PORT CANAVERAL, Fla. -- Central Florida's first cruise to Cuba has returned to Port Canaveral.

The Norwegian Sun returned to Brevard County on Friday morning from Havana, a place many people thought they'd never be able to visit.

The Caribbean island country has been cut off from the rest of the world for decades.

The country's decades-long isolation from the world was noticeable for the almost 2,000 passengers arriving back at Port Canaveral. Buildings were in bad shape -- some damaged by last year's hurricanes, others in disrepair from years of neglect.

"(Havana) was at one time a very beautiful city, and you see the decay. I guess the poverty level... the city is really run down," said Randall Bulloch of Atlanta.

"Everything hadn't been maintained, and there are a lot of people and not enough housing. And a lot of poverty," said Stephanie Eri of Merritt Island.

But among the poverty and old buildings, there was beauty, too, from classic cars to roadside stands, which showcased a different culture and lifestyle.

"The cars were gorgeous," Eri said.


Passengers on the Norwegian Sun stepped back in time several decades during a 3-day cruise to Havana, Cuba. (Courtesy of Julian Leek)

Three years ago, then-President Barack Obama announced the U.S. would normalize diplomatic relations with Cuba, ending a five-decade stretch of isolation and hostility between the two countries. Tourism has skyrocketed since then. But the Trump administration has imposed some travel restrictions, although cruise ships are still able to make stops.

Other cruise lines, such as Carnival, are also making stops to Cuba from other Florida ports. The next voyage to Cuba from Brevard County will be Monday.

"It was a step back into the past for sure," Eri said.