MSC Cruises Stops New Kenyan Crew Joining Ships as Ebola Spreads

MSC Cruises has temporarily halted Kenyan crew members from boarding its ships at least through October 31, 2026. This decision follows the first-ever imported case of Bundibugyo Ebola in Kenya, which resulted in the death of a Kenyan man who had lived in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) for several years but traveled to Nairobi when ill.

The current outbreak began in the DRC in mid-May 2026, and as of October 13, 2026, the CDC reports that 9,000 cases are confirmed with 4,339 confirmed deaths, of which all but three deaths have been in the DRC.

According to Kenya’s Ministry of Health, the man, who has not been identified, was isolated at The Nairobi Hospital but died on Monday, October 5. The confirmation of the Bundibugyo Ebola virus was made independently by both the National Virology Reference Laboratory and the Kenya Medical Research Institute (KEMRI) on October 6.

The Ministry of Health also notes that contact tracing related to the man’s movements has been strengthened and traveler screening has also been intensified at various points of entry into the country. At this time, no further cases of the Bundibugyo Ebola virus have been reported in Kenya.

Because of the outbreak in the DRC and the virulence of the disease, MSC Cruises is being extremely cautious with this action of halting the embarkation of crew members from Kenya.

Daily Nation notes that MSC Cruises employs hundreds of crew members from Kenya, though the cruise line has not disclosed how many are currently affected by the pause in bringing Kenyan crew members aboard ships.

“As a precautionary measure following recent public health developments in Kenya, MSC Cruises has decided to temporarily suspend the embarkation of Kenyan crew members until 31 October while the situation continues to be monitored and assessed,” the cruise line stated.

Workers have reportedly been assured that their employment status, current contracts, and future opportunities with MSC Cruises will not be impacted by the temporary suspension.

There has been no information released about Kenyan crew members who may be currently serving onboard MSC Cruises ships or if there may be any alternative plans for them if their contracts are scheduled to end this month.

While this is not the first outbreak of the Bundibugyo Ebola virus, the CDC notes that it is the fastest-growing outbreak in history, with more than 1,000 confirmed cases within 40 days of alerts first being raised.

In comparison, the most recent large outbreak of a different Ebola strain was in 2018, which took roughly 235 days to surpass 1,000 confirmed cases. Ultimately, the 2018 outbreak had 3,470 cases with 66% mortality.

Impact on Cruising

MSC Cruises has not made any changes to itineraries or onboard services with respect to the outbreak, but it is possible that some staffing shortages may occur in the next few weeks as the Kenyan crew member suspension continues.

No other cruise lines have yet made any announced changes to onboard staffing or operations. Furthermore, neither the Department of State (US) nor Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FDCO; UK) have issued high-level warnings about travel to Kenya.

The US Department of State lists Kenya as a “Level 2: Exercise Increased Caution” advisory, largely due to crime, kidnapping, civil unrest, and the lack of health care resources. In comparison, the DRC is listed as a “Level 4: Do Not Travel” advisory with the Ebola outbreak cited as the primary concern.

The FCDO advises against all travel only to select parts of Kenya and the Democratic Republic of Congo, noting the “highly active, evolving and geographically widespread” Ebola outbreak in the latter.

Cruise Hive has reached out to MSC Cruises for a statement but has not yet received a response.