Continuing political unrest has led MSC Cruises to cancel cruise ship calls to Egypt and Ukraine which had been scheduled for later this year and spring 2016. Alternative ports of call have been arranged in the Mediterranean.
The company says the move is “in response to market demand”; translated that probably means there is currently a distinct LACK of demand for cruises to the affected regions.
The affected cruises are:
MSC Opera: 12-night Eastern Mediterranean sailings – Rhodes, Greece and Heraklion, Crete replace Alexandria, Egypt. Three departures affected [28 September, 10 October and 22 October, 2015].
MSC Sinfonia: 12-night Eastern Mediterranean and Black Sea sailings from Genoa – Burgas, Bulgaria replaces Odessa, Ukraine. Two departure dates affected [17 September and 11 October].
MSC Fantasia: 11-night Eastern Mediterranean sailings – Rhodes, Greece and Heraklion, Crete replace Alexandria, Egypt. Six departure dates affected [17 December 2015, 8, 15 and 30 January, 21 February, and 14, 25 March 2016].
In addition, Egypt port calls have been removed from the repositioning Grand Voyages of MSC Sinfonia and MSC Musica when the ships leave Europe in October and November and head for their winter home ports in Durban, South Africa and Dubai, respectively. MSC Sinfonia will instead visit Heraklion, Crete and Eilat, Israel, and MSC Musica will call at Heraklion.
Leave A Comment