The U.S. Coast Guard detained the MSC Poesia at Port Miami for an expanded inspection, delaying an 11-night Caribbean cruise. MSC Cruises said it canceled the sailing over an unresolved regulatory matter and will fully refund guests. The Coast Guard said it is verifying compliance but gave no reason.
The U.S. Coast Guard detained the MSC Poesia at Port Miami for an expanded inspection, delaying its scheduled departure for an 11-night Caribbean cruise. The Coast Guard's Miami sector detained the ship for inspection on Sunday.
In a statement to CBS News on Monday, the Coast Guard said its teams are verifying the cruise ship's compliance with international standards and U.S. regulations. A Coast Guard spokesperson said the agency is doing this verification without giving a reason for the detention. The Coast Guard has not disclosed the specific reasons for the detention.
MSC Cruises said the cancellation happened because of a regulatory matter that arose before departure and that it could not resolve in time to set sail. Neither MSC nor the Coast Guard provided additional specifics. In an earlier statement, MSC Cruises said it was fully cooperating with authorities. The cruise line also confirmed the delay and said it is fully cooperating during the inspection.
Guests will receive a full refund of their cruise fare, MSC Cruises said, and the cruise line said it was helping people get back home.
MSC Cruises described the ship as able to accommodate more than 3,200 passengers and over 1,000 crew members, but those figures are capacities and the actual passenger count aboard was not established. The vessel carries more than 3,200 people, along with an estimated 1,000 crew members, though MSC Cruises has not said how many people remain on board.
