MSC Ship Forced to Abandon Port Call as Weather Tu...

MSC Cruises’ MSC Splendida was rocked by excessive climate whereas crusing within the Mediterranean Sea.

On January 7, 2026, the as much as 3,900 friends onboard had been warned that seas could be rough whereas crusing from Palermo (Sicily), Italy, to La Goulette-Tunis, Tunisia.

On the time, no itinerary adjustments had been introduced. La Goulette was meant to be the ultimate port name of a 7-night Mediterranean crusing that embarked in Barcelona on January 3, 2026.

However on the morning of January 8, which was the day of the scheduled go to to La Goulette, it was determined that climate situations made docking too unsafe.

“Earlier this morning, we encountered sturdy wind gusts reaching as much as 35 knots throughout our strategy to La Goulette, which made it unsafe to enter the port,” Captain Giuseppe Maresca defined in a letter to friends.

“Within the curiosity of your security and luxury, now we have made the tough choice to cancel our name,” he continued.

Learn Additionally: What You Should Know About Cruise Port Cancellations

When winds change into too sturdy, the chance of collision with port infrastructure or different vessels within the port will increase considerably.

Intense gusts can even improve the chance of different issues going improper, even when the vessel does handle to dock safely, equivalent to mooring traces breaking.

A Detour to Calmer Climate

As a substitute of visiting La Goulette from 9 a.m. till 6 p.m. native time, the Fantasia-class vessel spent the day at sea, the place the Captain may navigate away from the worst of the climate.

As a way to make up for the cancelled name, the ship added a last-minute cease in Palma De Mallorca the next day, January 9.

“We’re additionally happy to share excellent news: tomorrow we can be calling on the stunning metropolis of Palma de Mallorca, the place you may look ahead to beautiful surroundings, wealthy tradition, and an thrilling day ashore,” the letter added.

Climate situations had been calmer and friends obtained to discover the capital of Spain’s Balearic Islands from 12 p.m. till 8 p.m.

The 7-night voyage then disembarked as deliberate in Barcelona, Spain, on January 10, 2026.

The Circumstances Onboard

Wanting again to the morning of the eighth, cruise tracking data showed the 137,936-gross ton vessel crusing away from Tunisia forward of schedule in sturdy winds and really tough seas with swells reaching 3.6 meters (round 11-12 ft).

Movies shared on social media by passengers who had been onboard captured huge waves with loads of whitewater, and the sturdy winds may very well be heard howling within the background.

Usually, swells within the Mediterranean are a lot calmer, normally peaking at 1.5 meters (about 5 ft). The 1,370 crew members carried out further precautions to guard everybody onboard.

For instance, the cruise line had warned friends that they could drain the swimming pools as a way to forestall flooding and promote stability for the ship, although extra movies taken by friends onboard confirmed full swimming swimming pools sloshing and splashing.

That stated, the swimming pools did have a web over them and gave the impression to be closed to friends.

Passengers had been additionally suggested to remain inside and use additional warning whereas shifting in regards to the cruise ship.

However regardless of the rocky climate, it seems that everybody nonetheless managed to have a great time on their crusing. There have been no studies of accidents or harm to the ship on account of navigating the tough seas.