What was supposed to be synonymous with vacation and rest turned into a headache for a group of Brazilians who were trapped on a ship in Barcelona, Spain. The case happened last Tuesday (2) and has not yet been fully resolved.
The problem occurred on the vessel MSC Armonia, belonging to MSC Cruzeiros. In a note, the company explains that the ship is being held in Spain due to a situation involving guests from Bolivia, who, according to the company, were traveling with invalid documentation for disembarkation in Europe.
According to the MSC website, the ship holds 2,620 guests and 721 crew. In total, there are 976 cabins. According to the report of a Brazilian guest, lawyer Jean Nunes, the ship left Santos, on the coast of São Paulo, on the 17th.
The ship's itinerary includes the Brazilian cities of Santos, Rio de Janeiro and Maceió; Santa Cruz do Tenerife, Funchal, Málaga and Barcelona, in Spain; Ajaccio, France; and Civitavecchia, in Italy.
Some people would continue their journey beyond these destinations. In Jean's case, disembarkation was scheduled for next Thursday (4), in Rome, but was cancelled.
“In Portugal they did not allow docking. They said, in the sound of the ship, that it would be due to weather conditions. They said they will give $12.5 per passenger in refunds. When we arrived in Malaga, some passengers began to report that Bolivians were trapped in the port lobby. Instead of resolving this in Malaga, they went to Barcelona”, says Jean.
On Tuesday, the ship docked in Barcelona, as planned. Jean says he walked around the Spanish city from 7am to 4pm. “When we returned, we received information that Spain did not allow the Bolivians to enter. We returned at 4pm to leave for France, but the information came that the cruise was being held. We were locked on the ship,” he says.
Another Brazilian on board the MSC Armonia, Human Resources coordinator Gabriella Zappelini, reports that she stayed until midnight on Tuesday waiting for news. At that time, it was expected that the crew would update the ship's situation, which, according to her, did not happen. “Everyone went to sleep without knowing what was going to happen.”
A statement issued to guests on Tuesday via letter promised a response regarding the ship's departure time of 10am today.
The statement came shortly afterwards. Jean recorded what was said. For those who would disembark in Rome, as in the case of the two sources heard by the CNN , the company chartered a plane to Fiumicino airport, in the Italian capital. Boarding is scheduled for 10am tomorrow.
The Brazilians were allowed to disembark in Barcelona after almost 24 hours on the ship. “In the meantime, all guests can leave freely and everyone on board [devem retornar à embarcação] at 2 am on April 4, 2024”, said one of the crew, in the statement issued over the ship’s sound.
In the case of those who would travel beyond Rome, the situation is not yet resolved. “The ship will not follow the itinerary and we are being reallocated to flights within Europe. Brazilians who would go further will know tonight where they are going”, says Jean.
Gabriella confirms the Brazilian's report. “For those who were going to continue the cruise, the entire itinerary was cancelled, including for those who boarded the ship yesterday.” She states that she found some procedures strange since the day she boarded.
“In Rio de Janeiro there was already a search with dogs. In Maceió, there were also police officers and dogs. It took two hours to let people onto the ship. I'm traveling with my mother, I made good friends on the cruise, but everyone is disappointed, especially those who were going to other places”, says the Brazilian.
A CNN awaiting the return of the Bolivian Embassy and Itamaraty.
What MSC says
In a statement, MSC said that it is “working together with the Spanish authorities to manage a situation involving guests from Bolivia, who were traveling with invalid documentation for disembarkation in Europe”.
See one of the crew's statements in full:
“Dear guests, good afternoon. We speak on behalf of the captain.
In response to yesterday's letter, we would like to inform you that we are still working with the Spanish immigration authorities to find a solution for the group of Bolivian guests without a valid Schengen visa.
Unfortunately, we are unable to sail until the issue is resolved and MSC Armonia will remain in Barcelona until then. For this reason, we were forced to cancel tomorrow's stopover in Civitavecchia. We organize a charter flight to Rome Fiumicino at around 10am for interested guests.
We invite you to come to the counters we have set up in the theater at 1pm to sort out practical information about the transfer to the airport and the flight. There is no charge for these new travel arrangements. All guests will receive further information for the remainder of their trip later in the day as soon as possible.
In the meantime, all guests can leave freely and all on board at 2am on April 4, 2024. Departure will be on deck 6. We have activated free shuttle bus service between the terminal and the city center to help them continue exploring Barcelona.
All guests will receive a pro-rata refund upon disembarkation as compensation for the impacted portion of the Cruise starting yesterday, April 2nd. Please contact the MSC contact center and travel advisor as soon as you arrive home.
Additionally, as a gesture of goodwill, we have a credit offer valid for a future cruise on any of the 22 ships in the MSC Cruises fleet. The credit value will be 50% of the cruise price. Please note that this does not include travel, transfers, accommodation or shore excursions associated with the booking, nor any other personal expenses.
Additionally, the credit will have no cash value and is not transferable or refundable. The credit is valid for one year.
Once again, we apologize for this situation, even if it is due to reasons beyond our control. We appreciate your understanding.”
Source: CNN Brasil
I’m James Harper, a highly experienced and accomplished news writer for World Stock Market. I have been writing in the Politics section of the website for over five years, providing readers with up-to-date and insightful information about current events in politics. My work is widely read and respected by many industry professionals as well as laymen.
