MSC Magnifica to perform ten-night voyages across both the West and East Mediterranean, writes Shauna McCrudden
MSC Grandiosa & MSC Magnifica
Some good news for sailing and for those of us who love cruises! MSC Cruises has announced that its second ship to return to welcome guests, MSC Magnifica, will have an even longer itinerary when she returns to sea on 19th October with a series of seven cruises. This includes an eight-night Christmas cruise departing on 18th December from Genoa, Italy.
MSC Magnifica’s new programme 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.
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 communities that the ship calls.
MSC Cruises’ new protocol, which will see its application on the MSC Magnifica, includes a universal screening of everyone before they can board a ship, elevated sanitation and cleaning measures throughout the vessel. There’s also managed social distancing, wearing of face masks in public areas and technology to aid track and trace on board. The protocol’s 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.
As a result of the ship’s enriched schedule, MSC Magnifica’s four proposed seven-night cruises from Bari, Italy between 26th September to 24th October has been cancelled. Guests affected by the cancelled cruises will either be re-protected onto another cruise – in particular on MSC Grandiosa, which is currently sailing in the West Mediterranean – or will receive a future cruise credit where they have the opportunity to transfer the full amount paid for their cancelled cruise to a future voyage of their choice – on any ship, for any itinerary – until the end of 2021.
In other good news, MSC Grandiosa’s current sailings have also been extended through to the end of the year, including the ship’s Christmas cruise to depart from Genoa, Italy on 20th December. MSC Grandiosa is offering seven-night cruises with embarkation in the Italian ports of Genoa, Civitavecchia, Naples and Palermo, plus a calling at Valletta, Malta.
For more information, visit msccruises.ie
Shauna McCrudden
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