MSC Orchestra Cancels Sailings After Engine Room Issue

The MSC Orchestra was forced to cancel two scheduled sailings this week following an electrical issue that occurred early Tuesday morning.

In a statement, MSC Cruises confirmed that the problem, although contained, required further inspection and repair, prompting the cancellations.

“The MSC Orchestra experienced a technical issue in the engine room during the early hours of Tuesday morning, which affected the electrical switchboard and resulted in smoke being generated in a specific engineering area of the ship,” the company told Cruise Industry News.

“This was contained by the safety systems in the immediate area; this operation had no impact on other areas of the ship, including guest spaces. There are no reported injuries,” MSC added.

The ship was operating a week-long cruise through the Western Mediterranean with scheduled stops in Spain, Italy, and France when the issue occurred.

“As part of our safety procedures, all guests were promptly informed of the situation. The ship has arrived in Genoa where it will remain for assessment and any necessary repairs,” the cruise line continued.

Due to the situation, passenger embarkation in Genoa and Marseille—originally planned for today and tomorrow—has been called off.

“Guests have been contacted, and assistance is being provided, and appropriate refunds are being offered to impacted guests,” MSC said.

The original itinerary included ports such as Barcelona, Ibiza, Cagliari, Civitavecchia, Genoa, and Marseille.

The technical malfunction delayed the ship’s arrival in Genoa by more than ten hours. It remains uncertain whether additional itinerary adjustments will be necessary.

Passengers shared their experiences online, with one Reddit user stating, “I am on the ship; we were without power for almost three hours, and there was a bit of a smell and smoke in the corridors.” The MSC Orchestra, built in 2007, reportedly lost power temporarily during the incident.