TRAVEL REQUIREMENTS FOR CRUISES TO Egypt, Red Sea & Saudi Arabia

Guests must comply with the MSC travel requirements and their country’s official travel requirements before departure. MSC Cruises has worked with the authorities in all the regions and countries where the ships operate to ensure its protocol meets and exceeds the required health and safety measures.  Requirements are subject to destination regulations.

VACCINE REQUIREMENTS:


  • All guests are strongly encouraged but not required to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19.
  • All guests are no longer required to show proof of vaccination or testing results at embarkation.

 

COVID-19 TEST REQUIREMENTS:

  • All guests are no longer required to show proof of vaccination or testing results at embarkation.
  • All guests arriving or in transit from China or Hong Kong, are requested to submit a negative Antigen/PCR test result performed within 48 hours before departure, in compliance with the regulation of landing country.
  • All crew members are required to be fully vaccinated and are regularly tested according to MSC Cruises' health and safety protocols.

 

TRAVEL INSURANCE REQUIREMENTS:

For all new reservations, beginning July 1, 2022, MSC Cruises strongly encourages but does not require guests to purchase travel insurance with COVID-19 protection either through MSC Cruises or another provider. Guests can purchase travel insurance within 24 hours of making their final payment.

During your cruise, you may be exposed to specific COVID-19 risks that may not be covered by existing insurance policies without COVID-19 protection such as cancellation, interruption, repatriation expenses, quarantine, medical assistance, and related expenses, as well as hospitalization.  If you have no insurance in place, you may be exposed to additional costs that may not be covered by the company.

The insurance should be purchased to cover you and your traveling party from the confirmation date of your booking through the end of your cruise, or your cruise and flight.

OTHER TRAVEL REQUIREMENTS:

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, there might be international travel restrictions depending on your cruise destination and your country of residence.  

To verify all the required documents, passports, and visas for your cruise, please click here.  

Please click here  to check the requirements for MSC Grand Voyages cruises.


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

Guests’ passports must be valid for a minimum of 6 months at the time of travel. A transit e- Visa is requested to enter the country by paying a fee. We are currently working with local authorities to eliminate or reduce such costs. A transit e-Visa request can be submitted only a few days before the day of call. More information will follow as soon as possible.

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

In addition, a PASSENGER LOCATOR FORM (PLF) may still be necessary for national or international mobility requirements: it’s every guest’s responsibility to verify this requirement before departure. For more information, it is recommended to check your country’s official requirements.