreal to
Chicago on a 10-day cruise on the St. Lawrence River and the Great
Lakes. It will follow that with a series of 10- and 15-day cruises
between ports in Chicago, Canada and Gloucester, Mass.

During the winter, the Victory 1 ship will move to Port Canaveral near
Orlando, where Victory hopes to sail on its first seven-day cruise to
Cuba on Oct. 28. A series of cruises from Miami to Cuba would take place
from November to April, with stops at ports including Havana, Santiago
de Cuba and Cienfuegos. Those cruises are expected to range from three
to 14 days.

The 202-passenger Victory 1 is a former Saint Laurent ship that began
service last summer under cruise operator Haimark Line. It sailed along
the eastern seaboard and the Great Lakes after a major renovation.

"It looks terrific," said Nierenberg, who toured Victory recently. "It's
a charming vessel and was designed as a coastal cruiser."

Haimark had planned to use the Saint Laurent for cruises between Miami
and Cuba starting in February, but the company ran into difficulty after
a ship accident that resulted in several cancellations. The company
later filed for bankruptcy.

Nierenberg, through another company, United Caribbean Lines, had been a
partner with Haimark on its Cuba program.

"We were all set up to go and start in the winter, then Haimark ran into
issues and filed for bankruptcy," he said.

The vessel's European owner remained interested in the Cuba venture and
decided to launch Victory to fill the gap left by Haimark.

Consumers showed strong interest in the Great Lakes cruises and the
Caribbean before Haimark ceased operations, Nierenberg said, He
attributed that to a growing desire among mature, upmarket travelers to
stay closer to home during the summer instead of venturing to places
like Europe, given recent terrorist attacks.

The Cuba cruises, if approved, will operate under current U.S.
regulations that allow travel to the Communist-led island under 12
categories of travel, including for cultural, humanitarian and
educational exchanges.

On May 1, Carnival Corp.'s newest brand, Fathom, made history as the
first cruise line in several decades to sail from a U.S. port to Cuba
when its 700-passenger Adonia cruise ship left Miami for Havana on a
seven-day trip.

Victory's U.S. and Cuba cruises will include shore excursions along with
wine and beer at lunch and dinner at no additional charge, the cruise
line said. As of Wednesday, cruise fares were not yet published on its
website.

asatchell@tribpub.com, Twitter@TheSatchreport

Source: New Victory cruise line plans trips from Florida to Cuba - Sun
Sentinel -
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