Please note we will deny boarding in case of symptoms such as fever (>37,5 C C / 99.5 F), cough, shortness of breath, chills, muscle/body aches, fatigue, headache, sore throat and loss of taste/smell in the 14 days prior to embarkation or potential exposure to a suspected or confirmed case of COVID 19 in the 14 days prior to embarkation.

For MSC Virtuosa’ sailings around the British Isles from 24th July onwards, updated policies apply: Guests will be considered “fully vaccinated” 14 days after receiving a full course of an approved COVID-19 vaccine. Guests who are fully vaccinated will be required to present evidence of this status prior to embarkation (i.e. NHS app, vaccination certificate or card). Failure to present evidence will result in refusal of embarkation.

All guests who are not fully vaccinated, specifically those who are under 18 years of age, who are medically exempt in relation to vaccination, who have not yet received their second vaccine dose, or who will be less than 14 days since their second dose at the time of departure of the cruise, will need to have taken a PCR (molecular) or antigen (lateral flow) test within the last 72 hours prior to arrival at the terminal for embarkation. Proof of a negative test result will be requested at the terminal and we will accept evidence such as an email, SMS or a printed document. The test is not required for fully-vaccinated (any proof of vaccination needed) or under 2 years old guests.

However, as per our stringent MSC Health & Safety protocol, all guests both vaccinated and unvaccinated, will need to undergo some Health and COVID 19 screenings including a COVID 19 swab test, a health questionnaire and a contactless temperature check, before boarding the ship.

For non-domestic cruises, we will welcome only passengers from Schengen countries (see next question for more information). Please note that all Guests will need to follow one of these requirements:

 

• Undergo a molecular or antigen test within 48 hours prior to the ship’s departure (not required for passengers under 2 years old)

• Be fully vaccinated (i.e full set of vaccine shots received more than 14 days before the start of the cruise, vaccines accepted: Pfizer, Moderna, AstraZeneca, Johnson & Johnson)

• Have recovered from COVID-19 within the last 6 months.

A COVID-19 test or Passenger locator form (PLF) may still be necessary for national or international mobility requirement: it’s every guest’s responsibility to verify this requirement before departure. In addition, a Passenger Locator Form needs as well to be filled in before entering in Italy (more information here).

The original test results, vaccination or recovery certificate must be presented at the terminal (paper or electronic format and must be in English, Italian, German, French or Spanish) in order to embark on the ship. The test certificate must contain: guest’s personal data (verifiable with the other travel documents), date of the test, identification / contact details of the centre that performed the analysis, technique used and negative test result.

The current advice from the World Health Organization, EU Healthy Gateways and other authorities is that COVID-19 is often more severe in people who are older or who have health conditions like lung or heart disease, diabetes or conditions that affect their immune system. Older guests or those with such conditions are advised to consult with a doctor or their local health authorities for guidance before travelling to assess whether they should be travelling at this time. According to the EU Healthy Gateways advisory, anyone over 65 years of age is considered part of a higher risk group.

For MSC Virtuosa’ sailings around the British Isles in the upcoming months, we will initially only welcome guests who are residents in the United Kingdom.

For cruises non-domestic cruises, we will welcome guests who are residents in the 26 European ‘Schengen’ countries (Austria, Belgium, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden and Switzerland) and Bulgaria, Romania, Cyprus and Croatia.

Non-Schengen residents (except for Romania, Bulgaria, Croatia) are currently not allowed to sail because of international and national travel restrictions in the Mediterranean and Northern Europe. This is applicable to cruises till end of July 2021. Any update will be shared in due time before their cruise. Our guests are kindly invited to regularly check the list for the latest updates. 

It is mandatory for all UK guests to be in possession of Covid-19 travel insurance prior to their holiday.

 

During the holiday that you have booked with us, you may be exposed to specific COVID-19 risks that may not be currently covered by your existing insurance policies. Should you need COVID-19 insurance cover, our travel insurance partner may be able to help you.

If a guest presents symptoms of illness such as temperature higher than 37.5°C / 99.5°F or there are concerns with their health questionnaire, they will undertake a secondary screening, including in-depth interview, a second temperature measurement, a medical examination and, if necessary, a laboratory examination.

If a guest is then not considered fit to travel, they will be assisted in their next steps of a return home or will be potentially being treated in a local medical facility to ensure maximum support and care.

We are extending our enhanced health and hygiene measures to all MSC transfers, including:

- Cleaning and sanitisation of all vehicles before any new group of guests

- Availability of hand sanitisation stations and disinfectant mats for footwear

- Appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE) for all drivers

- Reduced number of guests with selected seats empty to ensure social distancing

According to our enhanced cleaning and sanitation protocols, every guest cabin will be thoroughly cleaned on a daily basis, with special attention to 40 frequently-touched areas, such as door handles, power switches, control panels, remote controls, desks and bathroom surfaces.

