MSC CRUISES BECOMES FIRST CRUISE LINE TO RESUME INTERNATIONAL SAILINGS FROM BARCELONA

MSC Grandiosa’s weekend call at Barcelona represented Spain’s first international cruise since March 2020

Addition of Barcelona enriches MSC Grandiosa’s itinerary to offer new embarkation port and new destination for guests to visit

Geneva, Switzerland (June 28, 2021) – The port of Barcelona reopened at the weekend for international cruises when MSC Grandiosa became the first ship to embark Spanish guests and vacationers from other Schengen countries.

The 7-night cruise calls at the Italian ports of Genoa, Civitavecchia for Rome, Naples and Palermo, plus Valetta, Malta.

Gianni Onorato, CEO, MSC Cruises, said, “Barcelona is an integral part of our year-round itineraries in the Mediterranean and to see it reopen for our guests from Spain and other countries in Europe is extremely gratifying.  This was a very welcome addition to the ever-increasing number of ports that are opening for business after such a long pause in operations. As the first cruise line to offer international cruises from Spain we are sure that our Spanish guests will enjoy the convenience of embarkation in Barcelona on Saturdays and enjoy the popular itinerary that MSC Grandiosa offers in the Mediterranean.” 

The port of Barcelona is of strategic importance to MSC Cruises’ position as the market leader in Europe and earlier this month the Company received the official approval to operate and manage an exclusive 11,670 m2 (≈125,615 sq. ft.) cruise terminal, which is due for completion in 2024.

MSC Cruises’ restart at the weekend in Barcelona follows approvals by the relevant Spanish authorities for the Company’s industry-leading health and safety protocol, which was designed and introduced in August 2020 to protect the wellbeing of guests, crew and communities visited by its fleet of ships. 

MSC Grandiosa’s itinerary from the end of July will see the addition of another important Spanish port, Valencia with embarkation on Fridays. The ship will then call Barcelona, and onto the Italian ports of Genoa, La Spezia for Florence and Pisa, and Civitavecchia for Rome. 

MSC Grandiosa is one of the most environmentally-advanced ships in the MSC Cruises fleet and features state-of-the-art selective catalytic reduction and advanced wastewater treatment systems. MSC Grandiosa last year received the ‘biosafe ship’ class certification from classification society, RINA.

More ports will reopen in the coming weeks across Europe and MSC Cruises’ phased restart of operations is continuing as planned with the Company offering a choice of six different ships and itineraries this summer across the Mediterranean and Northern Europe. 

MSC Seaview will start Baltic Sea cruises beginning July 3 from her homeport of Kiel in Germany with 7-night sailings to Sweden and Estonia and MSC Seaside on July 4 will mark the official reopening of Marseille, France to cruising.

MSC Magnifica resumed sailings last week in the East Mediterranean to join MSC Splendida and MSC Orchestra in the region.   MSC Virtuosa since May 20 has operated cruises around the UK for British guests only.

MSC Meraviglia from August 2 will resume cruises in The Bahamas from Miami, featuring MSC Cruises’ private island destination, Ocean Cay MSC Marine Reserve. She will be joined by MSC Divina for 3, 4 and 7-night cruises to The Bahamas and Caribbean from Orlando (Port Canaveral) starting September 18.

MSC Seashore will come into service in August with voyages in the West Mediterranean before the Company’s newest flagship journeys to her new homeport in Miami for cruises to The Bahamas and Caribbean. 

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Coming to CruiseReport.com in July 2021

MSC CRUISES RESUMES OPERATIONS IN SPAIN AS MSC GRANDIOSA ADDS BARCELONA TO ITS CURRENT ITINERARY STARTING JUNE 26

• Valencia to be added as an additional port of call as of July 30

• Announcement follows MSC Cruises’ resumption of service in the UK, Germany, France and the Baltics in addition to the Mediterranean

Geneva, Switzerland (June 3, 2021) - MSC Cruises today announced it will restart its cruise operations in Spain with the deployment of MSC Grandiosa to Barcelona from June 26 with Saturday embarkation. Valencia will then be added as an additional port of call as of July 30. 

