MSC Orchestra was prevented from calling at Marseille, France, on 2nd February 2026 after a protest by striking sailors blocked access to the cruise port, forcing the ship to abandon the stop entirely.
According to French outlet Ouest-France, demonstrators shut down the northern access to the port, leaving the 3,223-guest cruise ship unable to berth.
The Musica-class vessel waited for several hours offshore, but with negotiations failing to resolve the situation, the decision was eventually taken to sail on without docking.
The missed call caused significant disruption as Marseille is one of the embarkation and disembarkation ports used by MSC Orchestra for its seven-night Mediterranean itineraries. The ship operates the same sailing with multiple homeports, including Barcelona and Valencia in Spain, as well as Genoa, Livorno and Civitavecchia in Italy.
Passenger Plans Thrown Into Disarray
The inability to dock meant that passengers scheduled to end their cruise in Marseille were unable to disembark, while a new group of guests waiting to board were left behind at the port.
“I’m at the dock in Marseille and the boat left embarrassingly without us. We’ve been stranded since 11 am this morning,” one affected passenger wrote on social media.
Another guest confirmed how long the ship remained offshore before departing, saying: “The boat just left in the direction of Genoa. It was waiting for negotiations that did not come until 20h. We had the boat in view till 8pm.”
Tracking data later showed the 92,409-gross-ton ship sailing towards Genoa at around 18 knots on the evening of 2nd February. She spent all of 3rd February docked in Genoa as planned, departing in the early evening.
Passengers who were unable to board in Marseille have since reported that MSC Cruises arranged hotel accommodation overnight and organised ground transport to Genoa, approximately 244 miles away. The journey by road takes around two and a half hours.
“They transferred us to hotels and tomorrow we’re heading to Genoa by bus,” one guest confirmed.
At the time of writing, MSC Cruises has not confirmed whether guests will receive additional compensation for the missed day of their cruise or how passengers who were unable to disembark in Marseille will be assisted, although similar transfer arrangements are expected to be offered.
Strike Action Behind The Port Blockade
While Marseille has previously seen cruise ships disrupted by protests, this incident was not linked to environmental campaigners such as Extinction Rebellion or Stop Croisières, which have targeted cruise traffic in the past.
Instead, the disruption was caused by striking sailors represented by the Fédération Nationale des Syndicats Maritimes Union (FNSM-CGT). The union had filed a 48-hour renewable strike notice covering 2nd and 3rd February, directly overlapping with MSC Orchestra’s scheduled visit.
The strike is focused on demands for increased employment opportunities, improved wages and better working conditions for French seafarers.
No further cruise disruptions are currently expected unless the strike action is extended. MSC Orchestra was the only cruise ship scheduled in Marseille on 2nd February. The next planned call is on 6th February, when Viking Ocean Cruises’ Viking Vesta is due to arrive.
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