Royal Caribbean could be just a matter of weeks away from starting cruises to Cuba.
The line is just awaiting final approval from Cuban authorities, said CEO Michael Bayley.
Speaking at a media event aboard Royal Caribbean’s new Harmony of the Seas, Bayley said the 2,000-passenger Empress of the Seas would likely be deployed.
The ship has no confirmed sailings after July and could then be deployed on Cuba cruises if approval comes through.
"We wouldn’t be going until the end of July or early August, assuming we get the correct permission from the Cuban government," he said.
Empress is due out of dry dock next week and will operate short cruises out of Miami for the next two months.
If confirmed, it will nearly triple capacity in the US-Cuba cruise market alongside Carnival’s recently launched Fathom brand.