This follows recent announcements of MSC Cruises’ ships restarting operations in Germany, France and the Baltics in addition to its current and future Summer 2021 confirmed itineraries in the West and East Mediterranean as well as UK. 

Gianni Onorato, CEO, MSC Cruises, said: “When we first announced our confirmed programs for summer 2021, we indicated that we would enrich them with any new ports and destinations as they became available. This is the case today with Spain and Barcelona, thus allowing our guests to visit this magnificent destination that has been unavailable since March of last year thanks to the secure bubble shore excursions we provide under our health and safety operating protocol. This will also make an international cruise holiday on an MSC Cruises ship more easily available to more of our guests living in Spain and for the first time on one of our most modern and innovative ships, MSC Grandiosa.

As measures are progressively relaxing across Europe and beyond and tourism resumes, we have every confidence that our progressive resumption of service will continue to move forward and that we will be able to add more ports and destinations from more countries to our itineraries very soon. This will allow us to either enrich existing itineraries or add new ones.”

This resumption of service is fully in line with local regulations in Spain and will be supported by MSC Cruises’ industry-leading health & safety protocol, which has protected tens of thousands of guests, as well as crew members and local communities since the line first introduced it in August 2020 on MSC Grandiosa. 

MSC Grandiosa offers seven-night cruises in the Western Mediterranean calling Genoa, Civitavecchia/Rome, Naples, and Palermo, Italy; Valetta, Malta; and now Barcelona, Spain on Saturdays with embarkation in the Italian ports as well as Barcelona. From July 30, MSC Grandiosa will add Valencia to the itinerary with embarkation on Fridays. Then from July 31, ship will then offer seven-night itineraries calling Barcelona, Spain; Genoa, Italy; La Spezia, Italy for Florence and Pisa; and Civitavecchia/Rome, Italy and Valencia, Spain.

MSC Seaside is also sailing in the Mediterranean, and since May 20 the newly-launched MSC Virtuosa has operated cruises around the British Isles for UK residents. While MSC Seaview will restart voyages in the Baltics from Germany on July 3.

To learn more about MSC Grandiosa’s current itinerary and to book, guests can contact their preferred travel advisor or visit here. Sales for future cruises beginning July 26 will open on Saturday June 5. 

About MSC Grandiosa

One of the Company’s newest ships, MSC Grandiosa launched in November 2019 and offers a richness of guest experiences. Designed with an iconic Mediterranean-style promenade and impressive 305-ft. LED sky screen that animates throughout the day and night, MSC Grandiosa features state-of-the-art facilities and is a destination in itself. 

With an unparalleled choice of options for dining, leisure activities and entertainment, guests will be able to relax by one of the five pools with a choice of outdoor and indoor, spend the afternoon browsing the shops in the Galleria Grandiosa, get a massage in the spa, enjoy a cocktail in one of the many bars, eat in a different restaurant every night and round the evening off with a grand-scale theater production or live music in the Carousel Lounge.

As a family-owned company, MSC Cruises knows how to deliver memorable experiences for the whole family and is renowned for the award-winning family offering. For those guests looking for something more premium and exclusive, the MSC Yacht Club on MSC Grandiosa is currently one the largest of any in the MSC Cruises’ fleet. With its all-inclusive features, the MSC Yacht Club offers all of the facilities of the private club while also enjoying access to the countless recreation and entertainment possibilities the rest of the ship affords.  MSC Grandiosa promises a memorable summer holiday for all. 

MSC Grandiosa is one of the most environmentally advanced ships in the MSC Cruises fleet featuring a state-of-the-art Selective Catalytic Reduction (SCR) and next-generation Advanced Wastewater Treatment (AWT) systems. MSC Grandiosa also received the Biosafe Ship additional class notation assigned by the classification society RINA, a goal-based and voluntary notation that certifies that the ship is equipped with systems, components and has a layout and operational procedures that reduce infection risk.

