by Sarah Kuta
Last updated: 3:05 PM ET, Tue January 16, 2024
MSC Cruises is canceling three April cruises amid the ongoing Houthi rebel attacks on vessels in the Red Sea, reports Travel Weekly.
All three of the canceled “Grand Voyages” sailings were repositioning cruises. They are: a 24-day sailing from Durban, South Africa, to Genoa, Italy, aboard the MSC Splendida; a 21-day sailing from Dubai to Genoa, Italy, aboard the MSC Opera; and a 23-night cruise from Dubai to Southampton, United Kingdom, aboard the MSC Virtuosa.
Instead of taking passengers through the Red Sea and the Suez Canal, those vessels will sail empty around Africa on their way to their summer homeports in Europe. Guests can get a full refund or rebook on another cruise.
Shipping companies and cruise lines alike are adjusting their routes to avoid possible attacks by the Houthis, an Iranian-backed political and military group that has been firing missiles at ships in the Red Sea.
Cruise lines have also been adjusting their itineraries to keep passengers and crew members safe since the start of the Israel-Hamas conflict in October. MSC Cruises canceled summer sailings aboard the MSC Musica that included stops in Haifa, Israel, for instance, and Windstar Cruises postponed its inaugural season in the Middle East.
Some onlookers fear the recent Houthi attacks will spur a broader regional conflict.
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