MSC Cruises Cancels 2022 World Cruise, Adds a Second in 2023
MSC Cruises canceled its 2022 World Cruise and instead will operate two global voyages in 2023.
MSC Magnifica will join MSC Poesia in operating a World Cruise in 2023. They will depart on Jan. 4 and Jan. 5, 2023, from Civitavecchia and Genoa, Italy, for simultaneous world cruises taking different routes.
MSC Magnifica will replicate the very same itinerary that was supposed to be performed by MSC Poesia in 2022. “The decision was made after careful consideration and assessment to cancel the 2022 World Cruise, as it would not have been possible to carry it out due to there being too many ports still facing restrictions as a result of the pandemic,” the company said in a statement. “MSC Magnifica will provide a solution to guests impacted by this to have an alternative for their journey of a lifetime.”
Sales for MSC Magnifica’s World Cruise 2023 are now open. Guests booked at least 30 days on the MSC World Cruise 2022 will be contacted and given priority in re-booking their existing reservation on MSC Magnifica. In 2023. Guests who move their booking to 2023 can book a complimentary cruise between Jan. 1 and May 3, 2022, so that they can still enjoy a cruise vacation during this period.
MSC Poesia’s World Cruise 2023 is already sold out and has a waiting list, so this also provides an opportunity for those guests to sail on MSC Magnifica.
“Unfortunately, we had no choice but to cancel the 2022 MSC World Cruise; however, we know that a world cruise really is the voyage of a lifetime for many people and so it was important to us to offer the best possible solution for our loyal guests,” said MSC Cruises CEO Gianni Onorato. “MSC Poesia’s World Cruise in 2023 was already sold out and so we worked to amend MSC Magnifica’s schedule, a popular world cruise ship, so that we are able to offer the same itinerary as 2022, only one year later, with the ship departing on the same date and calling at all of the same planned ports.”
MSC Poesia and MSC Magnifica will embark passengers in Civitavecchia (Jan. 4) Genoa, Italy (Jan. 5), Marseille, France (Jan. 6), and Barcelona, Spain (Jan. 7). Once they cross the Mediterranean Sea, the ships will part ways in the Atlantic Ocean.
MSC Magnifica will circumnavigate South America, cross the South Pacific Ocean, then sail on to the Indian Ocean, Arabian Sea, Red Sea, and through the Suez Canal back into the Mediterranean Sea. will visit 43 destinations in 24 countries with more than 25 UNESCO World Heritage sites across five continents. The 117-day voyage offers nine extended overnight stays and two crossings of the equator. For details, click here.
MSC Poesia’s 118-night voyage will visit 53 destinations in 33 countries. It will travel the Panama Canal and up the West Coast of Central America and North America while moving on to the Pacific Ocean and then an extended period in Asia. Crossing the Indian Ocean, the ship will then return to the Mediterranean via the Suez Canal. For details, click here.