MSC GRANDIOSA RESUMED SERVICE YESTERDAY AS PLANNED DEPARTING FROM GENOA FOR 7-NIGHT ITINERARIES IN THE WESTERN MEDITERRANEAN.

MSC Cruises' rigorous health and safety protocol makes these voyages one of the safest vacation options thanks to the safe environment on board for guests and crew

Geneva, Switzerland (January 25, 2021) — MSC Grandiosa, MSC Cruises’ flagship, departed last night from the port of Genoa in Italy to resume as planned regular 7-night cruises in the Mediterranean after a short pause of operations during the holiday period. The ship had temporarily suspended sailings as a result of the Italian decree that restricted movement within the country.

MSC Grandiosa first welcomed guests back on board in August 2020 and feedback from the more than 30,000 guests who have sailed so far on board has been extremely positive, so much so that some guests have been choosing to extend their stay on board by one or more weeks. The Company’s health and safety protocol helped to set the standard for the industry, making embarking on a cruise aboard an MSC Cruises ship one of the safest ways to vacation.

The protocol, which is unique in the hospitality industry and has been approved by national authorities in Italy, Greece and Malta, is being used as the basis to inform and support plans to restart cruising in other parts of the world. Prior to embarkation, all guests pass through a series of health checks, including COVID-19 testing for all guests and crew, as part of MSC Cruises comprehensive health and safety protocol, devised by the Company with the support of international experts and approved by the relevant authorities in the countries visited by MSC Cruises ships currently or due to be at sea. The health and safety measures also include a dedicated response plan that can be activated in collaboration with the authorities.

MSC Cruises' health and safety protocol has been designed to respond to the situation ashore even while it evolves and since November last year, some of the measures were enhanced including the introduction of mid-cruise testing for guests and weekly testing for crew as well as further enhanced hygiene and sanitation measures and the. Everyone on board observes social distancing as well as wearing masks in public areas, and the guest technology has been leveraged to facilitate onboard contact tracing. To preserve a safe environment on board the ship, guests only go ashore as part of protected shore excursions so that guests can be protected even while ashore by measures similar to those on board.

The Company's flagship, MSC Grandiosa, launched in November 2019 and offers a wide range of experiences for guests. The iconic Mediterranean-style interior promenade is the social hub of the ship, topped by an LED sky screen that changes scenery at every hour of the day and night. Guests can enjoy a wide range of international dining, including five specialty restaurants and for those looking for a more exclusive experience, the MSC Yacht Club — MSC Cruises’ ship within a ship concept — offers a range of private facilities including a private pool, lounge and restaurant as well as 24-hour a day butler and concierge service.  During their cruise, guests can relax with total peace of mind and safely enjoy a range of different activities, all adapted to meet the current health and safety measures, while still allowing to guests to have a memorable and rich experience.

To find out more about MSC Grandiosa visit here

To find out more about the health and safety measures on board visit here

MSC GRANDIOSA WILL RETURN TO SEA FROM JANUARY 24

• Latest ministerial decree of the Italian government confirms that cruises can return to operation under the protection of their unique health and safety protocol

• Company’s flagship will resume scheduled weekly cruises in the Western Mediterranean, following the forced pause of operations over the holiday season

Geneva, Switzerland (January 18, 2021) – MSC Cruises announced today that MSC Grandiosa will return to sea starting on January 24. 

Following the latest ministerial decree issued by the Italian government and related updated health measures, the Company’s flagship will resume her planned weekly cruises leaving every Sunday from Genoa, Italy and calling the other Italian ports of Civitavecchia, Naples, Palermo as well as Valetta in Malta. Embarkation will be available from each port in Italy.

The latest ministerial decree authorized the resumption of cruise operations under the protection of the unique health and safety protocol that had been developed with and authorized by the Italian health, transport and safety authorities last summer. Since then, MSC Cruises has safely welcomed over 30,000 guests on board its two ships based out of Italy.

