A pleasant and luxurious cruise trip ended in scandal when the ship arrived at the port of Barcelona. The MSC Armonía departed from the port of Santos, Brazil, with 1,500 people on board: but upon arrival in Spain, local authorities discovered that 69 passengers from Bolivia had fake visas that prevented them from setting foot on Spanish soil .
In this context, the ship had to dock with all passengers on board for two days while waiting for a solution. In the last hours the cruise was able to continue its original trajectory, but the company had to get the 69 Bolivians off the ship, who will be sent to their country on board a plane that will be paid for by the MSC company.
The ship was on a 19-day voyage scheduled to end in Venice, Italy. Due to this unexpected delay, the trip had to be shortened and another group of 275 passengers from Brazil also had to disembark in Barcelona so as not to miss their return flight. From there he traveled by plane to Rome to return to Brazil. This last trip also had to be paid for by the MSC company.
fake visas
The ship had been blocked since Tuesday in the port of the Catalan city due to the presence on board of 69 Bolivian citizens without visas to enter the Schengen area and who had been denied disembarkation in Spanish territory.
The 69 passengers from Bolivia were not allowed to disembark in Barcelona. Photo: APAccording to the local prefecture, the 69 Bolivians managed to disembark yesterday in a transit area of the port of Barcelona, where they are waiting for a second ship, coming from Livorno, made available by MSC.
According to the agreement reached by the prefect Carlos Prieto with the president of MSC Crociere, Pier Francesco Vigo, the shipment of the second ship managed to overcome the impasse and allow the MSC Armonia to continue its route towards Italy, where it will arrive in April 8 in Merghera, Venice.
Passengers from Bolivia were able to disembark from the cruise ship and remain in a transit area, waiting to be sent back to their country by plane. Photo: Reuters.Meanwhile, 275 Brazilian passengers disembarked from Armonia in the morning to arrive in Rome by plane, at the company’s expense, and not miss the return flight to their country of origin.
Source: Clarin
Mary Ortiz is a seasoned journalist with a passion for world events. As a writer for News Rebeat, she brings a fresh perspective to the latest global happenings and provides in-depth coverage that offers a deeper understanding of the world around us.