The cruise line’s health-and-safety measures, flexible booking policy and full experience ashore are confirmed for all cruises through summer 2022, writes Shauna McCrudden
MSC Cruises recently launched its summer 2022 campaign under the ‘Cruise with Confidence’ programme. This confirms its industry-leading health-and-safety protocol, clear and flexible booking policy, robust vaccination and testing requirements, and return to independent ashore exploration will apply to all sailings through summer 2022.
The company, which has safely welcomed over one million guests onboard its ships during all phases of the pandemic, will ensure all existing and new bookings for all sailings through to the end of the next summer season will be covered by the ‘Cruise with Confidence’ promise.
Gianni Onorato, CEO, MSC Cruises, said, “We were able to lead the restart of our industry in August last year, thanks to a comprehensive and flexible health-and-safety protocol that was designed to adapt to the evolution of the pandemic ashore and has since set the standard across the travel and hospitality sector. With this, we were able to continue to offer the highest level of protection to our guests, crew and communities where our ships call to responsibly and safely welcome over one million guests for their holiday at sea.
“With the pandemic continuing to evolve, we understand the importance of having clear information to reassure our guests that they can book a cruise with confidence and with the flexibility to give them total peace of mind. We are thus extending our successful ‘Cruise with Confidence’ guarantee to all cruises through summer 2022 to continue to offer booked and new guests a safe, flexible and enjoyable holiday option.”
Covering all ships and itineraries, guests can choose an MSC Cruises holiday at sea – safe in the knowledge that their health, booking security and enjoyment are being taken care of.
From winter sun in the Caribbean to stunning Mediterranean cruises with the whole family next summer, guests can book and ‘Cruise with Confidence’ thanks to the following elements:
· All guests and crew vaccinated and tested
All guests aged 12* and above are required to be fully vaccinated, on top of this, all guests aged two and above are required to submit a negative test prior to boarding. All ship crew are also fully vaccinated, regularly tested and follow strict health and safety policies.
· Booking flexibility free-of-charge
All cruises can be rescheduled free of charge up to 15** days prior to sailing, for any reason.
· Peace of mind thanks to Covid protection plan
All guests and their bookings are fully protected by the required Covid-19 protection insurance, covering events such as testing positive before boarding, or at any point during your holiday. And at the end of the cruise, it will be easy to meet any return testing obligations via easily arranged antigen or RT-PCR testing either onboard or in the terminal.
· A full experience to make the cruise safe & enjoyable
Guests are free to disembark and independently explore ports of call wherever local regulations allow it. MSC Cruises has worked in partnership with authorities in all the regions and countries in which the ships operate to ensure its protocol meets, exceeds and adapts to the required regional and national health and safety measures.
In addition to these, the company continues to monitor and adapt its industry-leading health and safety protocol that was developed last year by the Blue Ribbon Covid Expert Group – made up of highly qualified and internationally respected experts who together helped inform MSC Cruises’ operating protocol to protect the health and safety of guests and crew during every aspect of the guest’s journey, while maintaining the Company’s unique guest experience.
Gianni Onorato adds, “Reinforced with the required Covid-19 protection plan, this insurance gives guests extra security before and during the cruise. We also see the return of a full experience ashore with the reintroduction of independent shore excursions where local regulations allow this. There really has been no better time to book a cruise vacation.”
To find out more about MSC Cruises itineraries, visit here.
For more information on MSC Cruises’ health and safety protocol and embarkation requirements, visit here.
For flexible booking options, visit here.
*For Red Sea cruises, guests aged 8 years or older need to be fully vaccinated with a vaccine recognised by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. See the website for more details
**21 days for Fly&Cruise bookings
Shauna McCrudden
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