During the Christmas and end-of-year festivities through to the issuance of the latest ministerial decree, Italy-based cruise operation were temporarily suspended due to the restrictive measures related to movement within the country set forth by the local authorities. 

For more details on MSC Cruises’ health and safety measures visit: https://www.msccruisesusa.com/health-and-safety.  

MSC Cruises Enriches MSC Magnifica’s Itinerary Ahead of Her Return to Sea, Extends MSC Grandiosa’s Sailings Through Year-end

• MSC Magnifica to perform ten-night voyages across both the West and East Mediterranean, offering guests more destinations to visit from one of MSC Cruises’ most popular vessels

• New embarkation ports also offer improved accessibility for all guests

• Ship to fully implement MSC Cruises’ comprehensive health and safety protocol both on board and when exploring destinations, only through protected ashore visits

Geneva, Switzerland (September 12, 2020) — MSC Cruises today announced that its second ship to return to welcome guests, MSC Magnifica, will have an even richer and longer itinerary when she returns to sea and a new re-start date of October 19, 2020 with a series of seven cruises including an eight-night Christmas cruise departing on December 18 from Genoa, Italy.

Simultaneously, the Company also extended MSC Grandiosa’s current sailings through year-end, including the ship’s Christmas cruise to depart Genoa, Italy on December 20. MSC Grandiosa is offering seven-night cruises with embarkation in the Italian ports of Genoa, Civitavecchia, Naples and Palermo, plus calling at Valletta, Malta.

MSC Magnifica’s new program covers both the West and East Mediterranean and will see the ship homeport in Genoa with calls at Livorno for Florence and Pisa, Messina in Sicily, Valletta in Malta, Piraeus for Athens and Katakolon for Olympia in Greece and Civitavecchia for Rome, before returning to Genoa.

The ten-night itinerary is designed for guests who prefer longer voyages that offer more destinations to visit and more time at sea — thanks to the popularity of protected excursions the cruise line introduced last month under its new health and safety protocol.

The longer sailing is also expected to appeal to guests flying from Schengen countries because of strong pan-European air links to both Rome and Genoa which are, together with Messina, two of the ship’s three embarkation ports. Additionally, ‘proximity cruising’ is proving to be popular with MSC Cruises’ guests who live both in Italy and in neighboring countries.

Longer sailings are also especially appealing to consumers who typically cruise during the fall and winter months, since they may have more time available and are looking for a longer alternative to the seven-night cruises already available on MSC Grandiosa.

Following the completion of her updated itinerary, MSC Magnifica — one of MSC Cruises’ most popular ships — is due to perform MSC Cruises’ trademark World Cruise in 2021, for the second consecutive year.

MSC Magnifica will follow in the footsteps of the successful return to service of MSC Grandiosa, now on her fourth consecutive seven-night cruise in the Western Mediterranean. The MSC Cruises’ flagship resumed sailing in August following the approval of national and local authorities in Italy, Greece and Malta of the Company’s new health and safety operating protocol, which is designed to protect guests, crew and the communities that the ship calls.

MSC Cruises’ new protocol, which will see its application also for the benefit of MSC Magnifica guests and crew, includes universal screening of everyone before they can board a ship, elevated sanitation and cleaning measures throughout the vessel, managed social distancing, wearing of face masks in public areas and technology to aid track and trace on board. The protocol’s robust and rigorous standards towards health and safety are similarly applied for all excursions ashore where guests are contained in a ‘social bubble’ to protect their wellbeing and the communities being visited.

Feedback from the thousands of guests who have so far sailed on MSC Grandiosa has been extremely positive, with many calling their experience one of the safest vacation options available as well as praising MSC Cruises’ willingness to go above and beyond the guidelines set forth by national as well as regional authorities.

As a result of the ship’s enriched schedule announced today, MSC Magnifica’s four proposed seven-night cruises from Bari, Italy between September 26 to October 24, 2020 have been cancelled.

