MSC Cruises has tweaked the seven-night itinerary that MSC Bellissima has started operating out of Saudi Arabian port Jeddah this winter.
The 4,500-passenger capacity vessel will no longer call into Safaga due to Egypt being considered “a high-risk destination” in countries where Bellissima’s passengers come from. The line said a high proportion of customers would have had to quarantine upon returning home.
Latest Covid-19 data shows daily case numbers in Egypt rose from 745 on October 1 to 933 on October 31.
Bellissima will instead overnight in Yanbu, Saudi Arabia, so passengers can visit Unesco World Heritage site AlUla while King Abdullah Economic City (KAEC) has also been added to the itinerary, from where passengers can choose to visit the holy city of Medina.
MSC Bellissima will also call into Aqaba in Jordan, as previously planned, before returning to homeport Jeddah. Passengers can choose to visit another Unesco World Heritage site, Petra, from Aqaba.
The ship (pictured) will leave the region next March to sail to Yokohama, Japan, where it will operate cruises from April 21, 2022.