by Donald Wood
Last updated: 11:05 AM ET, Mon October 23, 2023
MSC Cruises announced it was forced to cancel the full
winter program of sailings aboard MSC Orchestra scheduled for the Red Sea due
to the ongoing conflict in Israel and the surrounding regions.
To ensure the safety of its passengers and crew, MSC said that
voyages scheduled between November 8 and April 2024 would be canceled after
considering the number of restrictions in bordering countries that would have impacted
the vacation experience for passengers.
The cruise line also made changes to several other
itineraries due to the current geopolitical landscape, including the winter
program for MSC Sinfonia from November 12 to April 15, 2024, being canceled, as
the ship’s main highlight was Haifa in Israel.
An MSC spokesperson said, “the safety of its passengers and
crew is always its upmost priority and during an evolving situation it will
continue to monitor the situation and modify ship itineraries if necessary.”
In addition, there will be minor changes to the itineraries
of the grand voyages for MSC Virtuosa, MSC Opera and MSC Splendida, as well as two
11-night sailings for MSC Armonia, based on local and international government travel
restrictions.
Cruise line officials said that travelers affected by the
changes could change their voyage of a similar length of travel to an
alternative ship and itinerary or request a full refund.
In a similar move, Windstar
Cruises revealed last week that it would be forced to cancel its inaugural
season in the Middle East next month due to the ongoing conflict in the region.
The cruise line was set to deploy Star Legend from Dubai,
United Arab Emirates, for a series of itineraries set to begin on November 23
and conclude in April 2024. As a result, the scheduled 10-day Sparkling Sands
debut voyage between Dubai and Muscat, Oman, will be moved to next year, with
the new itinerary setting sail on November 24, 2024.
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