Scots passengers on board a cruise ship sailing around the UK have been banned from disembarking when arrive in Scotland on Wednesday
The MSC Virtuosa left Liverpool on Tuesday and was due to dock at Greenock on Wednesday at about 9.30am, departing at 8pm the same day.
The domestic seven-night cruise is then due to drop anchor at Belfast, Southampton and the Isle of Portland before returning to Greenock and with a final stop at Liverpool the following day.
However the Scottish Passenger Agents' Association (SPAA), the professional body for travel agents and the sector in Scotland, has seen a copy of an email sent to current passengers by the cruise operator.
It says: "Due to the latest Scottish Government Covid-19 restrictions and regulations... we are sorry to inform you that the port call of Greenock has been cancelled.
"No guests are allowed to embark or disembark... This decision has been made by the Scottish Government and is out of our control."
Scottish passengers were due to join the cruise in Greenock and the SPAA anticipated a third of those currently on board were expected to go ashore for excursions on Wednesday.
Michele Lister, who works for Glasgow-based Glen Travel, is one of those who boarded the ship in Liverpool, and has expressed her disappointment at not being allowed in to Greenock.
She said: "We were expecting to go into Greenock tomorrow morning for the full day... and we're not allowed to go into my own country which is really disappointing.
"The captain made an announcement over the Tannoy and said that due to the latest government announcement we were not going to be allowed to disembark in Greenock and we were going to remain in Liverpool one other night.
