Norwegian Cruise Line Ordered to Pay $110 Million in Cuba Court Case

Norwegian Cruise Line Ordered to Pay $110 Million in Cuba Court Case

Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings has been ordered to pay approximately $110 million in damages for use of the Havana port, according to a U.S. judge who ruled in the case Friday.

The case, ongoing for some time, was ruled in favour of the Havana Docks Corp., which essentially argued that the cruise line’s use of the Havana port “constituted trafficking in confiscated property” as the port is a Cold-War asset seizure.

It is still being determined whether NCLH will or can appeal the nine-figure ruling. Havana Docks Corp. has pending cases against Carnival Corporation, Royal Caribbean Group and MSC Cruises.

Havana Docks Corp. was awarded $109,848,747.87 in damages plus Norwegian will pay $3 million in legal fees and costs.

With the Obama administration easing the Cuba embargo in 2016, cruise lines lined up to sail to Havana, including all of Norwegian Cruise Line’s brands.

In 2019, the Trump administration undid some of that with a ban on recreational travel to Cuba which put a stop to any major cruise brands calling on the island.

In 2020 a judge ruled in favour of Carnival Corporation in a similar case.