MSC Cruises has agreed to pay Uniworld Boutique River Cruises €2.4m (AU$3.7m) plus interest, for damages caused when MSC Opera ploughed into River Countess in Venice, Italy in June 2019.

Uniworld Boutique River Cruise Collection filed a lawsuit against MSC Cruise Management (UK) Limited this week. Uniworld is seeking reimbursement for damages incurred following the 2 June, 2019 incident in which River Countess was struck and subsequently taken out of service by an out-of-control MSC Opera, while docked at the San Basilio Cruise Terminal in Venice, Italy.

Uniworld Boutique River Cruise Collection’s River Countess resumed operation last weekend, three months after the vessel was struck and damaged in Venice by an out-of-control MSC Opera.

The earmarked return of service for Uniworld Boutique River Cruise Collection’s Venice-based luxury ship River Countess has been pushed back a further two months. Originally scheduled to recommence operation this weekend after a collision with MSC Opera on 2 June, River Countess will now be out of action until early September 2019.

Uniworld Boutique River Cruise Collection has confirmed four passengers onboard River Countess received minor injuries when the 130-passenger ship was struck by an out-of-control MSC Cruises’ ship in Venice Sunday [2 June, 2019] morning. The 2,100-passenger MSC Opera ploughed into the Italian dock which River Countess had been moored, causing severe damage to the river boat.