MSC Cruises has made significant adjustments to the Eastern Mediterranean sailings for the MSC Sinfonia and MSC Musica ships in response to the ongoing conflict in Israel.
For the MSC Sinfonia, a series of eight 11-night Eastern Mediterranean voyages set to commence on October 21, 2023, will see the replacement of Haifa, Israel with Istanbul, Turkey. Additionally, Rhodes will be substituted by Piraeus, Greece (Athens), while Limassol, Cyprus, will be exchanged for Izmir, Turkey. The revised port list includes Genoa, Civitavecchia (Rome), Messina, Piraeus (Athens), Izmir, Istanbul, and Heraklion.
As for MSC Musica, three 7-night voyages departing from Piraeus (Athens) on October 18 and October 25 will see Haifa, Israel, replaced with Rhodes. The sailing scheduled for November 1 will substitute the port with Marmaris, Turkey.
Passengers on these itineraries are being informed of the itinerary changes. Gianni Onorato, CEO of MSC Cruises, emphasized the company's unwavering commitment to prioritizing the safety of passengers and crew and expressed that swift revisions were made to offer attractive alternative options for the winter season.
Amid the recent developments in the region, various cruise lines, tour operators, and airlines have been making itinerary and route adjustments, with some even opting to cancel certain departures or itineraries to avoid areas affected by the conflict.