MSC Cruises Revises Eastern Mediterranean Sailings in Light of Situation in Israel

October 18, 2023 Marsha Mowers

MSC Cruises has revised the East Mediterranean itineraries for MSC Sinfonia and MSC Musica in light of the geopolitical situation in Israel.

MSC Sinfonia’s future eight 11-night voyages will see Haifa, Israel replaced by Istanbul in Turkey which also means Rhodes will be replaced by Piraeus, Greece and Izmir in Turkey will replace Limassol, Cyprus.

Starting October 21, 2023, MSC Sinfonia’s new itinerary will be the Italian ports of Genoa, Civitavecchia and Messina followed by Piraeus, Izmir, Istanbul and Heraklion in Crete before the ship returns to Genoa, Italy.

MSC Musica’s future three seven-night voyages from Piraeus, Greece will see Haifa replaced by Rhodes on October 18 and 25 and Marmaris in Turkey on November 1.

Gianni Onorato, CEO, MSC Cruises, said, “The safety of our passengers and crew is always our top priority and we have worked rapidly to revise the itineraries of MSC Sinfonia and MSC Musica to offer an extremely attractive alternative for the winter months.”

The line has started the process of communication with all of its passengers and their travel agents affected by the changes.

MSC Cruises will also update its website to reflect the confirmed details of the new itineraries to provide maximum clarity for existing passengers as well as for anyone looking to book future holidays at sea in the East Mediterranean during the winter months.

About MSC Cruises 

MSC Cruises is the world’s third largest cruise brand as well as the leader in Europe, South America, the Middle East and Southern Africa, with more market share in addition to deployed capacity than any other player. It is the fastest growing global cruise brand with a strong presence in the Caribbean, North America and the Far East markets. 

Headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland, MSC Cruises is one of the two brands that sit within the Cruises Division of MSC Group, the leading privately held Swiss-based shipping and logistics conglomerate with over 300 years of maritime heritage. MSC Cruises – the contemporary brand – has a modern fleet of 22 vessels combined with a sizeable future global investment portfolio of new vessels. The fleet is projected to grow to 23 cruise ships by 2025, with options for six more vessel orders in place through 2030.  

MSC Cruises is the only international cruise company to operate a permanent office in Canada. The fully bilingual Toronto office provides Canadian sales and marketing services to better serve the Canadian market.  

Learn more about itineraries and experience on board MSC Cruises’ ships; its commitment to the health and safety of its guests, crew, and the communities at the destinations its ships serve; its commitment to environmental stewardship and the MSC Foundation that focuses on its advancing conservation, humanitarian and cultural commitments.   

For more information on MSC Cruises, visit www.msccruises.ca. 

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