MSC Cruises Does The Right Thing And Suspends Calls in Ukraine And Egypt.

MSC Cruises, the world’s fourth largest cruise line, has announced that it has suspended remaining 2015 calls in Ukraine and Egypt, replacing them with a number of choice Mediterranean alternatives. This comes after MSC Cruises earlier this year dropped Tunisia as a port of call following the appalling incident on March the 18th where tragically 20 people died and dozens more were injured following an attack by ISIS on cruise passengers.

The company said in a statement;
“MSC Sinfonia, MSC Opera, MSC Fantasia and MSC Musica will, from autumn 2015 to winter 2016, incorporate Bulgaria, the Greek islands of Rhodes and Crete, as well as Cyprus and Israel into their sailings. The move has been taken in response to market demand and the on-going political unrest in Ukraine and Egypt.”

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, UAE respectively. MSC Sinfonia will instead visit Heraklion, Crete and Eilat, Israel, and MSC Musica will call at Heraklion.

Good to see such a large corporation doing the right thing and putting the welfare of it’s passengers first. Tragically this move comes a little too late for some and our thoughts are with the families of those affected in Tunisia.

Bye for now.