A cruise ship with 2,000 passengers that was due to leave Miami over the weekend for the southwestern Caribbean was canceled Tuesday after an “expanded examination” by the Coast Guard.
The MSC Poesia, operated by European cruise line MSC Cruises, was due to leave Miami on Sunday with stops in Jamaica, Colombia, Panama, Costa Rica, Roatan Island in Honduras and Belize before returning to Miami on Nov. 12, according to CruiseMapper.
In a statement to USA Today regarding the examination, the Coast Guard said it “is tasked with verifying safe and secure commerce. … USCG teams are verifying the cruise ship’s compliance with international standards and U.S. regulations.”
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The Coast Guard did not say what prompted the expanded examination Sunday or what regulations the agency was looking into.
In April 2026, the Coast Guard inspected the MSC Poesia and found issues with the “operational readiness of lifesaving appliances,” although the cruise ship was not detained at the time, according to maritime industry publication Maritime Executive.
MSC Cruises spokesperson Sidney Sterling told the Miami Herald that “prior to departure, a regulatory matter arose that required resolution. Despite our efforts to address the matter, we were unable to resolve it in time for the sailing to proceed,” though the regulatory matter was not specified.
The cruise line is giving the passengers of the aborted trip a full refund and is helping them to return home. More than 2,000 people were on board, a source familiar with the matter told CBS News, out of a total capacity that allows for over 3,200 passengers and over 1,000 crew members.
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