Luxury river cruise company Uniworld has brought suit against MSC Cruise Management Ltd (UK) seeking reimbursement for damages incurred after the June 2, 2019 collision accident in which the Uniworld-owned boat River Countess was hit by the cruise liner MSC Opera. The collision occurred while the boat was docked at San Basilio Cruise Terminal in Venice Italy.
According to Ellen Bettridge (Uniworld's CEO and President), extensive conversations with MSC Cruises to compensate Uniworld for the losses had been unproductive. To date, Uniworld estimates losses that include ship damage, passenger reimbursement, lost revenue as well as the protection of travel agent commissions to be in excess of EUR 11.5 million. The estimate excludes additional potential claims from clients and related damages.
The accident, which remains under investigation by Italy's authorities, impacted around 1600 passengers over the course of several months.