UPDATE: 13 June 2019 – 17:00 CET
MSC Cruises confirms MSC Opera will be leaving the Port of Venice on Thursday June 13th at 22:00 CET, to reach Bari on Saturday morning. From Saturday June 15th onwards, the ship will resume her usual 7-night itinerary and sail as per her original schedule.
UPDATE: 06 June 2019 – 17:00 CET
June 8th (Bari) – June 9th (Venice)
Following the recent incident in the Port of Venice on Sunday June 2nd, MSC Opera was required to undergo some repair works. While these works were already completed on Monday, the ship is currently still awaiting the completion of the investigation conducted by the authorities.
As these procedures are taking a few days longer than originally expected, and we now know that the ship will not be able to depart in time for its next sailing, we have taken the difficult but necessary decision to cancel the upcoming cruise sailing from Bari on June 8th and from Venice on June 9th.
MSC Opera was due to host 2,451 Guests from 53 countries. We have informed our Guests and business partners about the cancellation, and are offering a number of alternative options, including a full refund of their cruise fare and incurred travel expenses, as well as any pre-booked services. Additionally we are offering a 50% discount on a future 7- to 21-night cruise before the end of 2020.
UPDATE: 04 June 2019 – 14:00 CET
In light of recent events, MSC Cruises is taking a range of measures for Guests on MSC Opera in Venice to ensure any inconvenience due to their cancelled cruise remains minimal.
All Guests will receive a full refund of their cruise fare and any pre-booked services.
MSC Cruises is offering a further 50% discount on a future cruise before the end of 2020.**
Guests who wish to return home earlier than originally planned, can count on our support to identify a convenient return flight or other homebound transportation as applicable.
Additionally, Guests are welcome to stay on board until their scheduled disembarkation date. Until then, they can make use of the ship’s facilities, such as entertainment and restaurants, as they will be running as usual. During meal times, drinks – both alcoholic and non-alcoholic – in all restaurants on board will be on the house.
In addition to the daily boat transfers to St. Mark's Square, MSC Cruises, is now also offering boat transfers to the beautiful islands of Murano and Burano, Jesolo Beach and Noventa Designer Outlet shopping mall. These boat transfers are offered by MSC Cruises and free of charge.
While some Guests have decided to return home, most Guests are taking the opportunity to stay in Venice and explore the islands around.
**Based on a cruise only fare. It is valid for cruises up to December 2020 and does not have any cash value and is neither transferable nor refundable. This voucher can be applied on regular cruise-only brochure fares and early booking rates for minimum 7 nights to maximum 21 nights cruises and can be combined with the MSC Voyagers Club discount.
UPDATE: 04 June 2019 – 10:00 CET
MSC Cruises confirms welding and repair works have been completed. Following these works, Port State Control inspection is ongoing. Concurrently, as from the very beginning, MSC Cruises is working closely with the authorities involved.
UPDATE: 03 June 2019 – 21:00 CET
MSC Cruises confirms that earlier today the Master of MSC Opera and its DPA received notice of the opening of an investigation by the Prosecutor’s Office in Venice. As per Italian procedural law, this notice is a necessary step for the Prosecutor to be able to conduct the expert’s survey scheduled for later this week. The Master and the DPA – as well as the overall Company – are fully cooperating with the Prosecutor and are providing all the requested information, with the aim of excluding any fault on their part.
The Prosecutor similarly served notice to other individuals, not linked to MSC Cruises, who were also involved in the events that led to Sunday’s incident.
UPDATE: 03 June 2019 – 18:00 CET
Following yesterday’s incident involving MSC Opera in Venice, earlier this morning MSC Cruises received permission from the authorities to commence the repair works. The damage to the ship is limited to the outermost part of the hull. Welding works are currently being carried out, but at this point the estimated time of completion of these works is yet to be determined.
At the same time, the investigation into the causes of the incident is taking longer than originally expected and for this reason the ship is unlikely to set sail later today or tomorrow. To this end, from the very beginning MSC Cruises has worked closely with the authorities involved, and has offered full cooperation around the clock to help establish all the facts as well as retrieve all technical data.
In connection with the above, MSC Cruises has taken the decision to cancel the current cruise through the beginning of the next one and to reimburse to each passenger the full cost of their cruise ticket and any pre-paid services.
The ship will however remain available to all those passengers who wish to stay on-board while she remains in Venice and through the end of their scheduled cruise. All on board services and entertainment will continue to fully operate. In addition, free regular shuttle boat service to and from Piazza San Marco in Venice will be available to all passengers.
For those passengers who prefer leaving the ship today or at any point and going back home, MSC Cruises will provide all necessary assistance for the transportation and will take charge of the costs.
For those passengers expected to disembark in Bari on Saturday 8 who wish to stay onboard, the ship is currently scheduled to leave Venice by Friday 7 and to call Bari on Saturday. From there on, MSC Opera will sail as per schedule.
UPDATE: 02 June 2019 – 20:00 CET
Earlier this morning, around 08:30am CET, MSC Opera experienced a technical issue while maneuvering towards Venice’s cruise terminal for mooring. Albeit the ship was accompanied by two tug boats, as required by the local safety procedures, and even though the captain immediately applied all required procedures, the ship grazed the dock at San Basilio. This also caused a collision with a river boat, the River Countess, that was moored there.
While the investigation to understand the exact causes of the events are currently ongoing, MSC Cruises has been closely collaborating with the competent maritime authorities. Right after the incident, the priority was to first help securing the river boat and all her passengers and crew. Subsequently, the ship proceeded with lifting the anchors which had been lowered into the water at the time of the incident, as per procedure in such cases. At 13:15 CET the ship was able to move towards the Marittima terminal.
MSC Cruises is committed to offer its full support to all the persons involved in the incident, starting with the people of the River Countess and her owner Uniworld, her crew, and all passengers, especially the four passengers who were injured. While two persons have already been dismissed from hospital this afternoon, two other persons are receiving further medical care. We are maintaining via Uniworld a close contact with them and we have dedicated staff offering assistance on the ground if needed.
On MSC Opera, there were no reported injuries.
Throughout the process and from the first moment, the company has been in constant contact with local and national authorities and offering its full collaboration.
MSC Opera is now moored at the Marittima quay where passenger disembarkation operations and embarkation operations for the next cruise are in progress as planned.
