MSC Cruises announced the company will accept only fully vaccinated guests for the winter sailings across the entire fleet, with obligation of an additional COVID-19 test before the embarkation date. These measures were in use for all of the line’s winter voyages in other regions, just the Mediterranean sailings have been added to the list with the new requirements, and from that moment on, all the guests booked on both MSC Grandiosa and MSC Fantasia. 

Vaccines are valid only as a full set of Covid-19 shots 14 days prior to their voyage at sea. According to the company, besides the vaccines, the guests will also be required a COVID-19 test up to 72 hours of the ship’s departure time. 

Gianni Onorato, CEO, MSC Cruises, said: “Our health and safety protocol has led the way in the industry not just because we were the first major cruise line to resume international operations but also because of its flexibility to adapt to the evolution of the pandemic ashore. This approach has reassured our guests, our crew and the destinations we visit with our ships and we saw last winter with our sailings in the Mediterranean that even during a new peak of the pandemic ashore we were able to adapt our health and safety measures appropriately and continue to offer the highest level of protection to our guests and crew. This is the case once more as some countries in Europe are seeing an increase in infection rates ashore and to ensure the wellbeing of those onboard our ships and at the communities they call, our approach again demonstrates that health and safety is our number one priority.” 

If there are guests who will not make it with being fully vaccinated in time for their departure date can decide between two options: postponing their cruise with MSC to a later date or ask for a refund. Guests under 12 years of age, the group that is not eligible for vaccination, will continue to be welcome onboard under the current measures.