Four ships will begin sailing modified itineraries with immediate effect
As a result of the terrorist attack perpetrated last Thursday (March 18) at the National Museum in Tunis, MSC Cruises has decided to completely suspend all scheduled visits to Tunisian ports in the 2015 summer program based on the safety of passengers and crew members.
Four of the twelve ships in the MSC Cruises fleet will have changes to their itineraries as follows:
• MSC Splendida will visit Valletta, Malta
• MSC Fantasia will make a stop in Palma de Mallorca, Spain
• MSC Preziosa will make a stop in Cagliari, Sardinia, Italy
• MSC Divina will stop in Valletta a day earlier and head directly to Corfu, Greece
Tunisia has been a prominent feature in MSC Cruises' itineraries for many years; its extensive range of cities and cultural offerings have proven to be very popular with visitors.
MSC Cruises CEO Pierfrancesco Vago said: “Sadly, the murderous actions of those behind this devastating attack will have far-reaching and profoundly damaging effects on Tunisia’s democratic and struggling economy. Tunisia cannot afford to be considered an exclusion zone at this time, but sadly, that is how tourists will now perceive it.”.
The safety of guests and crew members is MSC Cruises' number one priority at all times, and the events that took place this week preclude the possibility of MSC Cruises making stops in Tunisia in the foreseeable future.
MSC Cruises remains in constant contact with the relevant ministries and international organizations and is not taking into account any additional itinerary changes that may be necessary at this time.
Mr. Vago added: “Tunisia is a key destination for MSC Cruises, and we hope to be able to reintegrate it into our itineraries in due course. But until we receive the necessary assurances that the security situation has returned to normal, we have to take our guests to other destinations in the Mediterranean.”.
He concluded: “I want to personally thank the Tunisian authorities for the way they have handled this exceptionally difficult situation, and for allowing us to implement our own effective response plan.”
