In the early hours of Monday, May 12, 2025, the cruise vessel MSC Orchestra, navigating from Ibiza (Spain) to Sardinia on a scheduled Western Mediterranean itinerary, identified a small motorboat adrift near the southwestern coast of Sant'Antioco, Sardinia (Italy). The sighting occurred at approximately 02:00 a.m. local time, as the ship was en route to her next port of call in Cagliari.
Upon detection, the bridge crew initiated standard maritime safety protocols to assess the situation. The occupants of the motorboat—sixteen individuals, including three minors and one woman, all of Algerian nationality—were found to be in stable condition and posed no security threat. Following the assessment, the individuals were safely brought aboard the MSC Orchestra.
The vessel proceeded to the port of Cagliari, where the rescued individuals were transferred to local authorities. Subsequent medical evaluations confirmed that all were in good health. The group was then relocated to the First Reception Center in Monastir for identification and standard immigration processing.
The MSC Orchestra continued her voyage across the Western Mediterranean following the completion of the rescue operation.
For more MSC Orchestra incidents and accidents see the ship's CruiseMinus page.