MSC Cruises cancels first four Ocean Cay calls

MSC Cruises cancels first four Ocean Cay calls

A rendering of beaches on Ocean Cay Marine Reserve.

MSC Cruises has cancelled the first four calls that had been scheduled for paying passengers at its MSC Ocean Cay Marine Reserve in the Bahamas.

It said the private island near Bimini is not ready for guests.

MSC cancelled calls planned for Nov. 9 on the MSC Meraviglia, Nov. 15 on the MSC Seaside, Nov. 16 on the Meraviglia and Nov. 17 on the MSC Armonia.

"While we fully anticipated that the island would be ready to receive guests this week, upon further evaluation with our onsite team and learning about last-minute operational issues that could impact the guest experience, we made the decision to cancel scheduled calls," an MSC statement said.

Port calls elsewhere have been scheduled.

Guests on affected cruises will get a $100 onboard spending credit and a 20% future cruise credit.

Four years ago, MSC signed a 100-year lease on the island, a former industrial sand mining site, and announced plans to transform it into a private destination. Work on the 95-acre island has been ongoing for the past few years.