Passengers booked on cruises departing from Rio de Janeiro were notified this week that their sailing aboard MSC Cruises’ MSC Lirica has been cancelled due to changes in ship deployment.

According to a message sent by MSC Cruises to booked guests, the cruise line said the cancellation is the result of “operational reasons,” but did not explain what those reasons are.

“We regret to inform you that we have had to cancel the cruise due to operational reasons affecting MSC Lirica’s deployment,” the message said to one passenger scheduled to depart on a December 9, 2026, voyage.

Rather than sailing a full winter schedule from Brazilian ports as originally planned, MSC Lirica will no longer operate in South America, with all South America itineraries for its 2026-27 season removed from MSC Cruises’ website and booking system, as well as the repositioning cruise.

As of now, the ship’s last voyage concludes in Venice on November 15, 2026, when the vessel was to begin a repositioning sailing to South America. Its updated 2026-27 schedule has not yet been released.

MSC Cruises’ South America program for 2026-27’s winter season had been announced months earlier with multiple ships scheduled, including MSC Lirica alongside larger vessels such as MSC Virtuosa, MSC Divina, MSC Splendida, and MSC Musica.

The lineup was intended to support a range of regional itineraries out of Brazilian homeports, including Rio de Janeiro, Santos, Itajaí, and Parangaguá, as well as select transatlantic repositioning.

Currently, the website shows MSC Musica, MSC Virtuosa, MSC Divina, and MSC Splendid offering South America itineraries, with MSC Musica beginning her season following renovations to install the MSC Yacht Club.

This isn’t the first time MSC Lirica avoided Brazil. In June 2025, MSC Cruises swapped the 2,679-passenger vessel with MSC Sinfonia for the current 2025-26 season in South America.

Options After Cancellation

In the cancellation notice, MSC Cruises did not offer an alternative sailing for the 65,591-gross-ton MSC Lirica, instead outlining three options for affected passengers.

The first option allows guests to transfer their booking to another South America cruise of equal duration during the same season. The cruise line said it will apply “the most convenient cruise fare between the original sailing and the new one,” provided passengers book the same cabin category.

Read Also: How to Speed Up Your Cruise Refund

This option applies to cruise fare only. Flights, hotel packages, shore excursions, and other add-on services are excluded.

MSC Cruises noted that Christmas and New Year’s sailings may only be selected if the original reservation was already booked for a holiday departure.

Under the second option, guests may move their bookings to any other MSC Cruises sailing currently available for sale without paying a change fee. The new cruise will be repriced at the current fare.

Passengers choosing a more expensive sailing will be required to pay the fare difference, while those selecting a cheaper cruise will receive a refund for the difference.

The third option allows guests to cancel the booking entirely and receive a full refund. The notice did not specify deadlines for choosing an option or timelines for processing refunds and rebookings.

MSC Cruises Pulls Multiple South America Sailings for 2026-27