A cruise ship at a port in Spain has been forced to carry all 1,500 passengers on board, after a bunch from Bolivia didn’t obtain the proper visa documents to enter the European border-free Schengen area.
In response to reports, cruise ship MSC Armonia stays detained in Barcelona, with authorities scrambling to sort the situation.
The debacle, involving 69 Bolivian passengers, is stopping the ship from continuing its journey until the situation is resolved.
The voyage has traveled from Brazil to cover a route within the Mediterranean Sea, with the 69 Bolivians in query including families and kids.
In a press release, MSC Cruises initially thought the visa documentation was correct and appeared to comply with the obligatory requirements for travel.
Nonetheless, upon further inspection, the visas were “not valid” for entry.
“The passengers appeared to have proper documentation upon boarding in Brazil,” the statement read.
“We have now been informed by the authorities that the visas are usually not valid for entry into the Schengen area. Because of this, passengers haven’t been capable of disembark in Barcelona, which was their final destination.”
One Bolivian passenger, who spoke to local media under anonymity, said she was being treated like “a criminal [in a] prison” despite being assured by a travel agency her visa was correct and valid for travel.
Some relations of the Bolivian travelers on board the cruise ship told Spanish media that the 69 passengers had been victims of a scam.
In response to the claim, as published in Spanish newspaper La Vanguardia, an agency in South America had offered the visas online and charged as much as $10,000 per person.
It is known the ship will remain in port while it really works with authorities while the investigation continues.
A cruise ship at a port in Spain has been forced to carry all 1,500 passengers on board, after a bunch from Bolivia didn’t obtain the proper visa documents to enter the European border-free Schengen area.
In response to reports, cruise ship MSC Armonia stays detained in Barcelona, with authorities scrambling to sort the situation.
The debacle, involving 69 Bolivian passengers, is stopping the ship from continuing its journey until the situation is resolved.
The voyage has traveled from Brazil to cover a route within the Mediterranean Sea, with the 69 Bolivians in query including families and kids.
In a press release, MSC Cruises initially thought the visa documentation was correct and appeared to comply with the obligatory requirements for travel.
Nonetheless, upon further inspection, the visas were “not valid” for entry.
“The passengers appeared to have proper documentation upon boarding in Brazil,” the statement read.
“We have now been informed by the authorities that the visas are usually not valid for entry into the Schengen area. Because of this, passengers haven’t been capable of disembark in Barcelona, which was their final destination.”
One Bolivian passenger, who spoke to local media under anonymity, said she was being treated like “a criminal [in a] prison” despite being assured by a travel agency her visa was correct and valid for travel.
Some relations of the Bolivian travelers on board the cruise ship told Spanish media that the 69 passengers had been victims of a scam.
In response to the claim, as published in Spanish newspaper La Vanguardia, an agency in South America had offered the visas online and charged as much as $10,000 per person.
It is known the ship will remain in port while it really works with authorities while the investigation continues.
