Royal Caribbean Pushes Back Empress of the Seas' Cuba Sailings

Royal Caribbean Pushes Back Empress of the Seas' Cuba Sailings
August 1, 2016

(2:50 p.m. EDT) -- Royal Caribbean has pushed back its planned entry
into Cuba yet again, after still not receiving permission from the
country to cruise there.

As originally announced by cruise line president and CEO Michael Bayley
in May, Royal Caribbean had originally hoped to have Empress of the Seas
sailing Cuba itineraries from Miami by late July. With that in mind,
Royal Caribbean had only announced Caribbean sailings for Empress
through June. When permission was not forthcoming in the early part of
the summer, the line opened nearly two more months of four- and
five-night Caribbean cruises. Now Royal Caribbean has opened Caribbean
bookings for Empress of the Seas through the end of October.

Carnival Corp's Fathom is the only cruise line sailing to Cuba at
present, but Lindblad Expeditions-National Geographic and Ponant have
all received permission from Cuba to begin sailing to the island in late
2016 or 2017; Victory Cruise Lines and Pearl Seas are selling Cuba
cruises, but have not received approval.

--By Dori Saltzman, Senior Editor

Source: Royal Caribbean Pushes Back Empress of the Seas' Cuba Sailings -
Cruise Critic - http://www.cruisecritic.com/news/news.cfm?ID=7161