In the U.S., MSC Cruises will only restart operations when the time is right, following approval by the CDC and other relevant authorities across the region in observance of their requirements and guidelines.

MSC CRUISES WELCOMES BACK FIRST GUESTS ON MSC GRANDIOSA

MSC Cruises’ flagship departed yesterday from Genoa, Italy for its first 7-night cruise in the West Mediterranean

MSC Cruises’ own and comprehensive health and safety protocol implemented for all guests and crew

Geneva, Switzerland (August 17, 2020) — MSC Grandiosa yesterday became the first ship from the MSC Cruises’ fleet to welcome guests back and the first ship to implement the Company’s health and safety protocol. The first guests began embarking MSC Cruises’ flagship in the port of Genoa, Italy yesterday morning, arriving at the cruise terminal according to their allocated time slots and followed the new universal screening procedures according to the Company’s own health and safety protocol, which includes a temperature check, medical review of a health questionnaire and an antigen COVID-19 swab test for every guest prior to boarding. After completing these steps and having received the results of the test while in the terminal, guests that were fit to travel then embarked the ship according to the new health and safety procedures, which includes sanitation of both hand and hold luggage.

All guests were given a complimentary MSC for Me wristband, which provides guests with contactless options while on board such as opening their staterooms or making payments. These wristbands will also help to facilitate proximity and contact tracing, if needed. Additionally, over the past several weeks, all crew members have gone through similarly stringent health screening measures, which included 3 COVID-19 tests in various phases as well as a period of isolation before commencing their duties. Each crew member will then be regularly tested and their health monitored.

Gianni Onorato, MSC Cruises’ CEO commented, “It is a real pleasure for me to be here and sail on board the first of our ships to return to service and to be able to welcome back our guests. Our main goal during these last months has been to put in place the right measures that will protect the health and safety of our guests, crew and the communities we visit. But at the same time, we have worked to ensure that we are able to provide our guests with a cruise holiday that they can enjoy and still experience all of the elements that they know and love from entertainment and activities on board through to protected ashore visits.”

Following the embarkation of the new guests today in Civitavecchia, more guests will also embark in the ports of Naples and Palermo. The ship will then call at Valetta in Malta before returning to Genoa on Sunday. Along the ship’s itinerary, guests will be able to go ashore to enjoy the different ports of call, but only as part of an MSC Cruises shore excursion as an added level of protection, so that their experience ashore follows the same high standards of health and safety as on board. Today, some of the guests will visit Rome — taking in all the attractions of the “Eternal City” — while traveling on sanitized transfers with social distancing in place, accompanied by tour guides and drivers who are also adhering to strict health and safety measures.

For this initial phase of the restart of operations, the two MSC Cruises’ ships operating in the Mediterranean — the second being MSC Magnifica in the East Mediterranean — for the current summer season will initially only welcome guests who are residents in Schengen countries[2]. In the U.S., MSC Cruises will only restart operations when the time is right, following approval by the CDC and other relevant authorities across the region in observance of their requirements and guidelines.

For more information about MSC Grandiosa as well as the new health and safety measures in place visit here.

About MSC Grandiosa

The Company’s new flagship, MSC Grandiosa launched in November 2019 and is the first Meraviglia-plus generation ship, offering a richness of guest experiences. This includes an iconic Mediterranean-style promenade with LED sky screen, a wide choice of international dining options including five specialty restaurants and an enhanced MSC Yacht Club. MSC Grandiosa is the second MSC Cruises’ ship to feature ZOE, the world’s first virtual cruise personal assistant and new updates to the innovative MSC for Me digital innovation program. Cirque du Soleil at Sea will be temporarily suspended on board MSC Grandiosa for the short-term, due to the challenging travel restrictions for the international artists who perform in the shows. Live music performances will be offered in the stunning Carousel Lounge at the aft of the ship, including a theatrically staged concert, The Beatles – A Musical Celebration and Who’s Who A 60’s Musical Celebration.

