MSC Cruises Cancels Transatlantic Sailing, Substitutes Ship
A transatlantic cruise can be a once-in-a-lifetime, bucket list sailing for many travelers, but guests looking forward to their crossing in November aboard MSC Cruises’ MSC Lirica are now disappointed.
While no firm reason other than operational adjustment has been given, MSC Lirica‘s November 7, 2025 departure from Venice, Italy has been cancelled.
The 21-night cruise was to have been a tremendous crossing, including visits to Greece, Spain, and the Canary Islands as the ship moved to Brazil, arriving in Sao Paulo on November 28.
Booked guests have been offered several options for their disappointment and inconvenience. Those who wish to cancel their reservation will receive a full refund without penalties.
Guests may also select an alternative transatlantic cruise similar to their now-cancelled sailing, with price protection to a similar stateroom on the new sailing.
The third option is to rebook on a different MSC Cruises vacation, on any ship in any sailing region. In this case, the cruise line will waive change fees for the adjustment. Guests will receive a €75 (approximately $88 USD) onboard credit as an incentive for rebooking.
For guests who do rebook, they will need to pay any fare difference if the new cruise they select is more expensive, though the cruise line will refund any balance if the alternative sailing is cheaper.
“Your satisfaction is our priority, and we are here to help you find the perfect alternative,” the cruise line said.
MSC Cruises will also reimburse travelers up to $400 per person for airfare or hotel change fees, subject to approval.
While it is certainly disappointing to travelers who may have been planning such a special cruise for years, these types of compensation options are typical when a cruise must be cancelled.
But What About the South American Season?
With her transatlantic cruise cancelled, MSC Lirica will not be moving to South America as planned for her winter season of departures from Santos and Rio de Janeiro.
Instead, MSC Sinfonia will take over that schedule, offering 3-, 4-, and 7-night itineraries to such top ports as Buzios, Ilha Grande, Itajai, and more through March 2026.
Overall, the itineraries and departure dates themselves remain the same – only the ship has changed. MSC Lirica and MSC Sinfonia are sister ships in the Mistral class, both at roughly 65,500 gross tons and offering similar features and amenities.
Read Also: MSC Cruise Ships by Size – Largest to Smallest
From late November through mid-March, MSC Sinfonia was scheduled to remain in the Mediterranean, offering a diverse selection of departures from Izmir, Istanbul, Bari, and Piraeus (Athens).
At this time, it is unknown if a different ship may take over that sailing season, or if MSC Lirica might be substituted instead, with only the transatlantic cruise impacted.
It is also possible that other changes may be made across the fleet as ships are reshuffled into the best possible position based on bookings, capacity, and future deployment needs.
Many different factors can cause similar situations for any cruise line. Just a week ago, for example, Carnival Cruise Line’s Carnival Liberty cancelled an upcoming cruise due to shipyard labor disputes that meant the vessel, currently undergoing dry dock, needed to switch shipyards and her return to service is delayed.
Mechanical difficulties, port repairs, severe weather, and much more can all impact cruise line deployments and individual ship itineraries.
Fortunately, in the case of MSC Lirica, while this will be a disappointment to travelers, they do have several months before their vacation plans to make alternative arrangements if they prefer.