MSC Cruises has added a second ship for its 2023 World Cruise after the line was forced to cancel its global itinerary next year due to the unavailability of ports.
MSC Magnifica will join MSC Poesia in 2023, with the ships sailing the same route in opposite directions. Both will depart on Civitavecchia, Italy, on January 4.
The line estimates the ships will carry more than 5,000 passengers between them.
Confirming that next year’s World Cruise had been cancelled, the line said existing customers would be contacted shortly and given the option to move their booking onto MSC Magnifica.
These customers can also book a complimentary cruise between January 1 and May 3 “so that they can still enjoy a cruise holiday during this period”, MSC added.
Chief executive Gianni Onorato said: “Unfortunately we had no choice but to cancel the 2022 MSC World Cruise but we know that a world cruise really is the voyage of a lifetime for many people.
“So it was important to us to offer the best possible solution for our loyal guests. 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 Magnifica (pictured) will call into 43 ports of call across 24 countries in five continents during its 117-day voyage. The itinerary includes no more than four consecutive sea days and nine overnight calls including Rio de Janeiro, Buenos Aires, Ushuaia and Sydney.
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