Cuba Cruise CFO Craig Marshall & Nieves Ricardo from the Cuba Tourist Board
Cuba Cruise President Dugald Wells & Raul Delgado, Consul of Cuba
Chris Robinson of The Chris Robinson Travel Show & Helen Hewetson of The Travel Society
Cuba Cruise's Annika Klint & Transat's Malcolm Sorab
La Casa Del Habano hosts a cigar rolling demonstration
It’s official… summer is gone and winter is nipping at our boot heels. Canadians will soon be ready to swap those boots for flip flops and you’ll be ready to fulfill their vacation pleas.
Dugald Wells, President of Cuba Cruise, and the rest of his team recently hosted their official launch event with hopes that snowbirds will consider the new cruise product for this upcoming season.
“We look at this like it’s a floating resort. Every day you wake up at a new port. It’s a product that’s never really been done before and we’re very excited,” said Wells. “There’s not a lot of infrastructure in Cuba, which is perfect for a cruise, where you have all the amenities of an all inclusive resort.”
Approximately 30 travel professionals including Cuba Cruise’s tour operator partners from Transat, Hola Sun and Alitours gathered at La Casa Del Habano, a Cuban café and cigar shop located on Toronto’s posh Yorkville Ave. Guests sipped on Mojitos and nibbled on hors d’ouevres, some perused the shop’s humidor, while others stepped outside to enjoy a hand-rolled cigar.
“It’s a neat idea,” said Helen Hewetson from The Travel Society. “It’s an all inclusive, but you get to see other places you don’t usually get to go to.”
Chris Robinson of The Chris Robinson Travel Show agreed. “Almost all the resorts are located on the north coast of the island,” he said. “On the cruise, you get to explore the south as well, which not many people go to – like the city of Trinidad, which is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.”
Cuba Cruise will operate on the Louis Cristal from December 16, 2013 until March 24, 2014. The 7 day itinerary departs from either Havana or Montego Bay, Jamaica. Embarking at Montego Bay opens the door to Americans who wish to visit the otherwise off-limit destination.
But according to Wells, the cruise really is targeted to the Canadian market and the Louis Cristal is currently being retrofitted to include specialty restaurant and bar, the Alberta Prime Steakhouse and the Canada Sports Bar.
“Cuba Cruise is perfect for anyone who enjoys cruising, people who want to see things for the 1st time and for those who have never been to Cuba,” said Wells. “Or for those clients looking at an all inclusive vacation, Cuba Cruise only costs approximately 15-20% more, but they will get to know all of Cuba in one trip. That would never happen if they were staying at a resort.”
