UPDATE:  3 March 2020

 

 

We have today updated our precautionary health measures for all guests and all crew who are due to travel on any of our cruises.
 
The enhanced changes are to ensure the health and well-being of everyone on board every one of our ships.
 
These are additional measures to the ones we introduced on 24 January in light of the COVID-19 (coronavirus) outbreak that originated in China.
 
We want to reassure you that everyone’s health and safety on our ships is our top priority and we can confirm there have been no cases of coronavirus on board any of our ships. 

  

Guests embarking on a cruise are requested to take the following into account:
 
Rigorous pre-embarkation screening:
 

• MSC Cruises has conducted and continues to conduct pre-boarding screening by thermal cameras to exclude persons who may be at risk, and passengers with signs or symptoms of illness such as fever (≥38 C°/100.4 F°) or feverishness, chills, cough or difficulty breathing will be denied embarkation. The same rules apply to their travel companions and will also result in a denial of boarding;

  

Keeping the ship free from infectious diseases:
 

• Throughout the cruise, at ports of call, guests and crew embarking and disembarking will be frequently checked by thermal cameras for fever symptoms;

 

• In addition, there has been and will continue to be an elevated deep-sanitation on every ship in our entire fleet. There is increased continuous disinfection of public areas especially frequently touched areas such as handrails, elevator buttons, door handles and reception desks, and people are reminded constantly to thoroughly hand-wash and use alcohol-based hand-sanitizers.

 
We are denying boarding to anyone from high-risk areas:
 

• Anyone who has travelled to, from or through mainland China, Hong Kong or Macau, Iran and South Korea  (or transited via airports) in the past 14 days, or visited, will be denied access to the ship. The same rules apply to such passengers’ travel companions (parent, spouse, child, siblings, or a companion who shares a cabin).

 

• Similarly, anyone who lives in, or has travelled to, from or through any of the following towns in central northern Italy in the past 14 days, or visited, will be denied access: Casalpusterlengo, Codogno, Castiglione d'Adda, Fombio, Maleo, Somaglia, Bertonico, Terranova dei Passerini, Castelgerundo, San Fiorano and Vò. These are the municipalities that are subject to quarantine measures put in place by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. This policy is aligned with CLIA guidelines. 

 

• For guests embarking on MSC Bellissima and MSC Lirica from Dubai only. On top of the restrictions above we are denying boarding also to anyone who lives in, or has travelled to, from or through Japan, Singapore and South Korea. This restriction does not apply if guests have only transited in sterile areas of relevant Singapore, Japan and South Korea airports as coming from other non affected areas; With reference specifically to departure LX 29/02/2020, in respect to the instructions received from the Indian Government, access to the ship will be denied also to guests from all nationalities who have travelled to, from or through Italy, South Korea and Iran since 10th February ;

 

• Anyone who, within 14 days before embarkation, has had close contact with, or helped care for, anyone suspected or diagnosed as having coronavirus, or who is currently subject to health monitoring for possible exposure to novel coronavirus, will be denied boarding;

 
Guests who have any further questions, should not hesitate to contact their Travel Agent or the MSC Cruises contact centre.

 

For more information please download the full screening procedures infographic.

 

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

 

TRAVEL ADVICE UPDATE: 14 February 2020

 

To protect the health and safety of our guests and crew onboard, MSC Cruises has taken a series of precautionary actions since 24 January across its fleet with respect to the novel coronavirus that originated in China. While there are no cases of coronavirus on board any of MSC Cruises’ ships these measures are additional steps to secure the health and well-being of all guests and crew.

 

Guests who are embarking on a cruise are requested to take the following into account:

 

• Anyone who has travelled to, from or through Chinese mainland, Hong Kong or Macau in the past 30 days, or visited or transited via airports, will be denied access to the ship. The same rules apply to such passengers’ travel companions (parent, spouse, child, siblings, or a companion who shares a cabin);

   

• Passengers with signs or symptoms of illness such as fever (≥38 C°/100.4 F°) or feverishness, chills, cough or difficulty breathing will be denied embarkation. The same rules apply to their travel companions;

   

• Anyone who, within 14 days before embarkation, has had close contact with, or helped care for, anyone suspected or diagnosed as having coronavirus, or who is currently subject to health monitoring for possible exposure to novel coronavirus, will be denied boarding;

   

• MSC Cruises will continue to conduct preboarding screening necessary to effectuate these preventative measures;

   

• Passengers with a Chinese passport who have not travelled from or through Chinese mainland, Hong Kong or Macau in the past 30 days, and who are in good health, can access the ship. However, authorities in certain countries are temporarily not allowing holders of a Chinese passport to travel into their territories. At the date of publishing, holders of Chinese passports are not allowed to travel into: Singapore, Malaysian ports and Thailand. Please note this list may change based on future government regulations;

 

Guests who are restricted by any of the above measures are requested to contact their travel agent or the MSC Cruises contact centre number at the top of this page.

 

Since the outbreak of the coronavirus in China, MSC Cruises has been closely monitoring the public health and safety situation in each of the regions its ships sail. The company has been consulting with international and local health authorities to follow their advice and recommendations.

   

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

 

31 JANUARY 2020

 

Dear embarking guest, please note that if you have traveled from or visited Chinese mainland, Hong Kong or Macau over the 30 days prior to your embarkation date, or have fever (≥38 C°/100.4 F°) or symptoms of illness we will unfortunately be unable to allow you on board our ship. This is a precautionary measure that we have taken to protect our guests and crew in connection with the corona virus situation (click here for more information).