The cruise ship MSC Armonia, carrying ~1500 tourists, was under detention at Port Barcelona (Spain) on April 2nd.
The detention stems from the inability of 69 Bolivian passengers to disembark due to suspicions surrounding the validity of their visas for entry into the EU's Schengen area.
Departing from Santos (Brazil) on an 18-day Transatlantic crossing (RepositionCruises.com) with scheduled stops in several Mediterranean ports, the vessel found itself at the center of an investigation by the Spanish National Police. This investigation aims to determine whether the ship's operators were cognizant of the passengers' visa irregularities.
In response to the situation, diplomatic endeavors are underway between Spanish and Bolivian authorities to facilitate a resolution. Spanish authorities, suspecting the visas to be fraudulent, have initiated an inquiry to ascertain any potential involvement of the cruise operators.
The predicament caused considerable inconvenience for the passengers as the scheduled Barcelona Port stay was significantly prolonged and the call at Ajaccio (Corsica Island, France) was canceled.
According to CruiseMapper's AIS data, the ship remained in Barcelona between Apr 2 (arriving at 03:33 UTC) and Apr 4 (departing at 11:32 UTC).
Both Bolivian and Spanish authorities are actively engaged in efforts to expedite a resolution for the affected passengers. The Bolivian government, working through its embassy in Spain and the Consulate General in Barcelona, is collaborating with Spanish authorities and MSC Cruises to address the matter swiftly. There exists a shared determination among all parties involved to resolve the situation promptly, enabling the detained passengers to resume their journey.
Concerned family members and friends of the detained Bolivian passengers have expressed distress and are advocating for immediate action to facilitate the disembarkation of their loved ones. They are urging the involvement of the Bolivian consulate to assist in resolving the visa discrepancies.
MSC has asserted that the documentation provided by the Bolivian passengers upon boarding in Brazil appeared to meet the requisite travel requirements. The company was subsequently notified by authorities that the visas were invalid for entry into the Schengen area, thereby precluding the passengers from disembarking in Barcelona. MSC maintains that it was unaware of the visa issues until notified by Spanish authorities.
For more MSC Armonia incidents and accidents see the ship's CruiseMinus page.