Royal Caribbean International said 38 additional sailings
on the Empress of the Seas will feature port calls in Havana.
Those are in addition to the four previously announced Cuba
sailings, one from Miami and three from Tampa, scheduled through May.
Royal Caribbean said the new sailings would run through
November 2017. All will depart from Tampa.
Royal Caribbean did not say whether it has approval from the
Cuban government for additional arrivals.
John Kavulich, president of the U.S.-Cuba Trade and Economic
Council, in an analysis of the expansion, said the eleven sailings would
represent .38% of the total passengers carried by the company in 2016 and represent
.37% of gross revenue.
Royal Caribbean said the new four- and five-night cruises
would include day and overnight visits to Havana, along with stops in Key West,
Fla., and Cozumel, Mexico.
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Correction: Royal Caribbean has added 38 Cuba cruises.