Tampa to Havana Cruises Set Sail Next Year

TAMPA, FL — Tampa Bay area residents who would rather skip the trip to Miami to set sail for Cuba will be able to do so starting early next year. Royal Caribbean has announced its Empress of the Seas will make two trips to Havana from the Port of Tampa in 2017.

The newly renovated Empress of the Seas will make its first trip to Cuba from Miami on April 19. After that, the ship will head to Tampa where it will homeport for the summer season, the cruise line announced in a media release. The first trip from Tampa to Havana is scheduled to take off on April 30. That seven-night adventure will be followed by a five-night voyage set for May 20.

Tickets for the Miami to Havana and Tampa to Havana cruises are currently available.

“Royal Caribbean is the world’s most exciting adventure company, and we’re thrilled to introduce culture-seeking travelers to Cuba. As the unrivaled innovators of the cruise experience, no company is better positioned to help adventurers explore and experience this culturally rich destination,” Michael Bayley, President and CEO of Royal Caribbean International, said in a statement announcing the voyages.

See also: Southwest Airlines Announces Cheap, Nonstop Cuba Flights

People who wish to sail to Havana must meet all current U.S. to Cuba travel regulations. The 12 categories of travel allowed include family visits, journalistic activity, professional research, religious activities and educational activities, among others. To find out more, visit the U.S. Treasury online.

Carnival cruise lines became the first to set sail from Miami to Cuba in more than 50 years when its 704-passenger MV Adonia set sail on May 1 of this year. Royal Caribbean is the first cruise line to announce service from Tampa. Southwest Airlines is also poised to offer nonstop flights from Tampa to Havana starting Dec. 12.

Empress of the Seas recently underwent a $50 million revitalization project, according to Royal Caribbean. The ship features such perks as a rock-climbing wall, several pools and whirlpools, along with an adults-only Solarium.

To find out more about Royal Caribbean’s cruises to Cuba, visit the company’s website.

Image via Royal Caribbean’s press room