MSC Cruises has made the decision to cancel three repositioning Grand Voyage sailings scheduled for April due to heightened risks to shipping in the Red Sea.
The affected sailings include a 24-night journey aboard MSC Splendida from Durban to Genoa, a 21-night cruise on MSC Opera from Dubai to Genoa, and a 23-night voyage on MSC Virtuosa from Dubai to Southampton. The cancellations are a response to the ongoing threats and attacks on merchant vessels in the region.
Passengers impacted by these cancellations are being promptly contacted and offered several options. They can opt for a full refund, choose to book onto a future Grand Voyage of similar duration without any additional charges, or decide to book any other itinerary with MSC Cruises. In the latter case, they will receive a partial refund or be required to pay an additional fee based on the price difference from the original booking.
MSC said the safety of passengers and crew was the number one priority and as there had been no viable alternative itinerary, the company had regrettably had to cancel the voyages.
“The three ships will transfer directly to Europe without any passengers on board and avoid transiting through the Red Sea. Instead, they will sail around the west coast of Africa with no ports of call on their journeys to their respective European homeports for the summer 2024 season.”
You can see an extensive schedule for cruise line relocation voyages (ships, departure dates, ports) at RepositionCruises.com