Port Tampa Bay's first Tampa to Cuba cruise set sail on Sunday

TAMPA - Royal Caribbean’s inaugural Tampa to Cuba Cruise set sail at 4:00 p.m. Sunday from Port Tampa Bay.

Port Tampa Bay commemorated the Tampa port's first-ever Cuba cruise with a special ceremony on board the Empress of the Seas at 11 a.m. Sunday. The ship docks at Terminal 3 at 815 Channelside Drive in Tampa.

Royal Caribbean International hosted a joint event with the port to celebrate the inaugural sailing of Tampa's first home-ported cruise vessel, Empress of the Seas, to travel to Cuba in the modern cruise era.

The port of call to Cuba will be part of Royal Caribbean's summer cruise program from Tampa. 

The Empress of the Seas will set sail on a 7-night cruise to Cozumel, Mexico; Belize City, Belize and Havana, Cuba. 

Americans will be allowed to visit Cuba as part of a cultural excursion. They will be bused to several sightseeing locations on the island nation located 90 miles south of the United States.