Italian cruise company MSC Cruises is the latest major cruise line to announce that it will suspend port calls to Turkish ports, opting instead to take their vessels to “safer” Greek ports.
The decision will impact all cruises of the MSC Magnifica, a 94,000 ton vessel that carries over 3,200 passengers per cruise and will be based in venice beginning March 23rd when Mediterranean cruise season begins.
The weekly calls in Istanbul and Izmir beginning on March 29, 2016 will be replaced by calls in the Greek capital, Athens, and the island of Mykonos.
“This decision was taken by the company amid growing concerns by guests as a result of the recent tragic events in Istanbul,” said an MSC spokesman, referring to a bomb explosion in the heart of Istanbul that claimed the lives of 10 people, including nine German tourists, on January 12.
Crystal Cruises announced a similar measure, replacing its Turkish ports of call with Greek ports.