MSC Cruises has canceled two upcoming sailings of the MSC Orchestra following an electrical malfunction that occurred in the ship’s engine room early Tuesday morning, prompting an emergency response and a significant delay in the vessel’s itinerary.
The ship, which was sailing through the Tyrrhenian Sea between the island of Capraia and Corsica, experienced what the cruise line described as “a technical issue” involving an electrical switchboard in a restricted engineering area. The malfunction led to smoke being emitted, though no fire was confirmed.
MSC Cruises stated that the smoke was “immediately contained” by onboard safety systems and emphasized that no guest areas were affected. “There are no reported injuries, and the situation was handled according to protocol,” the company said in a statement.
The incident occurred just hours after the vessel departed from Civitavecchia on a week-long Western Mediterranean cruise with scheduled calls in Spain, Italy, and France.
Emergency Response and Passenger Impact
Although a tugboat was dispatched from the port of Livorno as a precaution, the ship resolved the issue without external assistance, and the tug returned to port. The vessel ultimately arrived in Genoa with a delay of more than 12 hours.
In a statement to Cruise Industry News, MSC Cruises confirmed that further inspections and technical repairs are necessary, forcing the cancellation of the next two sailings—originally scheduled to embark from Genoa today and from Marseille tomorrow.
“All affected guests have been contacted and are being provided with refunds and logistical support,” the company said.
Passengers onboard took to social media to describe the ordeal. One Reddit user reported that the ship was without power for nearly three hours and described “a bit of a smell and smoke in the corridors.”
Investigation Underway
Consumer watchdog group Codici claimed the issue may have involved a fire, although MSC has not confirmed any flames, citing only a localized smoke event. Marine tracking platforms also noted a suspicious slowdown in the ship’s movement at the time of the incident.
The MSC Orchestra, built in 2007 and carrying thousands of passengers, will remain docked in Genoa for further evaluation. It remains unclear whether subsequent sailings will be affected.
