MSC SINFONIA

General information

Course/Position

Latest news

Cruise lines refraining from ports in Israel after Hamas attack

Following the Hamas attack on Israel, cruise lines are now refraining from calling at Israeli ports for security reasons. As the shipping company MSC Cruises announced on OCt 12, 2023, the itineraries of the “MSC Sinfonia” and the “MSC Musica” (IMO 9320087) in the Eastern Mediterranean have been revised. On the eight subsequent voyages of the “MSC Sinfonia” until the beginning of 2024, the port of Haifa will be replaced by Istanbul, which also means that Rhodes will have to be replaced by Piraeus and Limassol by Izmir. On the following three trips of the “MSC Musica” from Piraeus, Haifa will be replaced by Rhodes on Oct18 and 25 and by Marmaris in Turkey on Nov 1. TUI Cruises had previously adjusted the route of two trips on the “Mein Schiff 5” (IMO: 9753193). The ship will not dock in Haifa and Ashdodas planned, but in Marmaris and Santorini insted. The “Nieuw Statendam” (IMO 9767106), which was in the port of Haifa at the time of the attack and was originally supposed to stay in port until the evening of Oct 8 and then head to Ashdod, instead left Haifa on Oct 7 and made its way to Alanya. The “Odyssey of the Seas” (IMO: 9795737) and the “Celebrity Apex” (IMO: 9838383) also did not call at Haifa as planned, but changed course and called at Bodrum and Limassol instead. The “Norwegian Gem” (IMO: 9355733) canceled the stop in Ashdod and instead also headed for Limassol.

Medevac off Brindisi

A passenger of the 'MSC Sinfonia' was medevaced by the Brindisi Coastguard with serious health problems on July 22, 2023. At the time of the call, the vessel was transiting on a northerly course and was approximately 35 miles off the coast of Brindisi. A patrol boat was tasked with the medical evacuation. During the operations, health care was provided by the MSC medical staff and through the remote support of the Centro Internazionale Radio Medico which, following the diagnosis made, arranged for transport to the hospital. The patrol boat with the rescued person and the ship's medical team on board moored at the dock of the Port Authority where an ambulance was already waiting. The patient was transferred to the Perrino hospital in Brindisi.

Medevac off Zakynthos

The Kefalonia Port Authority was informed in the afternoon of Sep 18, 2019, that a 79-year-old passenger of the "MSC Sinfonia" had fallen ill while the ship was west of Zakynthos and was in need of immediate hospital care. The patient was medevaced and then transported to the port of Argostoli, where he was transferred to the Kefallinia General Hospital by ambulance.