Team TPG's on the First US Cruise to Cuba!
Nearly a year ago, Carnival announced that it would begin cruising from the US to Cuba this May. That seemed a bit ambitious at the time, but Carnival's Fathom line opened up bookings in March, and, right on schedule, the first cruise departed Miami for Havana on May 1.
Given that Cuba is very much a TPG favorite, we decided to send TPG Senior Editor Kaeli Conforti on the first cruise (paying our own way, of course), which sails to Havana, Cienfuegos and Santiago de Cuba before returning to Miami this weekend.
Kaeli's now exploring Cuba with limited connectivity, but before she set off, she shared the following on Instagram:
My home for the next seven days, Fathom Adonia, the first American cruise ship allowed to sail to Cuba for the first time in more than 50 years. Honored and thrilled to be a part of this amazing, historic event. I can't wait to tell my grandkids about it someday.
Fortunately, the ship does have Wi-Fi, but it's unclear when and where it's offered. It's also a bit pricey, available at 50 cents per minute or with packages of 100 minutes for $35 or 250 minutes for $62.50.
As we can see from Kaeli's tweets, the Fathom Adonia received a very warm welcome when it pulled into Havana for the first time:
Today, Kaeli's exploring Havana for the second day, where she's enjoying a handful of (government-mandated) cultural exchange opportunities and 90-degree weather. Yesterday, she experienced live Cuba music and dancing during lunch, including an incredible performance by one of the Fathom group's youngest travelers:
Go Kaeli's new friend! We can't wait to check out Kaeli's other experiences, which apparently included a tour of the Hotel Nacional, which perhaps one day could be available on points and miles.
For more incredible Cuba content, follow Kaeli on Instagram and Twitter and check out the #carnivalincuba hashtag.
Will you be cruising to Cuba?
TPG featured card
at Capital One's secure site
Terms & restrictions apply. See rates & fees.
| 5X miles | Earn 5X miles on hotels, vacation rentals and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel |
| 2X miles | Earn unlimited 2X miles on every purchase, every day |
Pros
- Stellar welcome offer of 75,000 miles after spending $4,000 on purchases in the first three months from account opening. Plus, a $250 Capital One Travel credit to use in your first cardholder year upon account opening.
- You'll earn 2 miles per dollar on every purchase, which means you won't have to worry about memorizing bonus categories
- Rewards are versatile and can be redeemed for a statement credit or transferred to Capital One’s transfer partners
Cons
- Highest bonus-earning categories only on travel booked via Capital One Travel
- LIMITED-TIME OFFER: Enjoy $250 to use on Capital One Travel in your first cardholder year, plus earn 75,000 bonus miles once you spend $4,000 on purchases within the first 3 months from account opening - that’s equal to $1,000 in travel
- Earn unlimited 2X miles on every purchase, every day
- Earn 5X miles on hotels, vacation rentals and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel
- Miles won't expire for the life of the account and there's no limit to how many you can earn
- Receive up to a $120 credit for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck®
- Use your miles to get reimbursed for any travel purchase—or redeem by booking a trip through Capital One Travel
- Enjoy a $50 experience credit and other premium benefits with every hotel and vacation rental booked from the Lifestyle Collection
- Transfer your miles to your choice of 15+ travel loyalty programs
- Top rated mobile app