Itineraries to Cuba are garnering strong sales at high prices, Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings' top executive said.
"We think Cuba is going to be a home run for us," chief executive Frank Del Rio said at the Seatrade Cruise Global conference. "The first five sailings, when we first announced in December, have sold like nothing else we've ever seen before."
He said that trend has continued as Norwegian has announced more sailings, with "meaningfully higher prices".
Temporary premium
But the executive reiterated that as the cruise industry adds Cuba sailings, it is not clear whether that premium will hold.
Del Rio said the sailings are also leading to double the shore excursions than established Caribbean cruise destinations.
"You take the best Caribbean port that we normally go to and Havana outsold it two to one," he said.
Del Rio, who was born in Havana before his family fled to the US when he was a child, said he plans to be on the bridge every time one of his company's three brands makes its inaugural journey to the city, as he did last week on Oceania Cruises' 1,250-berth Marina (built 2011).
Next month, the 2,000-berth Norwegian Sky (built 1999), which is in the flagship Norwegian Cruise Line brand, will begin the first of 30 four-day sailings to Havana slated for this year.
Cuba had been closed to US cruise companies for more than 50 years, until US President Barack Obama began easing sanctions against the country.
Under review
As TradeWinds reported in last week's cruise report, new President Donald Trump is reviewing that policy.
Del Rio pointed out that Trump was a business man before he became a politician.
"I am hopeful that the Trump Administration sees the value of opening up Cuba, doing business with Cuba," the executive said.
