MSC Cruises confirms death of passenger on South Africa cruise out of Durban

MSC Cruises has confirmed that a passenger died aboard MSC Musica during her most recent cruise out of Durban, South Africa, to Portuguese Island, Mozambique, according to The Citizen.

MSC Musica departed Durban on January 17^th, bound for Mozambique Island on a 3-night roundtrip cruise as part of her current 2024/25 South African cruise season.

According to local media reports, the crew declared a medical emergency later that night and the passenger was airlifted from the ship.

In a statement, MSC Cruises confirmed that a passenger had suffered an apparent heart attack and offered its condolences to the family.

“The guest, whose personal details cannot be disclosed in order to respect the privacy of the family, was travelling with their friend and passed away from an apparent heart attack,” MSC said.

“MSC Cruises sends its heartfelt condolences to the family and is providing all the necessary assistance and support needed at this time,” the statement added.

The cruise line has not revealed the age or gender of the passenger, but MSC Cruises’ annual winter season out of Durban is primarily targeted at the domestic cruise home market in South Africa, although some international fly-cruise passengers also book the itineraries.

MSC Musica’s itinerary was not affected by the medical emergency and the ship arrived at Portuguese Island as scheduled. Further cruises have continued as planned, with the ship currently sailing a 4-night roundtrip cruise from Durban to Pomene Bay.

Medical emergencies and passenger deaths are rare in the South African cruise sector, especially on itineraries out of Durban. With the rapid growth of the cruise sector in Cape Town, such incidents have increased in recent years.

A 72-year-old cruise passenger was medically evacuated from the German cruise ship AIDAstella while cruising off the coast of Cape Agulhas in November last year, after taking a bad fall in rough weather.

The last death of a passenger or crew member in South African waters was that of a 29-year-old woman working aboard MSC Orchestra during her Durban roundtrip season in 2021/22.

According to reporting from 2024 by The Telegraph, around 200 passengers and crew die each year aboard cruise ships, while the Cruise Line International Association reported in 2023 that a total of 32 million people took a cruise that year.