Every cabin will be deep cleaned at the end of each cruise before the next guests arrive for their holiday.

All public areas and public restrooms will be deep cleaned and sprayed with disinfectant each night, as well as regularly sanitised throughout the day.  For example, public toilets will be cleaned every 20 minutes, and all cleaning staff will wear appropriate PPE.

Before the cruise, the collection of contact details for each guest is mandatory in case of important updates. Proceeding to the web check-in allow guests to receive cruise tickets, travel documentation and mandatory health questionnaires. On the embarkation day, guests should arrive at the time indicated on the cruise ticket to facilitate responsible social distancing, with travel documentation and health questionnaires. All guests (as of 2 years old) will undertake a COVID-19 health screening and a swab test. A newly designed processes for embarkation has been implemented to manage the guest flow, to limit lines and contacts. Before the cruise, MSC Cruises invites all guests to download for free the MSC for Me app to start booking additional services, to secure space and to ensure a seamless onboard experience. 

The preventative health and safety steps in the protocol are designed to mitigate the risk of COVID-19 transmission on board. In the event that someone should fall sick, we have a fully equipped onboard 24/7 Medical Centre with highly qualified medical staff who are fully trained for COVID-19 treatment and who are supported by a 24/7 ashore medical team. 

In case of flu-like symptoms, guests should notify immediately the Medical Centre and free treatment will be provided. If the onboard medical team determines a suspected COVID-19 case, a comprehensive isolation procedure and response plan will be activated in close cooperation with the health authorities.

Yes. As part of our comprehensive and enhanced health and safety protocol, we have a contingency response plan in place with all the relevant authorities in the ports where the ships will call. 

We have COVID-19 testing equipment on board for Real Time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and antigen swab testing.

All MSC Cruises’ ships are equipped with state-of-the-art medical services and an increased number of qualified medical staff onboard, supported by dedicated 24/7 ashore Medical Team. We continuously monitor the health of our guests and crew with contactless temperature checks during the cruise; in case of flu-like symptoms, guests should immediately notify the Medical Centre and free treatment will be provided.

For sailings in the upcoming months, all guests will undergo an additional swab test during the cruise whilst on board, on top of the existing pre-boarding COVID-19 testing. The test is mandatory.

 

Face masks will be available throughout the cruise. We also advise all guests to wear a face mask when travelling to and from the port and in the terminal, in compliance with local regulations.

 

 

Face masks do not need to be worn by our guests when seated in the restaurants, but only when entering the venue.

At the buffet the food will be plated and served by our crew.

Our bars will be open and ready to serve our guests with their favourite cocktail or aperitif. To ensure we comply with the current social distancing recommendations, our staff will deliver drinks at the table and we will limit the capacity of each venue. Face masks do not need to be worn by our guests when seated in bars and lounges, but only when entering the venue.

You can save time by personalising your cruise even before getting onboard. Through your Personal Area you can easily add drink packages or dining experiences to your cruise and take advantage of our pre-boarding rates. 

For a contactless experience, guests will access restaurant and bar menus from their personal mobile device by scanning a QR code whilst on board. Before the cruise, MSC Cruises invites all guests to download for free the MSC for Me app to browse all the onboard restaurants, bars and lounges and to ensure a seamless onboard experience like making restaurant reservations.

Guests will be required to wear a face mask when in the theatre. Guests will enjoy our onboard award-winning entertainment but with a few changes:

- We are reducing the capacity of the theatre to allow for empty seats between guests
- The entertainment programme will be extended so that all guests can enjoy our award-winning shows
- Shows and activities will be pre-booked to manage the number of participants
- Guests will be required to wear a face mask when in the theatre

All MSC Aurea Spa and Fitness facilities and services will be available* with enhanced health and sanitation measures, extended opening hours and reduced capacity in public spaces. Onboard services are subject to changes based on local regulations or other restrictions, in the context of the COVID-19 situation. For their health and comfort, guests will pre-book spa treatments, fitness sessions and thermal area visits by phone.

Fitness machines and equipment, spa areas and treatment rooms will be thoroughly sanitised after each use as well as deep-cleaned and disinfected every night.

All Spa staff have been trained on rigorous health and sanitation measures and will wear appropriate protective equipment. 

Book now your Spa Packages! 

 

*Depending on ship-class, the following experiences will be closed until further notice: Saunas, Steam Rooms, Heat Baths Whirlpools, Ice & Snow Experiences. Salt Relax Room, Harmonic Relax Rooms, Experience Showers, Heated Loungers will remain open to our guests.

The casino remains fully functional under the new protocol with added sanitation and social distancing measures in place, including frequent sanitising of chips, replacing playing cards on a regular basis and a reduced number of seats at gaming tables. 

If you wish to go ashore during your cruise, you can only do so by participating in one of our MSC Shore Excursions to ensure the same high standards of health and safety ashore as on board.