“We are disappointed”: MSC Cruises cancels Cuba from MSC Armonia itinerary

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MSC Cruises has updated the routes in relation to the changes imposed by Mr Trump administration in the US-Cuba regulations which prevent all cruise ships from traveling from the United States to the Cuba.

The MSC Cruise Management immediately changed its previously scheduled itineraries that included a stopover in Havana as early as the current MSC Armonia cruise on June 3 from Miami. The ship is in fact no longer authorized to call at the port of the Cuban capital and will alternatively make a prolonged stop in Cozumel, Mexico, and on Sunday 9 June it called at Key West, Florida.

Guests currently on board and their travel agents have already been informed and offered the following: $400 per cabin as on-board credit. If it is not completely used during the cruise, MSC will reimburse the difference when disembarking the ship.

Any land excursions to Havana that have been pre-purchased before the cruise, or are included in the ticket, will automatically be reimbursed to the guest’s on-board account. For future cruises the alternative ports of Key West in Florida, Costa Maya in Mexico, George Town in the Cayman Islands or Cozumel in Mexico, will replace Havana, while the rest of the itinerary will remain as originally planned.

For those who have already booked one of the upcoming cruises on board MSC Armonia, the company offers the possibility of changing ship and itinerary, without cancellation fees, transferring the already paid fees to the new booking.

With regard to the travel restrictions of the United States government towards Cuba, the Clia was also expressed with immediate effect, whose members were forced, without warning, to eliminate all the Cuba destinations from the actual itineraries. This concerns almost 800 thousand passenger bookings currently scheduled or already in progress. The provision in fact makes illegal the cruise to Cuba from the United States, which until the time of booking was clearly authorized.

“We are disappointed that the cruises will no longer reach Cuba – said Adam Goldstein, president of the Cruise Lines International Association – It is a decision that is beyond our control and we are sincerely sorry for all the guests of the ships and for those who had booked their own itinerary with stop on the island”.

About the author

Avatar of Mario Masciullo - eTN Italy

Mario Masciullo - eTN Italy

Mario is a veteran in the travel industry.
His experience extends worldwide since 1960 when at the age of 21 he started exploring Japan, Hong Kong, and Thailand.
Mario has seen the World Tourism develop up to date and witnessed the
destruction of the root/testimony of the past of a good number of countries in favor of modernity/progress.
During the last 20 years Mario's travel experience has concentrated in South East Asia and of late included the Indian Sub Continent.

Part of Mario's work experience includes multi activities in the Civil Aviation
field concluded after organizing the kik off of for Malaysia Singapore Airlines in Italy as an Institutor and continued for 16 years in the role of Sales /Marketing Manager Italy for Singapore Airlines after the split of the two governments in October 1972.

Mario's official Journalist license is by the "National Order of Journalists Rome, Italy in 1977.

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