In a week of historic firsts between the United States and Cuba, Carnival Corporation gained approval Monday to sail from Miami into the port of Havana in May.

Recognized as the largest cruise ship registered in Japan, the awarding-winning NYK Asuka II is currently on a luxurious 100-day World Cruise roundtrip from Japan with an extensive South American itinerary and visits to Trinidad, Curacao and Panama.

Cuba was a hot topic for cruise executives and tourism officials gathered this week in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, at the annual Seatrade Cruise Global conference. Other islands are worried.

For the world’s three largest cruise companies, Cuba represents a tantalizingly close destination that they see as key to adding new buzz to traditional Caribbean sailings.

The U.S.-based cruise ship company Fathom, owned by the Carnival Corporation, will launch its inaugural voyage from Miami to Cuba this May.

Ovation of the Seas, the newest ship from Royal Caribbean International, hit another construction milestone recently when it went through its conveyance at Meyer Werft in Germany.