MSC Cruises to call Cuba home

MSC Cruises to call Cuba home

MSC Cruises is heading to Cuba, basing the MSC Opera there for the winter 2015-16 season.

Starting in December this year, the 2120 guest ship will homeport in Havana, offering guests 16 Caribbean cruises with a two-night stay in the Cuban capital.

Emerging as one of the completely renovated ships involved in the cruise line’s €200 million Renaissance programme, MSC Opera will cruise to Jamaica, the Cayman Islands and Mexico with two nights and two and a half days in Havana.

The seven-night Caribbean cruises aboard MSC Opera will be available for booking from July 10 2015. To offer local ground services and shore excursions MSC Cruises will partner with Cubanacan, the Cuba-based group known for its experienced professionals and quality service.

The first cruise will depart from Havana on December 22 2015, following MSC Opera’s Grand Voyage to Cuba from Genoa, departing on December 2 2015.

To ensure that guests can enjoy and discover the capital city, the Grand Voyage will include a call in Havana on December 18, and resume its itinerary in the region before heading back to Cuba for its final call of the journey on December 21.

On April 12 2016, the ship will leave Havana for a Grand Voyage back to Europe, with Warnemünde, Germany as its final destination, arriving on May 7 2016.

“We are particularly proud to make this exciting new destination available to our guests,” MSC Cruises’ ceo Gianni Onorato said.

“The move to Cuba attests to our commitment to offer our guests the best and most sought-after destinations as they become accessible – thus further enhancing our global offering while providing travellers best-in-class experiences and service.

“The inaugural cruise will take place in less than six months from now, but we can confirm the strong demand for the product due to the attractiveness of Cuba as a culture-rich destination, coupled with the fact that it is offered through our distinctive MSC Cruises experience.”

Latest News

  • Products

Embrace the journey: Traversing the world with the Shokz OpenRun

If you’ve been on the wrong side of a final call in the airport, or missed the stop on rail journey, it might be time to invest in a pair of Shokz OpenRun headphones. Originally marketed as headphones for fitness fanatics, runners or cyclists with a keen to steer clear of a prang with a car, […]

  • Tour Operators
  • Tourism

TTC: Deals are driving up demand for September trips

The latest market research from TTC Tour Brands shows interest in international leisure travel remains high for 2024, with 77 per cent of Australians over 18 still planning trips this year. Notably, 28 per cent of those travellers are eyeing September for their journeys. Europe continues to be the most popular destination, with 68 per […]

  • Aviation

Qantas ‘working urgently’ to fix app data leak

Qantas is looking into customer reports that passengers have this morning been able to access other passengers’ personal information on the airlines app. X user Lachlan posted that he was able log into different accounts every time he opened the app. My @Qantas app logs me in to a different person each time I open […]

  • Hotels

Revamped Wailoaloa Beach hotel opens as Crowne Plaza Fiji Nadi Bay Resort & Spa

Crowne Plaza Fiji Nadi Bay Resort & Spa is open and ready for bookings after the first phase of a multi-million-dollar transformation. Part of IHG Hotels & Resorts’ premium collection, the transformation has seen the completion of 106 guestrooms showcasing contemporary interiors reflective of the premium Crowne Plaza brand and is a first for the […]

  • Luxury
  • News

Kamalaya Koh Samui clinches clutch of wellness awards

Kamalaya Wellness Sanctuary & Holistic Spa has so far clinched five prestigious awards in 2024, including being inducted into the ‘Hall of Fame’ at the World Spa & Wellness Awards in London. Founders of the Koh Samui sanctuary and spa John and Karina Stewart expressed their heartfelt gratitude for the awards. “We are profoundly honoured […]