Thomson Cruises will be offering cruises from Cuba for winter 2010/11 on new ship Thomson Dream.
The ship, which joins the fleet in April 2010, will be sailing a 21-night cruise circuit with three embarkation and disembarkation ports – Barbados, Jamaica and Havana in Cuba.
Passengers will be offered a choice of three 14-night cruises – a 14-night Caribbean Experience from Barbados to Cuba, a Cuban Adventure between Jamaica and Barbados, which includes three nights in Havana, or a Classic Caribbean voyage from Havana to Jamaica.
It means passengers will be embarking and disembarking at the three ports during the rotation. On the Caribbean Experience, for instance, a number will be getting off in Jamaica having completed their Classic Caribbean cruise.
The cruises, which go on sale from November 5, will be serviced by direct TUI flights from the UK, from Gatwick, Manchester and Birmingham. The Cuba flights will be exclusively for passengers joining or leaving the cruise.
Speaking on board Thomson Destiny while it was in Barcelona this week during the ABTA Travel Convention, Thomson Cruises director of cruise David Selby said Thomson Dream’s Caribbean schedule had been introduced in response to customer demand for something exotic.
He said: “The Cuba cruises are something special as American cruise ships can’t go there. The Cuban authorities are very pleased about the cruises.” US ships are banned from visiting Cuba under America’s travel laws.
Havana will be a new port for Thomson, likewise Roatan in Honduras and Santa Marta in Columbia.
Thomson is chartering the 1,500-passenger Thomson Dream, currently sailing as Costa Europa, from Costa Cruises on a 10-year lease.
Thomson Destiny will continue to offer seven-night winter Caribbean flycruises from La Romana in Dominican Republic that can be linked with a one-week land-based holiday on the island.