Msc-Splendida

On Oct 26, 2025, the 'MSC Splendida', enroute from Genova to Barcelona, rescued 19 migrants from a small boat 20 nautical miles off the island Cabrera amid stormy seas. Some migrants jumped over board of their boat and were floating in the water, desperately trying to pull themselves up a ladder on the ship. They were knocked back repeatedly as they tried to climb the ship's ladder but fell back into the choppy sea. Guests and staff on board the ship threw life rings into the ocean. All 19 occupants were finally rescued in an operation, which started at 4.23 p.m. and concluded at 5 p.m. The boat occupants included sixteen men, a woman, and two children, who were taken to the port of Barcelona. One of the children had to be immediately transferred to the Hospital del Mar because he had a fever due to contact with the cold water. Two other people who required medical attention were also taken, but the rest were taken to the Verneda detention center. Report with photos and video: https://www.dailymail.co.uk/travel/article-15230339/Dramatic-moment-cruise-ship-passengers-save-migrants-drowning.html

MSC Cruises has cancelled three repositioning ‘Grand Voyage’ sailings in April from South Africa and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) to Europe because of the risk to shipping in the Red Sea. Ongoing attacks on merchant vessels in the region has obliged the company to cancel a 24-night cruise of the 'MSC Splendida' from Durban to Genoa, a 21-night sailing of the 'MSC Opera' from Dubai to Genoa and a 23-night voyage of the 'MSC Virtuosa' from Dubai to Southampton, UK. As there was no viable alternative itinerary, the company had to cancel the voyages. The three ships will transfer directly to Europe without any passengers on board and avoid transiting through the Red Sea. Instead, they will sail around the Cape of Good Hope and west coast of Africa with no ports of call on their journeys to their respective European homeports for the summer 2024 season. All passengers booked on the three repositioning cruises have been, or were in the process of being, contacted directly or through their travel agent and can transfer their booking to a future Grand Voyage of a similar duration for free. Alternatively, affected passengers can rebook to any other cruise in the company’s global network, with either a partial refund or additional payment for the difference in price of the original booking, or receive a full refund with no cancellation fee.

On Oct 11, 2023, a crew member of the 'MSC Splendida' was medevaced by the Gallipoli Coast Guard, while the cruise ship was underway about 30 nautical miles off the coast of Leuca. After the request for help, the injured man and the MSC doctor were taken aboard a patrol boat and transferred to the port of Leuca. The man, of Indian origin, underwent initial treatment by the healthcare staff of the emergency service and was then transported by ambulance to the Tricase hospital for further checks.

The 'MSC Splendida' with 3256 passengers and 1261 crew members on board, ran aground at the port of Katakolon on May 2, 2023, at noon. The vessel, during the process of its departure for the port of Piraeus and amid the adverse weather conditions, got stuck in a muddy area. The vessel refloated with the assistance of a port tug and moored at the Katakolon anchorage. The Katakolon Port Authority banned the vessel from sailing until a class maintenance certificate was presented by the monitoring classification society and an inspectionby an authorized Port State Control - Paris MOU inspector. The vessel finally left the port at around 9 p.m. LT and berthed in Kusadasi on May 4 at 6 a.m.