MSC Fantasia with 4,000 passengers and crew onboard has changed her course to Souda Bay close to Chania Crete in the early hours of January 16 (Saturday).
The MSC Cruises ship departed from Haifa Israel and was originally scheduled to arrive in Iraklion Crete. Cruise company says the reason for changing the course was due to bad weather and one passenger dead of heart attack and the body needed to be sent for autopsy.
However, Greek newspapers reports indicate that the cruise had another problem. The Greek newspaper To Vima reported that there was information on board of suspicious passengers or bomb threat.
An official statement of the Coast Guard initially was not available. Satellite images show the ship on Saturday morning actually in Souda Bay, where Greek and American Navy is stationed.