Passengers high and dry as Covid-19 keeps festive season cruises at bay

A peak season 14-night cruise on the MSC Orchestra, scheduled to leave Durban on December 26 heading to Port Louis in Mauritius, is the latest MSC cruise to be cancelled.

MSC Cruises told passengers on  Monday that it had not received approval from all relevant authorities in SA, Mozambique, Madagascar, Seychelles and Mauritius, in spite of actively engaging them for many months.

“We had presented a comprehensive [Covid-19] health and safety protocol that enabled us to restart sailing in Europe in August,” the company said. “But without approval we have no option but to cancel the cruise.”

The MSC Orchestra was scheduled to stop off at Portuguese Island, Nosy Be and Port Victoria and return to Durban on January 9 next year.

All guests who booked for the cruise will receive a “future cruise credit” to be used during this or next cruise season and a $200 (R3066) per cabin on-board credit, the company said.

The cheapest ticket, per person sharing, was advertised at R27,500.

TimesLIVE sent questions to the company but spokesperson Lebo Mavuso said there was still no clarity on the sailing of local cruise ships.

“We continue to collaborate with the South African government and all other relevant authorities, ports and destinations to demonstrate that our new health and safety protocol can ensure that in future guests can enjoy a safe and relaxing cruise holiday with MSC Cruises when we are able, subject to approval, to resume our operations,” she said.

Other cruises have also not taken place.

Gauteng resident Portia Chibase told TimesLIVE that she, relatives and a colleague had booked to go on a cruise to Portuguese Island from November 22 to November 27.

The booking was made last year, before the pandemic.

“They sent me an e-mail in October to say the government was not allowing the cruise.” She said thus far, she had paid a deposit, but MSC said it would not refund her but would “migrate” them to another cruise.

“They said there is a migration fee. I wanted my money back. It may not suit me to go in the future and I booked a cabin for my children. What will I do with that if they can’t go?”

A resident of Vryheid, in KZN, who did not wish to be named, said she and her two daughters had paid R24,000 in October to secure their places on a Christmas cruise from December 21 to 26.

“We were told we had to pay the full amount the same day, so we did. There was never a mention that the cruise might be cancelled because of Covid. We believed all was in order.”

She said she started getting worried when she saw on Facebook that the November cruises were cancelled.

“I got the e-mail yesterday. It is so upsetting.”

She said she too had been refused a refund and had been told to choose another cruise next year.

“But those cruises are substantially cheaper. When I asked what would happen with our surplus, they said it will be refunded — but it takes 120 days. We now have nowhere to go for Christmas and no money to do anything.”

TimesLIVE