MSC Cruises has cancelled three Grand Voyage sailings in April from South Africa and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) to Europe due to the risk to shipping in the Red Sea. Ongoing attacks on merchant ships in the region have forced the company to cancel the cruises. These include a 24-night cruise on MSC Splendida from Durban (South Africa) to Genoa (Italy), a 21-night cruise on MSC Opera from Dubai (UAE) to Genoa and a 23-night cruise on MSC Virtuosa from Dubai to Southampton (UK). The safety of passengers and crew is paramount, says MSC. Because there was no viable alternative travel plan, the company ‘unfortunately’ had to cancel the tours. The three ships will sail directly to Europe with no passengers on board and avoid passing through the Red Sea. Instead, they will sail around the west coast of Africa without docking on their way to their respective European home ports for the 2024 summer season. None of the other vessels in the company’s fleet have been affected. All passengers booked for the three repositioning cruises have been or will be contacted directly or through their travel agent and will be able to transfer their booking to a future Grand Voyage of similar duration free of charge. Alternatively, affected passengers can rebook for any other cruise in MSC’s global network, with either a partial refund or an additional payment for the price difference from the original booking. They can also opt for a full refund with no cancellation fees. (Photo MSC).
