Hundreds of Maltese passengers booked on cruises that depart from Grand Harbour have been forced to change plans but many are angry they have been offered vouchers for future trips instead of refunds.

Cruise lines have had to cancel all planned departures until the first week of July due to closure of ports as a coronavirus containment measure.

Ships belonging to popular lines that operate from have already missed several visits each to Grand Harbour since the start of what was meant to be the cruising season in April. 

Roughly 200 passengers a week were meant to depart from Grand Harbour on Mediterranean cruises between April and June.

Operators are trying to grapple with the fallout by giving vouchers to be used later. 

Popular cruise operator MSC said that guests on all its cancelled cruises will receive a voucher with a future cruise credit equal to the value of the amount collected by MSC Cruises for the cancelled cruise. This credit is to be utilised for a future cruise on any ship and itinerary of the fleet through to December 31, 2021. 

Furthermore, MSC also offered an on-board credit of €200 spending money for each cabin.

MSC said in a statement: “We are working tirelessly with all guests and travel agents to address the impact of this necessary decision to all bookings on our ships up to July 10 and we are genuinely sorry for the inconvenience that this will cause you.”

Major airlines are also adopting the same method, also sparking protests from some passengers. 

It is really not fair to have cruise credit. Not everyone can go next year... they cannot impose on our plans

“Not everyone can go next year... everyone has his/her own commitments… this is so unfair!!” one passenger exclaimed.

The comment was echoed by others: “It is really not fair to have cruise credit. Not everyone can go next year... they cannot impose on our plans,” said a 40-year-old female passenger.

Some passengers have consulted the Malta Competition and Consumer Affairs Authority and were told they are entitled to a full refund from the travel agency if the cruise is cancelled or significantly changed. However, MCCAA guidelines have determined a six-month timeframe to settle any issues to the satisfaction of the client.

A total of 135 cruise ship visits to Grand Harbour have been cancelled between mid-March and mid-July, when major cruise lines are tentatively planning to restart operations.