The Key Pillars of the Health and Safety Protocol

• Universal health screening of guests prior to embarkation that comprises three comprehensive steps: a temperature check, a health questionnaire and a COVID-19 swab test. Depending on the screening results and according to the guest’s medical or travel history, a secondary health screening or testing will take place. Any guest who tests positive, displays symptoms or a temperature will be denied boarding. Following guidelines from the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control, guests traveling from countries categorized as high risk will be required to take a molecular RT-PCR test, to be done within 72 hours prior to joining the ship. All crew members will be tested for COVID-19 prior to embarkation as well as regularly during their contract.

• Elevated sanitation and cleaning measures supported by the introduction of new cleaning methods and the use of hospital-grade disinfectant products.

• Social distancing will be enabled through the reduction of the overall capacity of guests on board, allowing for more space for guests, approx. 10 m² (about 108 sq. ft.) per person based on 70% overall capacity. Venue capacity will be reduced, activities will be modified to allow for smaller groups and guests should pre-book services and activities to manage guest numbers. When social distancing is not possible, guests will be asked to wear a face mask, for instance in the elevators. The face masks will be provided daily to guests in their staterooms and will be available around the ship.

• Enhanced medical facilities and services with highly qualified staff trained, the necessary equipment to test, evaluate and treat suspected COVID-19 patients and the availability of free treatment at the onboard Medical Center for any guest with symptoms. Dedicated isolation staterooms will be available to enable isolation of any suspected cases and close contacts.

• Ongoing health monitoring will be conducted throughout the cruise. Guests and crew will have their temperature checked daily either when they return from ashore or at dedicated stations around the ship to monitor the health status of every guest and crew member. During this initial phase of operations, as a further enhanced measure of protection and to avoid risks to the health of guests and their fellow cruisers, guests will only go ashore as part of an organized MSC Cruises’ excursion. This means that MSC Cruises can protect their health while ashore with excursions that will be delivered with the same high standards of health and safety on board. MSC Cruises will ensure that transfers are properly sanitized and that there is adequate space. Tour guides and drivers will also undergo health screening and will wear appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE).

• A contingency response plan will be activated if a suspected case is identified, in close cooperation with the national health authorities. The suspected case and close contacts will follow isolation measures and may be disembarked according to local and national regulations.

MSC Cruises Returns to Service in the Mediterranean Offering Full-experience Cruising This Summer

Flagship MSC Grandiosa to welcome back guests in the West Mediterranean from August 16 and MSC Magnifica in the East Mediterranean from August 29

Return to operations supported by introduction of comprehensive health and safety protocol approved by relevant national authorities along the two ships’ itineraries

MSC Cruises to go beyond guidelines with enhanced measures including universal testing for all guests and crew as well as safe ashore visits at each port

Geneva, Switzerland (August 8, 2020) – MSC Cruises announced today that flagship MSC Grandiosa and MSC Magnifica will resume operations in the Mediterranean starting from August 16 and 29, 2020 respectively, offering guests full-experience cruise vacations with the opportunity to discover five different destinations during a seven-night cruise. The two ships will be the first to implement a new comprehensive health and safety protocol that has been approved by the relevant national authorities from the countries that the ships will call along their East and West Mediterranean itineraries this summer.

Pierfrancesco Vago, MSC Cruises’ Executive Chairman commented, “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.”

Pierfrancesco Vago continued, “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 an 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 vacation.”

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 and calling at the Greek ports of Corfu, Katakolon and Piraeus.

Gianni Onorato, MSC Cruises’ CEO commented, “We are very pleased to be able to start welcoming back guests for full-experience cruise vacations 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.”

MSC Cruises’ new operating protocol has been designed to protect the health and safety of guests and crew as well as the local communities that the Company’s ships visit. For this reason, it meets and goes beyond guidelines provided by key international and regional regulatory and technical bodies, as well as regulations set forth by the governments in the countries in which MSC Cruises’ ships operate. Additionally, RINA, the independent maritime certification corporation, has verified that the protocol meets the European Maritime Safety Agency (EMSA) Guidance, which incorporates additional health standards including those from the EU Healthy Gateways Joint Action. MSC Cruises has worked to encompass every aspect of the guest’s journey from the moment of booking, embarkation and life on board through to disembarkation and the return home, while preserving the uniqueness of the guest experience.

