MSC cancels all calls to Tunisia

IN THE wake of the terror
attack at the Bordo National
Museum in Tunis on March 18,
MSC Cruises has suspended
all remaining Tunisian calls in
its 2015 summer programme.
Itineraries affected are:
 MSC Splendida will call at
Valletta, Malta
 MSC Fantasia will call at
Palma de Mallorca, Mallorca
 MSC Preziosa will call at
Cagliari, Sardinia
 MSC Divina will call at
Valletta a day earlier and
head directly to Corfu,
Greece.
 The devastating attack
will have far-reaching and
profoundly damaging effects
on democratic Tunisia and its
faltering economy. Tunisia can
little afford to be considered
a no-go zone at this time but,
regrettably, that is how tourists
will now see it, says MSC
Cruises executive chairman,
Pierfrancesco Vago.
Tunis had long featured on
MSC Cruises’ itineraries and
the city’s cultural offerings
had proved very popular
with visitors, the cruise line
said. “The events that took
place this week preclude the
possibility of MSC Cruises
calling in Tunisia for the
foreseeable future. Tunis is
a key destination for MSC
Cruises and we hope to be
able to restore it to itineraries
in due course. But until we
receive reassurances that
the security situation has
returned to normal, we have to
take our guests to alternative
Mediterranean destinations,”
Pierfrancesco said.
There were 78 South
Africans on MSC Splendida at
the time of the attack. One
passenger was injured and
taken to a local hospital where
she received treatment.