The MSC Orchestra saw two last-minute sailing cancellations after experiencing an electrical issue on Tuesday.
In a statement, MSC Cruises said that, while the technical problem was contained, the cancellations are necessary to allow for further assessment and necessary repairs.
“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 continued.
Currently sailing in the Western Mediterranean, the MSC Orchestra was offering a seven-night cruise to Spain, Italy and France when the issue arose.
“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 company added.
As a result, the embarkation of guests in Genoa and Marseille that were scheduled for today and tomorrow, respectively, is cancelled.
“Guests have been contacted, and assistance is being provided, and appropriate refunds are being offered to impacted guests,” MSC said.
The itinerary of the MSC Orchestra originally included visits to Barcelona, Ibiza, Cagliari, Civitavecchia, Genoa and Marseille.
The technical issue led to an over-ten-hour delay in the ship’s scheduled arrival in Genoa. It’s currently unclear if the cruise will suffer further changes.
In an internet forum, guests onboard the vessel said that the 2007-built vessel was out of power due to the issue.
“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,” a Reddit user stated.