Cuba cruise: With the reopening of the US embassy the tourist droves are sure to follow

Hit Havana this winter before Uncle Sam descends

Ship shape: Thomson Dream at Havana (Reuters)

Mick Jagger is currently filming in Havana, with rumours of a Rolling Stones gig in the city. Change is coming to Cuba. It has been off limits to American businesses and tourists for more than 50 years but, with the reopening of the US embassy the tourist droves are sure to follow.

Carnival Corporation, the world's largest cruise operator, with 100 ships across 10 cruise lines (including Princess, Costa and P&O) will dip a toe in the water with its new “social impact travel” brand, Fathom (fathom.org), which starts one-week cruises from Miami on the Adonia in May 2016.

Few Caribbean itineraries include the island, and those that do usually only call at Havana, though they do stay overnight. Thomson Dream (0871 230 2800; thomson.co.uk/cruise), will make regular visits this winter from Montego Bay (from £1,077pp for seven nights, including flights) and Fred Olsen's Braemar (0845 287 7986; fredolsencruises.com), sails from Barbados on 7 January 2016 for 14 nights (from £1,149pp, excluding flights).

MSC Cruises (020 3426 3010; msccruises.co.uk) is making Havana the home port for one of its ships, MSC Opera, which will stay two nights at the start of its one-week Western Caribbean cruises (December to April, from £349pp, excluding flights).

A cruise around the 750-mile island allows you to see much of the country and is more comfortable than a land tour. Ports visited include Santiago de Cuba, Cienfuegos and Maria La Gorda, with its sandy beach, bird-watching and snorkelling. Noble Caledonia (020 7752 0000; noble-caledonia.co.uk) has 10 nights aboard 100-passenger expedition ship MS Serenissima, sailing from Havana on 23 February. The semi-circumnavigation includes going ashore in remote spots by Zodiac boat (from £4,195pp, including flights).

The luxury, four-masted, 170-passenger Star Flyer will make seven-night round-trip voyages from Cienfuegos from December to February 2016. Calls include Unesco-listed Trinidad and the desert island Cayo Rico, home to green iguanas. It costs from £1,150pp, cruise only, with Star Clippers (0808 231 4798; starclippers.co.uk).

Celestyal Crystal, a Greek-owned three-star ship for 1,200 passengers, has week-long round trips from Havana this winter, calling at Maria La Gorda, Cienfuegos, Santiago de Cuba and Montego Bay. Archers Holidays (0800 668 1892; archersdirect.co.uk) offers a 12-day Cuban Explorer break, starting 4 January 2016, which includes the cruise followed by three nights' b&b in a Havana hotel. The cost, from £1,849pp, includes flights from Gatwick (and free home pick-up within 50 miles of the airport, if booked before 18 December).