by Sarah Kuta
Last updated: 12:00 PM ET, Thu December 7, 2023
As the deadly Israel-Hamas conflict continues, MSC Cruises will send MSC Musica to the West Mediterranean next summer, the cruise line announced today. The new itinerary replaces the ship’s canceled sailings that included stops in Haifa, Israel.
From May through October, MSC Musica will now offer seven-night roundtrip cruises from Civitavecchia, Italy. The vessel will stop in Genoa, Italy; Cannes, France; Barcelona and Ibiza, Spain and Cagliari, Italy.
This is just the latest industry adjustment amid the ongoing geopolitical crisis in Israel. In October, MSC canceled all voyages in the Red Sea aboard MSC Orchestra from November to April. The cruise line also canceled MSC Sinfonia’s winter season because it had been slated to stop in Haifa, Israel.
“The safety of guests and crew is always MSC Cruises’ top priority,” according to an October statement from the cruise line. “As this is an evolving situation, the line will continue to monitor the situation and modify ship itineraries if necessary.”
Windstar Cruises also canceled its inaugural season in the Middle East, which was scheduled to begin in November. The small ship line will now launch in the region in 2024.
Unrelated to the Middle East conflict, MSC also added new Greek Island destinations to MSC Opera’s existing seven-night itineraries from May through October. The ship will depart and return from Bari, Italy, with stops in Piraeus, Santorini, Katakolon, Corfu and Kefalonia, Greece.
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