MSC Cruises to resume US cruises in August

MSC Cruises has announced that it will restart cruising from US ports this summer, starting with three- and four-night cruises from Miami to the Bahamas from August 2 on the MSC Meraviglia. It’ll feature MSC Cruises’ new private island destination, Ocean Cay MSC Marine Reserve, before extending the voyage to a seven-night cruise that tags on the Caribbean from September 18.

The announcement follows CDC approval of the company’s Phase 2A Port Agreements for PortMiami and Port Canaveral in Orlando, as well as provisional approval to conduct a simulation cruise, which will be held on MSC Meraviglia from PortMiami on July 17, 2021.

The cruise line’s MSC Divina ship will also resume cruising from Orlando on September 16, 2021, offering three-, four- and seven-night cruise options to The Bahamas and Caribbean, also including stops at Ocean Cay MSC Marine Reserve.

However, the company has also confirmed the cancellation of existing US summer cruises, affecting the schedules of three ships based in Florida, including the MSC Divina from July 1 to September 15 and the MSC Meraviglia from July 1 to September 17, 2021.

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MSC Cruises is working on health and safety guidelines for guests, and its cruises will welcome both vaccinated and non-vaccinated guests.

“To ensure the safest experience for our guests, we previously announced a fleet-wide vaccination program for all crew, and we expect that the majority of our guests booking a cruise this summer will plan to be vaccinated prior to sail,” said Gianni Onorato, CEO of MSC Cruises.

“The rapid distribution of vaccines in the US has been a positive step toward helping vacationers get back to travelling, and we encourage our guests to take advantage of this added layer of protection when resuming travel this summer.”

MSC Cruises’ new itineraries from the US, on the MSC Meraviglia and MSC Divina, will open for US bookings on June 16, 2021.