Cuba cruises soon to be offered by Fathom

Travelers could see several Cuban cities in a week

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. – At the Broward County Convention Center is all about cruising right now, as the Seatrade Cruise Global kicked off Monday.

The event is said to be the largest cruise shipping show in the world which draws in 11,000 people from 93 countries.

Think of this as a shopping center for the cruise ship industry on anything from designing and building a ship to putting it out to sea.

At the show, countries will sell and show off their ports, and companies try to sell their services.

"Really they're showcasing the best of what they have to offer," said Robyn Duda, of SeaTrade Cruise Global. "Anything that goes into making a cruise ship function can be found and business can done here at this event."

This year, Cuba is a hot topic at the show.

Fathom is the latest cruise ship line for Carnival, and may become the first American ship to dock in Havana’s harbor.

"We're pioneering history and we're so excited for people to join us in that experience," Tara Russell, president of Fathom, said.

And the trip to Cuba will be a different experience, according to Russell, calling it “impact cruising.”

"We really combine people's love of travel with their desire to go deep," Russell said.

Impact cruising is for those travelers who really want to immerse themselves in the Cuban culture. Pending final approval from the Cuban government, some 700 people will travel in the small ship called the Adonia on May 1.

 "It's about unpacking more and seeing more and getting to see to all those places without infrastructure challenges," Russell said.

 The ship, which would leave from Miami, offers travelers the ability to see several Cuban cities in a week. 


About the Author:

In January 2017, Hatzel Vela became the first local television journalist in the country to move to Cuba and cover the island from the inside. During his time living and working in Cuba, he covered some of the most significant stories in a post-Fidel Castro Cuba.