A Cruise Was Cancelled After Passengers Had Already Slept Aboard

MSC Cruises has cancelled an 11-night Caribbean voyage aboard MSC Poesia, a sailing that was supposed to leave PortMiami on Sunday, November 1 and return on November 12. According to Cruise Industry News, passengers had already spent two nights aboard before the cancellation was confirmed. MSC attributed the decision to a “regulatory matter.”

gCaptain reported on November 3 that the US Coast Guard had detained the ship and that it was still in Miami with no release date. The outlet said the Coast Guard had not explained what prompted the examination. MSC’s cancellation letter, dated the same day, said the issue arose before departure and that the resources needed to fix it were not available in time. The company stressed that safety was never compromised.

The planned itinerary included Ocho Rios, Belize City, Cartagena, Colón, Puerto Limón and Roatán. MSC is offering a full refund of the fare and eligible prepaid extras, plus a future cruise credit equal to 100 percent of the fare that must be booked by November 2, 2027. It will also provide free onboard Wi-Fi and reimburse eligible change fees and additional transport costs.

Guests were allowed to stay aboard until noon on Thursday, November 5. MSC Poesia is a Panama-flagged ship built in 2008 with a gross tonnage of 92,627. The episode is a reminder that a cruise can fail before it leaves the dock, and that the details of what a line owes passengers are worth reading in the cancellation notice.

Sources: Cruise Industry News, gCaptain