MSC Cruises has announced that it will be re-routing its Shanghai cruises to depart from Singapore instead amidst the ongoing coronavirus threat.
The cruise line has also been forced to cancel three scheduled sailings from Shanghai on board MSC Splendida, which was due to sail to Japan on the 1st, 5th and 9th February.
Instead, the ship will be repositioned to Singapore for the start of her 27-night Grand Voyage to the Middle East and Europe on the 14th February.
The cruise line says that passengers affected by the repositioning will be automatically re-booked onto flights to Singapore.
However, if passengers booked an outbound flight to Asia that wasn't through MSC Cruises, they will need to contact their airline or travel agent for a refund or possible re-protection to Singapore.
Any pre-paid excursions for the Grand Voyage that are cancelled will be refunded to passengers' ship board accounts.
The company also said that there have been no reported cases of coronavirus amongst passengers or members of crew on board the ship, during her winter season in Asia.
Gianni Onorato, CEO, MSC Cruises, said: "The decision to reposition the ship from Shanghai to Singapore has been taken in the best interests of the safety and wellbeing for our passengers and crew, as was the decision to cancel our next three scheduled sailings from China.
"Many major airlines have either cancelled or reduced their flight frequency to China and the Grand Voyage, a maritime tradition whereby a ship moves from one part of the world to another for a new sailing season, was entirely booked with guests flying from abroad to enjoy the experience of a unique itinerary.
"In light of Singapore becoming a new embarkation port we have had to cancel calls to Naha, Japan and Hong Kong but it has also created an opportunity to update and enrich the Grand Voyage’s itinerary with four additional new ports; Langkawi, Penang and Kuala Lumpur in Malaysia, plus Ho Chi Minh City in Vietnam to create a new, one-of-a kind memorable cruise."
Passengers can find out more through the 'manage booking' tool on the MSC Cruises website.
MSC Cruises isn't the only cruise line to have cancelled sailings due to the coronavirus threat.
A number of cruise lines including Royal Caribbean and Costa Cruises were also forced to cancel sailings following the outbreak.
