A little-known cruise operator that had hoped to be the first in decades to offer voyages from the USA to Cuba has lost its chance.
Connecticut-based Pearl Seas Cruises has canceled a 10-night trip from Fort Lauderdale, Fla., to Cuba that was scheduled for April 25.
The line failed to get approval for the sailing from the Cuban government.
Pearl Seas already had canceled five other Cuba voyages that had been scheduled to take place between early March and this week, also due to a lack of Cuban government approval.
Pearl Seas began selling the trips last summer under the assumption that it would get the necessary approvals from the Cuban government. But the approvals never came through.
Pearl Seas is offering customers who booked the April 25 voyage a full refund, a company spokeswoman tells USA TODAY. Alternately, customers can shift to a different Pearl Seas voyage.
Only two cruise lines have gotten Cuban government approval to offer trips from the USA to Cuba: Carnival Corp's new Fathom brand and small-ship specialist Ponant.
Fathom now is on track to become the first cruise line to offer voyages from the USA to Cuba. Its first trip to the island nation is scheduled to start May 1 in Miami. Ponant doesn't plan to start Cuba cruises for Americans until 2017.
Still, even Fathom's sailings are in doubt. The company on Monday said it would not go ahead with its Cuba cruises if the Cuban government maintains a rule that bars Cuba-born people from the trips. The rule has been criticized as being discriminatory.
