MSC Cruises puts safety first in Somalia

MSC Cruises has always put the safety and comfort of its guests before all other considerations. For this reason, some minor changes have been made to the route taken by MSC Melody on its three-week cruise from Durban, South Africa to Genoa, Italy, departing 17 April.

Given recent developments concerning possible acts of piracy against ships transiting the Somali east coast and the Gulf of Aden, MSC Cruises now adheres to the navigation recommendations of the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) and the Maritime Security Centre for the Horn of Africa, a co-ordination centre run by the EU Naval Force to safeguard shipping in the region. While in this region, MSC Cruises vessels adopt a range of additional security measures to minimise any risk.

In accordance with the recommendations, the company has slightly modified the itinerary of its cruises on MSC Melody from South Africa to Italy, to ensure total security and peace of mind for guests and crew. The new route is around 400 miles longer than the previous itinerary, maintaining a greater distance from the coast of Somalia.

To allow for the extra time at sea, MSC Melody will no longer call at the Egyptian port of Safaga. However, the ship will continue to call at Aqaba, Jordan and Sokhna, Egypt, allowing guests to enjoy the hugely popular excursions to the ancient wonders of Petra and the pyramids of Giza respectively. The new itinerary also offers more time in the Seychelles, with an overnight stop at Port Victoria.

The overall duration of the cruise is unchanged at 22 days and 21 nights.

MSC Cruises currently has the most modern fleet in the world with nine ships: MSC Fantasia - the largest ship ever built for a European ship owner - MSC Poesia, MSC Orchestra, MSC Musica, MSC Sinfonia, MSC Armonia, MSC Opera, MSC Lirica, MSC Melody cruising in the Mediterranean all year round, Northern Europe, the Atlantic Ocean, the Caribbean, North and South America, the Indian Ocean and South Africa.

MSC Splendida and MSC Magnifica will be respectively launched in 2009 and 2010. MSC Cruises is the only Company to receive the ‘6 Golden Pearls’ award from the Bureau Veritas in recognition of its high level of quality management and environmental protection.

For more information, log on to Msccruises.co.uk.