MSC Cruises has replaced Bahrain with Ras Al Khaimah for its 2011/2012 winter season Gulf itineraries on board the MSC Lirica.It marks the first time the cruise line has stopped at RAK’s port.The MSC Lirica will continue to visit Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Muscat as scheduled but has vetoed Bahrain as a result of ongoing political unrest in the Kingdom.The cruise line has also extended its ban on Tunisia and Egypt due to uprisings in both North African countries. “MSC is always putting the safety and comfort of its guests first and has decided to extend the cancellation of the call at the port of Tunis (La Goulette) up to the end of the 2011/2012 winter season,” said an MSC Cruises statement.”In addition, we also substituted all calls to ports in Egypt and Bahrain until the end of the 2011/2012 winter season with other exciting ports of call.” Most major cruise lines operating voyages in the Arabian Gulf including Costa Cruises, have ditched Bahrain from their itineraries.Costa Cruises has said it will only resume calls to Bahrain when the relevant international authorities and the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs have declared the country stable and safe to visit.Royal Caribbean, which started Arabian Gulf cruises in 2010, had already dropped Bahrain from its itinerary ahead of the 2011 season in favour of an overnight stay in Oman’s capital Muscat – a destination proving very popular with customers according to Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd regional sales director Helen Beck.The decision by cruise lines to pull out of Bahrain is expected to cost the Kingdom US$5 million with the loss of 50,000 tourists.
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