Supreme Court Says Cruise Lines on the Hook for $440M After Using Cuba Port

The U.S. Supreme Court has upheld a $440 million penalty against four major cruise lines for operating in Havana's port, which was seized by the Cuban government in 1960. Carnival Cruise Line, Royal Caribbean, Norwegian Cruise Line, and MSC Cruises sailed to Cuba between 2016 and 2019 after the island reopened to tourism. Havana Docks, the American company that held the original operating contract, sued under the 1996 Helms-Burton Act, which permits Americans whose property was confiscated to pursue damages against companies profiting from those assets. The cruise lines argued their contract had expired by 2016, but the Supreme Court rejected this defense, ruling that profiting from wrongfully seized property maintains the original claim's validity regardless of lease expiration dates. Originally reported by Cruise Fever, J. Souza (May 21, 2026).