MSC Cruises resuming U.S. operations in August

MSC Cruises will restart cruising from U.S. ports, beginning in August, on two ships from Florida.

The line will not mandate that passengers have a Covid-19 vaccination, but MSC encourages it. Those who are not vaccinated will be subject to requirements such as additional testing as well as restrictions to be announced at a later date.

“With our vast experience cruising in Europe since August 2020 along with our industry-leading health and safety protocol, our guests can book with confidence knowing we are well prepared for a successful restart in the U.S.,” Rubén Rodriguez, president of MSC Cruises USA, said in a statement. “To ensure the safest experience for our guests, we previously announced a fleet-wide vaccination program for all crew … and we expect that the majority of our guests booking a cruise this summer will plan to be vaccinated prior to sail. The rapid distribution of vaccines in the U.S. has been a positive step toward helping vacationers get back to traveling, and we encourage our guests to take advantage of this added layer of protection when resuming travel this summer.”

MSC said the MSC Meraviglia will restart on Aug. 2 with three- and four-night cruises from Miami to the Bahamas and MSC’s private island destination, Ocean Cay MSC Marine Reserve. It will add seven-day cruises on September 18. The MSC Divina will launch three-, four- and seven-day cruises from Port Canaveral on Sept. 16 to the Bahamas and Caribbean, also including Ocean Cay. The CDC approved the MSC Meraviglia’s simulated sailing from PortMiami on July 17.

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