All of the nearly 2,000 passengers currently stranded on a cruise ship in Naha, Japan, are to return by Thursday, Minister of Transportation and Communications Chen Shih-kai (陳世凱) said today.
Mediterranean Shipping Co’s (MSC) ship the MSC Bellissima had a malfunction, stranding it at the Okinawa port with 1,857 Taiwanese passengers on board.
The Ministry of Transportation and Communications has coordinated with domestic airlines and the Japanese government to use larger aircraft and increase the number of flights, adding about 748 seats over today and tomorrow, Chen told legislators during a committee hearing at the legislature.
Photo: Lu Hsien-hsu, Taipei Times
With the help of additional charter flights, the ministry expects all affected travelers to return by Thursday, he added.
Democratic Progressive Party Legislator Lee Kun-tse (李昆澤) said that although there are administrative procedures to overcome, the ministry should work efficiently to allow all passengers to return by tomorrow.
While MSC has offered compensation for affected travelers, the costs of tickets and shore excursions are not the same, so the Tourism Administration should work with the Travel Quality Assurance Association to protect passengers’ rights, Lee added.
MSC is to cover the ticket costs, Chen added.
The MSC Bellissima, carrying 4,341 passengers, departed from Keelung on Wednesday last week for Okinawa, with planned stops at Miyako Island, Naha and Ishigaki Island.
It was set to return to Taiwan on Sunday.
Passengers who arranged their own transportation from Naha can claim compensation of up to US$400 if they traveled outside Japan and up to US$200 for domestic travel within Japan, the cruise operator said.
A separate trip of 2,080 passengers scheduled to board the MSC Bellissima in Keelung on Sunday was canceled.
The cruise operator said it had informed all those affected on Saturday.
To compensate for the disruption, the operator promised full refunds to all impacted passengers.
It would also provide a voucher worth up to 50 percent of the ticket value that is to be valid until Dec. 31 next year.
Additional reporting by CNA
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