An Italian-owned cruise ship that was due to start operating from New York to Bermuda in 2007 will not be coming to the Island after a change of plans by its owners.

The company MSC Cruises has re-jigged its schedules for next year and decided to reverse its plan to move into the New York market for at least another year. As a consequence Bermuda will remain off its itinerary until 2008 at the earliest. The company said in a statement it has advised Government of the changed plans and will ?continue to discuss opportunities for 2008.?

Last December MSC Cruises revealed plans to move its cruise ship MSC which is normally based in Florida during the winter monthsto New York where it would bring ?sophisticated European-style cruising back to New York? offering cruising to Bermuda as well as New England, Canada and the Caribbean.

The opportunity to do so was created by a re-shuffling of its cruise ships in Europe and the Caribbean with two cruise ships moving across from Europe to Florida to maintain its popular Caribbean cruises in the winter.

But in a re-think the company has decided to keep one of those ships in Europe all-year round, this means the MSC will need to remain in Florida to assist with the Caribbean operation during the winter and return to Europe the following spring.

?Our original plans to bring the MSC to Florida this autumn and MSC to New York by spring 2007 will be delayed,? said Richard E. Sasso, president of MSC Cruises (USA).

The company is instead enhancing its cruise itineraries in the Caribbean and said it will give guests who have booked on the previously scheduled cruises special consideration for its new Caribbean sailings.