Sancti Spiritus Welcomes Beginning of Cruise High Season

With the arrival of the Panorama yacht in the southern port of Casilda, in Trinidad, municipality of Sancti Spiritus, the so-called high cruise season began in this territory. Unfortunately, cruise visits will be limited this year by the economic, commercial and financial blockade imposed on Cuba by the US government almost six decades ago.

According to Sonia Ramírez Suárez, head of the Port of Casilda, it was a Greek-flagged ship from the Variety Cruises company with capacity for fifty passengers which arrived and departed on the same day.

Tourists coming by sea to Casilda are mostly interested in visiting the town of Trinidad, the historic center of which holds the title of Cultural Heritage of Humanity since 1988 due to its high patrimonial and cultural values.

In the 2018-2019 peak tourist season, 33 ships arrived in the Port of Casilda, 29 of which were cruises and four private mega-yachts, which totaled some 3 000 tourists, said Sonia Ramírez.

Current cruise season will be limited because since last June the Donald Trump administration prevents American ships of any kind from travelling to Cuban ports. As reported by the national media in 2018 Cuba received 877 000 tourists on boat trips, 38.09 percent of whom were Americans.