Carnival Adds Even More Cruises to Cuba in the Coming Years

Casinos & Hotels

Published: April 7, 2018 8:15 am

Last Updated: January 12, 2020 1:41 am

Back in 2017, Cuba was officially opened up to the United States for tourists and trade. And now cruise liners operators like Carnival Corp. (NYSE: CCL) are taking advantage of these open ports and tourist attractions.

Carnival announced on Friday it has added another 20 voyages to Cuba aboard Carnival Paradise from Tampa in 2019, complementing the 11 cruises to the island taking place aboard the vessel through next year.

The new voyages aboard Carnival Paradise are in addition to the 17 recently announced Cuba cruises aboard Carnival Sensation departing from Miami in 2019.

The newly added five-day voyages on Carnival Paradise will depart Tampa on Saturdays and feature a day-long or a full day and overnight call in the Cuban capital of Havana, along with stops at tropical destinations Key West and Cozumel.

Guests sailing on Carnival’s Cuba cruises can select from nearly 20 different shore excursion experiences that showcase the island’s vibrant culture, majestic beauty and centuries-old architectural landmarks.

Christine Duffy, president of Carnival Cruise Line, commented:

Our Cuba cruises have been met with phenomenal guest response since we began sailing to the island last year and we’re thrilled to add yet another 20 voyages to this fascinating and sought-after destination.

It’s worth pointing out that these visits to Havana comply with regulations of the U.S. Department of Treasury that permit travel operators to transport approved travelers to Cuba to engage in activities as defined by the U.S. Department of Commerce.

So far in 2018, Carnival has performed more or less in line with the broad markets, with its shares down nearly 3%. Over the past 52 weeks, Carnival’s stock is up nearly 10%.

Shares of Carnival closed out the week at $64.51, with a consensus analyst price target of $77.68 and a 52-week range of $57.39 to $72.70.