'It's only fitting that a ship from Norwegian goes back to Cuba on our 50th anniversary,' Frank Del Rio told guests aboard the company's inaugural sailing to Havana.
Tuesday's Norwegian Sky call will be Del Rio's third visit on one of his company's vessels. The Cuban-born president and ceo of Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings left the island as a boy, just before his 7th birthday.
His first ship return was aboard Oceania Cruises' Marina on March 9, 'a very emotional day for me, the first time I sailed into Havana Harbor.'
On April 12, he was back, on the inaugural Cuba call of Regent Seven Seas Cruises' Seven Seas Mariner.
'This will be our third ship to Cuba, our third brand, our biggest and most important brand,' Del Rio said of Norwegian Sky.
Travelers on board include his friends, brother, wife Marcia, media, board members and investors and travel agent partners.
'Everyone I know is here. You're very special to us if you're here,' Del Rio said at a sail-away party in the ship's Outrigger Lounge.
'You guys are going to love [Cuba],' he told them. 'You'll love its history ... Cubans are friendly people. They want Americans to come. This is a great way to engage people who may not see eye to eye on our way of governing.'
Del Rio talked up the many styles of architecture in Havana. He also put in a plug for the excursions Norwegian offers and the Cuban specialties being served on Norwegian Sky this cruise.
He said Norwegian Cruise Line executives Mark Kansley, svp hotel operations, and Klaus Lugmaier, regional vp fleet hotel operations, had taught the chefs on Oceania and Regent how to cook Cuban food.
'The best restaurant in town when we were [in Havana] was our ship,' he enthused, adding the same would be true of Norwegian Sky during its Tuesday-Wednesday call.
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