MSC Cruises to temporarily pause cruise operation in the Mediterranean
Extensive restrictions across Italy make it effectively impossible for local and international guests to travel to and from any local embarkation ports
MSC Cruises will temporarily pause the operation of MSC Grandiosa later this month and move to January the planned restart of MSC Magnifica as a result of new travel measures introduced by the Italian government for the Christmas and New Year period.
The new rules include extensive restrictions to people’s mobility across the entire country that will severely impact the ability of future guests - Italian residents, plus those from overseas - to reach any of the ships’ embarkation ports in Italy.
The Italian government has said it will completely tighten the movement of its residents between regions, cities and towns in its efforts to combat the pandemic ashore between 21 December, 2020 and 6 January, 2021, which will also restrict the ability of holidaymakers from abroad to travel to, through and from Italy.
This has caused the cancellation of three future planned voyages of MSC Grandiosa and three sailings of MSC Magnifica.
MSC Grandiosa will temporarily pause her current programme of 7-night voyage sailings on 20 December in Genoa, Italy and will resume her Western Mediterranean cruises on 10 January, 2021, also from Genoa.
MSC Magnifica, which was due to re-start 10-night voyages in the West and East Mediterranean on 18 December from Genoa, will now commence its sailing programme on 15 January, 2021 following the cancellation of three previous sailings.
MSC Cruises in January 2021 will welcome back guests on board MSC Grandiosa and MSC Magnifica under the protection of its comprehensive health and safety protocol which during the last four months – when the pandemic ashore was at its most recent peak – proved to be effective for the protection of guests, crew as well as the communities its ships visit.
Costa also cancels Christmas and New Year cruises. Costa cruises will resume with Costa Smeralda on January 7, 2021 with the one-week itinerary of the flagship of the Costa fleet, dedicated exclusively to Italy, that can be divided into two short cruises of three and four days departing from Civitavecchia. The four-day mini-cruise is directed to Central and Southern Italy, with stopovers in Naples, Messina and Cagliari. The three-day cruise instead sails towards Central and Northern Italy, and includes visits to Civitavecchia, La Spezia and Savona.
