Discover in protected excursions: To go ashore during your cruise, we highly recommend you to participate in one of our MSC Shore Excursions to ensure the same high standards of health and safety ashore as on board. Not all destinations allow independent disembarkation and it may depend on the traveller’s vaccination status.

Some excursions will require the EU digital COVID certificate (Green pass) or, from extra Schengen countries travelers, the equivalent Covid certificate.

More information on the FAQ section.

 

Before booking your cruise, please check HERE if you are allowed to embark according to your country of residence. Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, there might be international travel restrictions depending on your cruise destination and your country of residence.

In addition, travel requirements might be different according to your cruise destination. Please select your destination below:

Mediterranean
Dubai, Abu Dhabi & Qatar
Caribbean
Northern Europe
MSC Grand Voyages & MSC World Cruise

Guests with bookings that have not met any of the requirements of the MSC Health and Safety Protocol (e.g missing vaccination) and therefore are prevented from boarding are asked to send a written communication to MSC Cruises not later than 15 days before the scheduled departure of their cruise, or 21 days for a fly & cruise, in order to request their voucher or reschedule their cruise according to the MSC Flexible Booking Programme.

Our guests who have booked directly with MSC can call our contact centre on 0203 426 3010, while guests who have booked via a travel agency are kindly invited to refer to their travel agent.

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. All guests will be fully protected by the required Covid-19 Protection insurance.

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 vaccination certificate (must be valid for the whole duration of the cruise), negative Covid test certificates and health questionnaires. As per our stringent MSC Health & Safety protocol, all guests both vaccinated and unvaccinated, will need to undergo Health and COVID-19 screenings including but not limited to a health questionnaire and a contactless temperature check at the terminal before boarding. 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. All guests will be fully protected by the required Covid-19 Protection insurance.

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 all sailings in the upcoming months, guests may need to undergo an additional swab test during the cruise whilst on board, on top of the existing pre-boarding COVID-19 testing. When required, the test is mandatory.

 

Guests will be reminded of social distancing guidelines at the time of booking and during their cruise through signage, public announcements, in-cabin TV and staff engagement.

 

The wearing of face masks is highly recommended. In certain circumstances this recommendation might be due to a mandatory requirement in accordance with applicable health authorities regulations of a country or port of call visited. When ashore, guests must also follow any local regulations regarding face mask usage. These protocols are subject to change. 

 

 

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

Yes, Self-Service Buffet will be available as usual.

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, we will limit the capacity of each 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 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

The wearing of face masks is highly recommended. In certain circumstances this recommendation might be due to a mandatory requirement in accordance with applicable health authorities regulations of a country or port of call visited.

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! 

*Due to the increased Health & Safety measures in order to grant a safe cruise for all our guests, all Thermal Area experiences are by appointment only. 

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. 

Guests will be able to go ashore independently according to local requirements which are continually monitored and subject to change. Guests who are travelling with unvaccinated children are also able to go ashore independently (from April 1, 2022). For the best ashore experience, we recommend all guests explore destinations with the comfort, convenience, and safety of an MSC Cruises Shore Excursion, bookable pre-cruise and on board.