Arrests Made After Cruisers Detained Due to False Visas
Nearly one year ago, MSC Cruises’ MSC Armonia and the approximately 1,500 passengers onboard were detained in Barcelona, Spain, after visa discrepancies were discovered for 69 Bolivian guests.
The passengers in question were denied disembarking in Barcelona on April 2, 2024, after it was discovered that they did not have valid visas – which led to their detainment and an investigation into how this happened.
This came as quite the surprise, as there was no issue when the guests first boarded the 65,542-gross ton ship for a 16-night voyage from San Paulo, Brazil, on March 17, 2024.
Additionally, nothing was flagged as incorrect or invalid during the voyage’s earlier port calls on destinations like Tenerife, Funchal, and Malaga, Spain – which are part of the European Union.
Since the issue came to light, the belief has been that the passengers had been tricked into obtaining the visas and didn’t know they were invalid. But now, the people who may have been behind the alleged scam will have to answer for their actions.
As of March 24, 2025, five people were arrested in Bolivia in connection with the case as part of the joint investigation that has been conducted by The Spanish National Police, AMERIPOL, INTERPOL, and Bolivian Law Enforcement.
The identities of the suspects have not been released yet, but all five are allegedly connected to local travel agencies. The specific charges have also not yet been announced, and the investigation will continue with the suspects in custody.
MSC Cruises also came under fire at the time of the incident for not catching the fraudulent documentation on embarkation day.
Bolivia’s foreign ministry originally said that it was MSC’s “responsibility to check all the passengers’ visas before boarding the boat.”
To this, MSC replied that “it seemed all passengers had the required visas” – and the cruise lines do put passports and other documentation under careful scrutiny during the check-in and security process.
The ship ultimately remained in port while the cruise line worked “with the relevant authorities to find a solution to this complex issue.”
What Happened to the Passengers?
For many visiting the Schengen Area – which is an ID-check-free travel zone that includes Spain and 28 other European countries – a Schengen visa needs to be acquired in advance.
This visa allows Non-EU/EEA nationals to visit any of these 29 countries for up to 90 days at a time for tourism (such as cruises), business trips, or other short-term purposes.
US citizens would not need to apply for this visa as they can enter the Schengen Area with their passports, but the Bolivian guests would have needed to complete this process properly.
But even if made by mistake or unknowingly, documentation and visa violations have to be taken seriously for security reasons.
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Of the 69 passengers who did not have proper documentation, 55 were adults and 14 were children.
The passengers were initially held onboard MSC Armonia for questioning and to figure out a solution, with authorities holding the 2,620-guest ship in Barcelona for two extra days.
This means that even passengers with correct documentation were temporarily denied from continuing the planned Mediterranean itinerary – which led to cancelled port calls across France, Greece, and Croatia.
At the time, some passengers reported that they actually chose to disembark early due to the changed itinerary and the uncertainty of the situation.
But eventually, the MSC ship was given the all clear to depart after the 69 guests with fake visas were relocated to another boat for police to continue their interviews.
In the end, 65 individuals were flown back to Bolivia at MSC Cruises’ expense on April 4, 2025. While some asked to stay under asylum, their requests were denied. The four people who were allowed to stay in the country had family connections in Catalonia.
If the suspects are found guilty, they will certainly have a lot to answer for in terms of the expense and inconvenience caused to authorities, the cruise line, and the more than 1,000 guests onboard.