MSC Cruises has announced the cancellation of three repositioning cruises scheduled for April, in a move to avoid the Red Sea and the Suez Canal. This decision comes in response to recent attacks on shipping vessels in the Red Sea by Houthi rebels in Yemen. These attacks have led several shipping companies to reroute their vessels away from this key trade route, opting instead for the longer journey around the southern tip of Africa.
The affected voyages include:
- MSC Splendida's 24-day sailing from Durban, South Africa, to Genoa, Italy.
- MSC Opera's 21-day sailing from Dubai to Genoa, Italy.
- MSC Virtuosa's 23-night sailing from Dubai to Southampton, U.K.
Instead of carrying passengers, these ships will now sail empty around Africa to reach their European homeports for the summer season.
MSC Cruises is offering affected guests several options. They can transfer to a future voyage of similar duration at no extra cost, rebook on any other MSC cruise with either a partial refund or an additional payment to cover the fare difference, or opt for a full refund.
This cancellation is part of a broader pattern of itinerary changes in the cruise industry due to geopolitical conflicts. The ongoing fighting between Gaza and Israel has already led to several cancellations in the region. Azamara, another cruise line, has also rescheduled its 2024 Israel-intensive sailings aboard the Azamara Journey, replacing them with sailings in Canada and New England in October.
The situation underscores the impact of regional conflicts on the cruise industry and the need for cruise lines to adapt their itineraries for the safety of their passengers and crew.
