MSC Cruises has canceled MSC Poesia’s 11-night Caribbean and Central America voyage after a U.S. Coast Guard inspection kept the ship docked at PortMiami for two nights beyond its scheduled departure.
Passengers are being offered a full refund, a future cruise credit and additional compensation. Guests may remain aboard until noon Eastern Time on Thursday, November 5, 2026, while they arrange onward travel. MSC has also made Wi-Fi free for all guests to help them make those arrangements.
The cancellation was announced Tuesday, November 3, ending passengers’ wait to learn whether the ship would receive permission to sail on a revised itinerary. Poesia had been scheduled to depart Miami at 5 p.m. Sunday, November 1st, and return November 12th.
Captain Michele Tuvo informed guests that the voyage had been canceled after efforts to resolve the regulatory matter delaying departure were unsuccessful, according to an onboard announcement.
The specific issue behind the detention remains undisclosed. Neither MSC nor the Coast Guard has publicly identified the deficiencies or outstanding requirements that prevented the ship from departing in the reports available at the time of writing.
The Coast Guard previously said its inspection was checking the vessel’s compliance with international standards and U.S. regulations. Local 10 described the examination as expanded, but authorities did not specify what prompted that review or how long the ship would remain detained.
The cancellation follows an announcement Monday evening in which Tuvo warned passengers that MSC would cancel the voyage if it could not depart Tuesday. At that point, the alternative was to sail on a revised itinerary once clearance was granted.
The original cruise included calls at Ocho Rios, Jamaica; Cartagena, Colombia; Colón, Panama; Puerto Limón, Costa Rica; Roatán, Honduras; and Belize City, Belize. Passengers were scheduled to be in Ocho Rios on Tuesday, the day the cancellation was announced.
Allowing guests to remain aboard through Thursday gives those who traveled to Miami time to arrange flights, transportation or alternative accommodations. According to the captain’s announcement, the value and conditions of the future cruise credit and the details of the additional compensation would be included in letters delivered to staterooms.
It remains unclear whether the compensation will include reimbursement for airline change costs, hotel stays or other expenses resulting from the cancellation.
