MSC Cruises has announced that it has had to suspend all its domestic sailings in South Africa with immediate effect until January 8, 2022.
The company says the suspension is on account of the most recent sudden evolution (particularly in the past week) of the pandemic in South Africa. MSC says its health and safety protocols put the health and safety of its guests and crew as its utmost priority.
This means the cancellation of all sailings of MSC Orchestra from the port of Durban. All booked guests will receive a voucher for a voyage later in the season at their convenience, or a refund. MSC Orchestra will resume its cruise sailings on January 9, 2022.
Ross Volk, Managing Director of MSC Cruises South Africa, said: “We made this voluntary decision in an abundance of caution towards our guests, our crew and the communities that MSC Orchestra was scheduled to visit in the coming weeks. This is what our health and safety protocol is designed to do in accordance with the evolution of the pandemic ashore.
“In light of the most recent evolution of the COVID-19 pandemic across South Africa, we have been in consultation with the Government’s Department of Health, which is working hard to understand the most up-to-date data of the virus and, as health and safety is our number-one priority, our protocol clearly called for a temporary suspension of our forthcoming sailings with immediate effect.
“We now also await eagerly for any additional guidance from the South African government for its citizens so that we can also reflect any new measures into our own health and safety protocol.
"We understand that our decision will be very disappointing to those guests that will have their voyages cancelled but I hope that they will understand that it was made with their wellbeing in mind, as the health and safety of our guests, crew and communities we visit is our number-one priority.”
MSC Cruises resumed its sailing operations in South Africa on Monday, December 6, after a 20-month hiatus, when MSC Orchestra departed from Durban for a four-night cruise. The approval to sail was granted by the government’s Department of Health, Department of Transportation and South African Maritime Safety Authority who had all approved MSC Cruises’ health and safety protocol, said the cruise company.
MSC Cruises’ health and safety protocol has led the way in the global cruise industry since August 2020, being the first major cruise line to resume international operations.
The line currently has 12 ships at sea operating regular cruises in Europe, North America, South America, and the Middle East.
MSC Cruises has, to date, safely and responsibly hosted over one million guests on its ships globally since it resumed operations in summer 2020.
The cruise line continually adapts its health and safety measures to the evolution of the pandemic ashore to ensure the highest level of protection for guests, crew and destinations visited.
