MSC Cruises cancels 2027/28 World Europa Middle East winter season

MSC Cruises has cancelled MSC World Europa’s planned 2027/2028 Middle East season as part of a wider deployment reshuffle.

The ship will instead remain in the Western Mediterranean, while the new MSC World Asia will move from its previously announced Mediterranean programme to operate in the South Caribbean.

The change removes MSC World Europa from the Middle East for winter 2027/2028, where it had been scheduled to operate seven-night cruises. Passengers booked on the affected sailings, along with their travel partners, are being contacted with options to transfer their reservations to another cruise or request a full refund.

MSC Cruises has not provided a reason for the change, but it comes amid ongoing uncertainty regarding security in the Strait of Hormuz as the conflict between the US and Iran continues.

The revised deployment will see MSC World Europa operate seven-night Western Mediterranean itineraries with multiple embarkation ports. The ship is scheduled to call at Barcelona in Spain, Marseille in France, Genoa, Civitavecchia, and Messina in Italy, and Valletta in Malta.

The decision represents another change to MSC Cruises’ planned Middle East capacity. MSC World Europa had previously been scheduled to operate in the region during winter 2026/2027 before that programme was also cancelled.

The ship had subsequently been due to return to the Middle East for winter 2027/2028, with the latest redeployment now removing that programme from the cruise line’s schedule.

The changes also affect MSC World Asia, which is scheduled to debut in the Mediterranean in December 2026.

MSC Cruises had announced in July that the ship would remain in the region for winter 2027/2028, operating seven-night cruises to destinations in Spain, France, Italy, and Malta. It will now move to the South Caribbean for the season.

The ship will operate a combination of seven- and 14-night itineraries, with passengers able to embark in Fort-de-France in Martinique, Pointe-à-Pitre in Guadeloupe, and Bridgetown in Barbados.

Its South Caribbean programme will include calls across the Lesser Antilles, including destinations in Saint Lucia, Grenada, St Maarten, Antigua and Barbuda, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Dominica, and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines.

Passengers currently booked on MSC World Asia’s cancelled Mediterranean cruises will have their reservations updated and will be contacted regarding any individual changes.

The redeployment has also resulted in changes for MSC Meraviglia, which had been scheduled to operate in the South Caribbean during winter 2027-2028. Passengers booked on the ship will similarly have their reservations updated and be contacted about changes affecting their sailings.

MSC Cruises has not detailed MSC Meraviglia’s replacement programme as part of the latest announcement.