For this initial phase of the restart of operations, the two MSC Cruises’ ships operating in the Mediterranean for the current summer season will initially only welcome guests who are residents in Schengen countries[1]. Additionally, their itineraries have been designed according to the accessibility of the ports, reducing — where possible — the need for guests to use public transport or flights, and have been planned in conjunction with the authorities.

MSC Cruises has today cancelled all other cruises in the Mediterranean from August 16 through to and including October 31, 2020. In addition, MSC Cruises announced the cancellation of all U.S. cruise departures through to and including October 31, 2020, in line with the announcement that CLIA members will voluntarily extend the suspension of cruise operations to this date. CLIA stated that “This proactive action further demonstrates the cruise industry’s commitment to public health and willingness to voluntarily suspend operations in the interest of public health and safety, as has occurred twice prior.” MSC Cruises will only restart operations in the U.S. when the time is right, following approval by the CDC and other relevant authorities across the region in observance of their requirements and guidelines.

Finally, MSC Cruises also cancelled the Far East cruises from September 10 through to and including October 26.

Guests booked through MSC Cruises USA or affiliated US-based travel advisors on Mediterranean sailings between August 16 and October 31, Caribbean sailings between October 1 and October 31 and impacted Far East cruises through October 26, will receive a 125% Future Cruise Credit of the original cruise fare to be used on a sailing on or before December 31, 2021. Guests who prefer to receive a refund instead of a Future Cruise Credit can visit MSCCruises.com for more information on how to complete their request with an easy to use online form.

Beyond the summer itineraries announced today, MSC Cruises is following the evolution of the pandemic and a gradual introduction of other ships coming into service is possible during this same summer period.

Today’s announcement follows the confirmation of full details of MSC Cruises’ programs between November this year and November 2021, covering the Fall and Winter 2020/2021 and the Spring, Summer and Fall 2021 seasons. Ships will offer guests itineraries across all the regions traditionally served by MSC Cruises in the Caribbean, Mediterranean, the Gulf, South Africa, South America and Asia.

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 to make sure that its measures reflect the most updated medical know-how and technology as it becomes available as well as 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 utmost priority. At the same time, we will always make sure that our guests can enjoy and relax while on vacation on board one of MSC Cruises ships, the way they always have – now including this summer.”

About MSC Grandiosa

The Company’s new flagship, MSC Grandiosa, launched in November 2019. She is the first Meraviglia-plus generation ship and offers a richness of guest experiences, an iconic Mediterranean-style promenade with LED sky screen, a wide choice of international dining options including five specialty restaurants and an enhanced MSC Yacht Club. MSC Grandiosa is the second MSC Cruises’ ship to feature ZOE, the world’s first virtual cruise personal assistant and new updates to the innovative MSC for Me digital innovation program. Cirque du Soleil at Sea will be temporarily suspended on board MSC Grandiosa for the short-term, due to the challenging travel restrictions for the international artists who perform in the shows. Live music performances will be offered in the stunning Carousel Lounge at the aft of the ship, including a theatrically staged concert - The Beatles – A Musical Celebration and Who’s Who A 60’s Musical Celebration.

About MSC Magnifica

MSC Magnifica will enable guests to travel in true comfort and style. The ship boasts masterful design and relaxed refinement, with all of the features that distinguish any MSC Cruises ship, including one of the highest ratios of balcony staterooms in the fleet, extended dining areas with four restaurants and 11 bars, modern and comfortable accommodations as well as a wide range of entertainment and leisure activities. Key features include a swimming pool with magrodome, a spectacular theater, full-scale casino, panoramic discotheque, 4D cinema and much more. On board, guests feel the attention to detail in service and design that is a trademark for MSC Cruises.