MSC Cruises reveals summer return itineraries
However, only residents of Schengen countries will be able to board
MSC Cruises has confirmed that MSC Grandiosa will sail the Western Mediterranean from August 16 while MSC Magnifica will sail the Eastern Mediterranean from August 29.
The cruises will only be available to guests who are residents of Schengen countries.
The company has also cancelled all other Mediterranean cruises from August 16 to October 31. Non-Schengen residents will automatically be eligible for a future cruise credit, which can be used on any itinerary through to December 2021.
Pierfrancesco Vago, MSC Cruises’ executive chairman said: “During the pause in our operations we focused on developing a comprehensive operating protocol that builds upon already stringent health and safety measures that have long been in place on board our ships. We have worked closely with the relevant EU-level, national health and other authorities from the countries that MSC Grandiosa and MSC Magnifica will call along their Mediterranean itineraries to develop a comprehensive set of procedures designed to protect the health and safety of all passengers on board our ships as well as ashore to ensure that local communities feel comfortable welcoming our guests.”
He added:“The new procedures include universal Covid-19 testing for all guests and crew prior to embarkation, protected ashore visits at each destination only with an MSC Cruises excursion as added level of protection for our guests and the introduction of a Covid Protection Plan for further peace of mind for our guests. With all of these measures in place we aim to offer our guests the safest possible holiday.”
MSC Grandiosa, the Company’s flagship, will offer seven-night cruises in the Western Mediterranean calling at the Italian ports of Genoa, Civitavecchia/Rome, Naples, Palermo and Valetta. MSC Magnifica will offer seven-night cruises in the Eastern Mediterranean departing from the Italian ports of Bari and Trieste, calling at the Greek ports of Corfu, Katakolon and Piraeus.
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Gianni Onorato, MSC Cruises’ CEO, added: “We are very pleased to be able to start welcoming back guests for full-experience cruise holidays this summer, on board two of our most popular ships including our flagship MSC Grandiosa, and in the Mediterranean, the very region where our Company’s roots are and we have long been market leaders.”
Regarding MSC Cruises’ itineraries beyond the current summer season, Gianni Onorato concluded: “We will closely monitor updates and new guidelines at a global, European and national level and will continuously review and update our health and safety protocol not only to make sure that its measures reflect the most updated medical know-how and technology as it becomes available but also to reflect in it the different phases in the evolution and spread of the virus and as social restrictions change over time.
“To this end, with time and in line with the development of the health situation ashore we are hoping to be able to relax certain measures while continuing to ensure that the health and safety of everyone on board our ships remains our outmost priority. At the same time, we will always make sure that our guests can enjoy and relax whilst on holiday on board one of MSC Cruises ships the way they always have – now including this summer.”
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