Cuba-born Travelers Approved For Carnival Cruises To Cuba

Carnival Corp. said Friday that Cuba-born passengers will be able to travel on its ships headed to Cuba starting May 1. Previously, Cuba-born travelers were allowed to travel back and forth to the island nation by air, but boat travel was restricted. The cruise company announced earlier this week that it might have to delay the launch of cruises to Cuba if an agreement couldn't be reached with Cuban authorities to change the policy. Carnival's new Fathom brand of cruises will sail every other week on seven-day voyages visiting Havana, Cienfuegos and Santiago de Cuba. Carnival shares are nearly flat in premarket trading, and down 9.7% for the year so far. The S&P 500 is up 2.3% for the year to date.