A major cruise line abruptly canceled an 11-night voyage to the Caribbean this week when the U.S. Coast Guard detained its ship in Miami.
The Coast Guard announced on Nov. 3 that MSC Poesia had been detained due to deficiencies with systems aboard the ship.
“The Coast Guard cannot currently comment on the specifics of an ongoing Port State Control Examination, but we have identified deficiencies with systems on board the vessel that we are addressing with MSC,” said Capt. Frank Florio, commander, U.S. Coast Guard Sector Miami, in a press release issued by the Coast Guard.
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The MSC Poesia will remain detained at the Miami port until the deficiencies are fixed and the ship is cleared to depart, the release added.
“We have made the difficult decision to cancel the current sailing,” an MSC Cruises spokesperson told Fox News Digital about the situation. “We recognize how disappointing and frustrating this news is for our guests, and we sincerely apologize for the disruption to their holiday.”
“Prior to departure, a regulatory matter arose that required resolution. Despite our efforts to address the matter, we were unable to resolve it in time for the sailing to proceed,” the spokesperson added.
“Guests will receive a full refund of their cruise fare, and we are providing support to assist with their journey home.”
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The Coast Guard said its Port State Control program inspects foreign-flagged commercial vessels calling at U.S. ports to ensure they meet applicable safety, security and environmental standards.
“When substantial noncompliance is identified, the Coast Guard may detain a vessel until the deficiencies that prevent its departure are corrected,” the release said.
More than 2,000 people were aboard when the ship was detained, according to the blog “Cruise Critic.”
The MSC Poesia was scheduled to leave Miami on Nov. 1 and return Nov. 12, with stops in Jamaica, Colombia, Panama, Costa Rica, Honduras and Belize, according to CruiseMapper.
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Alex Perez, a maritime attorney at the Miami law firm Lipcon, Margulies & Winkleman, told Fox News Digital it’s very rare for a cruise ship carrying thousands of people to be detained rather than cited.
Cruise ships in U.S. ports are inspected frequently, Perez said.
But “the fact that this cruise ship was detained with passengers on board when [it was] about to embark on its voyage tells you the Coast Guard found something significant enough to warrant a detention.”
Perez said the U.S. Coast Guard has the authority to inspect and board vessels in U.S. ports.
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“A lot of cruise ships are foreign-flagged. That doesn’t change the Coast Guard’s authority over them,” he said.
In addition to a canceled vacation, many passengers worry about the price of additional airfare, accommodations and lost paid time off from work.
Perez said cruise passengers can file claims, but no class-action lawsuits are permitted.
The binding passenger ticket contract issued by all major cruise lines explicitly prohibits class-action lawsuits.
Under the universally enforced terms, passengers waive their right to join group litigation, according to the MSC USA Booking Conditions document.
“Cruise ship contracts prohibit class actions,” Perez said. “So in a case like this … they cannot do class actions to group themselves together and make it easier for the passenger to get relief,” he said.
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Several people took to online forums to discuss what happened.
“We have been on board the MSC Poesia since 28 September,” said one Reddit user.
“During dinner, we noticed we had not left the harbor at the given time,” the MSC passenger continued.
“Although we’re disappointed that the last part of our extended back-to-back cruise was canceled, we appreciate the compensation MSC has offered and the practical help they’re providing to get us home,” the poster added.
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“Must have been a heck of an error for [the] Coast Guard to keep them from sailing,” another person commented.
“I assume someone will spill the beans on what the problem was eventually.”
