MSC Cruises cancels Armonia repositioning voyage to South Africa over Red Sea

MSC Cruises has cancelled MSC Armonia’s repositioning voyage to South Africa due to the security situation in the Red Sea region.

The 26-night cruise had been scheduled to depart Marghera, Italy, on November 1^st 2026, sailing through the Suez Canal and Red Sea before arriving in Durban.

“Due to the persistent geopolitical situation in the Suez region and the impact this is having on maritime transport, it is now clear that we will not be able to guarantee safe transit through the Suez Canal and the Red Sea,” MSC Cruises said.

The itinerary was due to include calls in Croatia and Greece before MSC Armonia transited the Suez Canal. The 2001-built ship would then have continued through the Red Sea and Indian Ocean, calling at destinations including Aqaba in Jordan, Mahé in Seychelles, Diego Suarez in Madagascar, and Port Louis in Mauritius on its way to South Africa.

The cancelled voyage was intended to reposition MSC Armonia ahead of its debut South African cruise season during winter 2026/2027.

“Your safety and well-being are our highest priority, and we want to offer you the certainty and peace of mind you need before leaving for your cruise,” MSC Cruises said.

The decision was taken “after careful consideration”, with passengers booked on the sailing being offered several alternatives.

“We know that you have dedicated time to planning your cruise, and we sincerely apologise for any inconvenience caused,” the company added.

Passengers can cancel their reservations without penalty and receive a full refund or transfer their bookings to another MSC Grand Voyage of a similar duration.

Alternative Grand Voyages can be up to three nights longer than the cancelled sailing. For passengers choosing this option, MSC Cruises will apply the more favourable cruise fare of either the original MSC Armonia voyage or the replacement sailing.

Passengers can also transfer their reservations without penalty to any other cruise currently scheduled by MSC Cruises. In this case, the fare for the newly selected sailing will apply, with payments already made towards the cancelled cruise transferred to the replacement booking.

The cancellation comes ahead of MSC Armonia’s planned first season in South Africa. The ship is scheduled to operate cruises in the region during winter 2026/2027, although MSC Cruises has not detailed how it will reposition the vessel following the cancellation of its planned Suez Canal voyage.