Key Aspects:
- After warning guests of bad weather, MSC Splendida also had to cancel a port call.
- Big swells and winds reaching 35 knots made docking unsafe in La Goulette on January 8.
- The cancelled call was replaced with a day in Palma de Mallorca on January 9.
MSC Cruises’ MSC Splendida was rocked by extreme weather while sailing in the Mediterranean Sea.
On January 7, 2026, the up to 3,900 guests onboard were warned that seas could be rough while sailing from Palermo (Sicily), Italy, to La Goulette-Tunis, Tunisia.
At the time, no itinerary changes were announced. La Goulette was meant to be the final port call of a 7-night Mediterranean sailing that embarked in Barcelona on January 3, 2026.
But on the morning of January 8, which was the day of the scheduled visit to La Goulette, it was decided that weather conditions made docking too unsafe.
“Earlier this morning, we encountered strong wind gusts reaching up to 35 knots during our approach to La Goulette, which made it unsafe to enter the port,” Captain Giuseppe Maresca explained in a letter to guests.
“In the interest of your safety and comfort, we have made the difficult decision to cancel our call,” he continued.
Read Also: What You Should Know About Cruise Port Cancellations
When winds become too strong, the risk of collision with port infrastructure or other vessels in the port increases significantly.
Intense gusts can also increase the risk of other things going wrong, even if the vessel does manage to dock safely, such as mooring lines breaking.
A Detour to Calmer Weather
Instead of visiting La Goulette from 9 a.m. until 6 p.m. local time, the Fantasia-class vessel spent the day at sea, where the Captain could navigate away from the worst of the weather.
In order to make up for the cancelled call, the ship added a last-minute stop in Palma De Mallorca the following day, January 9.
“We’re also pleased to share good news: tomorrow we will be calling at the beautiful city of Palma de Mallorca, where you can look forward to stunning scenery, rich culture, and an exciting day ashore,” the letter added.
Weather conditions were calmer and guests got to explore the capital of Spain’s Balearic Islands from 12 p.m. until 8 p.m.
The 7-night voyage then disembarked as planned in Barcelona, Spain, on January 10, 2026.
The Conditions Onboard
Looking back to the morning of the 8th, cruise tracking data showed the 137,936-gross ton vessel sailing away from Tunisia ahead of schedule in strong winds and very rough seas with swells reaching 3.6 meters (around 11-12 feet).
Videos shared on social media by passengers who were onboard captured big waves with plenty of whitewater, and the strong winds could be heard howling in the background.
Normally, swells in the Mediterranean are much calmer, usually peaking at 1.5 meters (about 5 feet). The 1,370 crew members implemented additional precautions to protect everyone onboard.
For example, the cruise line had warned guests that they might drain the pools in order to prevent flooding and promote stability for the ship, though more videos taken by guests onboard showed full swimming pools sloshing and splashing.
That said, the pools did have a net over them and appeared to be closed to guests.
Passengers were also advised to stay inside and use extra caution while moving about the cruise ship.
But despite the rocky weather, it appears that everyone still managed to have a good time on their sailing. There were no reports of injuries or damage to the ship as a result of navigating the rough seas.
