Pearl Seas Cruises, the boutique cruise line that operates the 210 passenger Pearl Mist cruise liner, said it will be cruising to Cuba from Florida in January 2017. “The line will be among the first to visit the island nation in the new year with a 10 night cruise scheduled to depart Fort Lauderdale on January 17, 2017,” the company said in a statement.

Pearl Seas Cruises will circumnavigate the island, visiting Havana and a host of ports on the southern coast including Cienfuegos, Trinidad, and Santiago de Cuba. "The 210 passenger Pearl Mist will provide a more personalized people-to-people cultural program than the larger cruise ships. The new ship is also fully stabilized and features the latest navigation and safety technology," the company said.

“There is significant demand to visit Cuba on a smaller ship and we are honored to be among the first cruise lines to have access to the country,” said Timothy Beebe, Vice President of Pearl Seas Cruises. The company has 11 cruises planned during January through May next year. Each will be 10 nights in length and will sail round-trip from Fort Lauderdale, FL.