Ocean Cay MSC Marine Reserve – the MSC Cruises private island – will be temporarily closed next spring.
TravelWeekly reported that the island’s visits will be suspended from April 7 to May 22.
The cruise line plans to improve the island during this time to prepare it for future growth.
Travel advisors are now contacting guests whose MSC Cruises itinerary includes a stopover at Ocean Cay to discuss updated travel options and itineraries.
The planned closure of Ocean Cay will affect four ships in particular. This includes the MSC Divina as well as MSC Seascape and MSC Seashore.
The ships will each handle the temporary closure of the island differently. MSC Divina will replace Ocean Cay in the Caribbean with another port, but the rest of their itineraries will remain unchanged.
MSC Seashore may also alter sailing dates and departing times. MSC Meraviglia, meanwhile, will offer Canada/New England instead of Caribbean sailings during the affected time period.
Ocean Cay has a unique location. Mission Blue, a non-profit organisation, has named it a “Hope Spot”. It is part a network consisting of 154 Hope Spots, which are considered critical for ocean health.