Cruise passengers sailing on MSC Cruises’ 5,100-guest vessel MSC Seaview experienced an itinerary update during their 7-night Mediterranean voyage out of Barcelona Spain.
While the ship set sail from a Spanish port on November 5, it could not call on the port in Ibiza on November 11 due to a 24-hour labor strike across the country.
Cruise ships aren’t always able to visit the originally scheduled itineraries. Whether due to bad weather, port restrictions, or even geopolitical tension, sometimes those pre-arranged shore excursions have to be canceled in a certain port city.
In this case, the cruise line at least had plenty of time to make alternate arrangements
MSC Cruises made the decision three days before the scheduled strike date, notifying passengers on board the ship through an official onboard letter on Sunday, November 8.
The advance notice gave the cruise line enough time to find a replacement port in Italy and give passengers time to adjust their plans.
Why MSC Dropped Ibiza
Spain’s major trade unions declared a nationwide general strike for Wednesday, November 11. The main reasons for the strike focused on rising housing costs, inflation, wages, and working conditions.
Because the strike was expected to impact transportation and port operations MSC Cruises didn’t have much of a choice but to cancel the call. After all, without a pilot to navigate the ship, ground crew, or port terminal staff the logistics just weren’t in place.
MSC Cruises notified guests on November 8 that the stop would be canceled.
The Revised Itinerary
To avoid giving passengers two consecutive days at sea, MSC added a call to Cagliari, Sardinia, on November 10 (originally a day at sea).
The ship spent November 11 safely at sea during the strike.
Here is how the 7-night sailing looks like after the changes:
- Nov 5: Barcelona, Spain
- Nov 6: Marseille, France
- Nov 7: Genoa, Italy
- Nov 8: Civitavecchia / Rome, Italy
- Nov 9: Palermo, Sicily, Italy
- Nov 10: Cagliari, Sardinia, Italy
- Nov 11: At Sea (Replaced Ibiza, Spain)
- Nov 12: Tarragona, Spain (Adjusted departure to 17:00)
Thankfully, the 24-hour strike will be finished by the time MSC Seaview returns to its standard schedule for its final stop in Tarragona, Spain on November 12.
Other Disruptions in Europe
French ports have also been hit by civil unrest and union action that forced cruise lines to adjust their itineraries. For instance, P&O Cruises had to pull its stop in Le Havre from an Iona sailing due to civil unrest, adding extra time in Spain instead.
As reporting from Cruise Fever mentioned, the decision to skip the port (which is often used as a gateway to Paris) was made ahead of time to prioritize passenger safety and avoid logistics bottlenecks on shore. In that case, the ship extended its stay in A Coruña to make up for the canceled port call.
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