First US Cruise Ship Docks In Cuba Since 1978

Passengers from Miami have arrived in Havana on the first US cruise in decades to sail to the communist island nation of Cuba.

Carnival Corp's 704-passenger Adonia docked in Havana on Monday morning, less than a day after leaving port.

During its seven-day outing, the ship will also visit the ports of Cienfuegos and Santiago de Cuba.

Re-starting cruises was an important part of US President Obama's bid to increase tourism after the 17 December 2014 decision to restore diplomatic relations between the two countries.

The last cruise to Cuba, which departed from a different US port, was in 1978.

Among those on board was Rick Schneider, 73, who told The Sun-Sentinel that he had waited for many years to make the trip, even buying a Cuban flag for the occasion.

He had even given up the chance of a sailing to Cuba in 1957, adding: "The time is now".

There had been a Cuban government rule banning Cuban-born people from arriving in the country by sea and when Carnival first announced the cruises, it said it would bar Cubans due to this rule.

But the Cuban-American community in Miami complained and filed a discrimination law suit, prompting the company to change its policy somewhat: it would only sail to Cuba if the government backed down.

On 22 April, Cuba did this and among those on board the first sailing were Cuban-born passengers.

The ship's captain David Box told passengers it would be a cruise to remember.

Speaking over the ship's public address system, he said: "We're going to sail directly from the United States to Havana, Cuba.

"How awesome is that? Tomorrow we will make history."

Carnival said the Adonia will sail every second week between Miami and Cuba with bookings starting at $1,800 (£1,230) per person and with cruises featuring cultural and education activities such as Spanish lessons.

Not everyone was happy, however, with a boat carrying protesters reportedly hovering near the cruise ship before it set sail.