MSC Opera will offer 16 Caribbean cruises from Havana between December 2015 and April 2016
By
Rebecca Gibson |
MSC Cruises is to homeport a ship in Havana, Cuba, for the first time this winter.
Arriving in the Cuban capital in December 2015, the newly renovated MSC Opera will offer 16 seven-night Caribbean cruises, which will include two and a half days in Havana and calls in Montego Bay, Jamaica; Georgetown in the Cayman Islands; and Cozumel, Mexico.
Cruises can be purchased with a combination of different packages, including a fly-cruise option for guests in Argentina, Brazil, Canada, France, Germany, Italy and Spain.
“The move to Cuba attests to our steadfast commitment to offer our experienced guests and holidaymakers the best and most sought-after destinations as they become accessible, further enhancing our global offering while providing travellers best-in-class experiences and service,” said Gianni Onorato, CEO of MSC Cruises. “The inaugural cruise will take place in less than six months from now, but we can definitely attest of the strong demand for the product, due to the combination of the attractiveness of Cuba as a culture-rich destination, coupled with the fact that it is offered through our distinctive MSC Cruises experience.”
MSC Opera will arrive in Cuba on 22 December after a Grand Voyage from Genoa, Italy, which departs on 2 December 2015 and includes a call in Havana on 18 December.
Local company Cubanacan will provide local ground services and shore excursions, which will include a visit to the Havana’s Malecón seafront promenade and its city centre, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Guests will also be able to go snorkelling with sea turtles or visit Mayan ruins in Cozumel; go whitewater rafting and tour a former plantation at Good Hope Estate in Montego Bay; and snorkel in Stingray City, take a catamaran cruise to the coral reefs, or visit the Seven Mile Beach in the Cayman Islands.
On 12 April 2016, MSC Opera will depart Havana on a ‘Grand Voyage’ back to Europe, arriving in Warnemünde, Germany, on 7 May 2016. MSC Opera’s original winter 2015-2016 schedule in the Canary Islands, Madeira and Morocco has been cancelled.