As the world continues to face the challenge of the pandemic and with significant travel restrictions in many regions, MSC Cruises today announced that it will extend the suspension of its fleet until July 31, 2020.
Passengers affected by canceled cruises will receive a future cruise voucher, which they can use to transfer the full amount paid for their canceled cruise to a future cruise of their choice – on any ship and any itinerary – until the end of 2021. Passengers can use this voucher from June 21st and change their cruise to a time that suits them best.
In addition, all passengers with bookings between August 1 and October 31, 2020 will be covered by the Book Peace program, which allows passengers to change their cruise to a future date up to December 31, 2021, up to 48 hours before their original cruise departure, or for cruises with flights included, up to 96 hours before the flight departure.
Today, the Swiss-based shipping company has reconfirmed its program for 2021, starting in March 2021, which includes two new ships that are under construction and a number of new and enhanced itineraries and ports.
Gianni Onorato, CEO of MSC Cruises, has confirmed that “while today we have made the difficult decision to further extend the suspension of operations for all our ships, it is important that we also look to the future, as we know our customers are dreaming of traveling and are waiting to plan their holidays for next year. For this reason, we have also reconfirmed our entire program for 2021.”
“In the short term,” Mr. Onorato added, “our ships will return to sailing only when the time is right, in phases and by region, following the guidance of health authorities and other relevant international and local authorities, and with the support of a new operations protocol specifically focused on safety and health, which we will announce soon. In this way, all our ships will gradually return to sailing from then until the beginning of our 2021 summer season.”
Below are the highlights of MSC Cruises' 2021 summer season program, which features the company's current fleet of 17 ships, as well as the two new ships still under construction, MSC Virtuosa and MSC Seashore, bringing the total to 19 ships.
MSC Cruises' 2021 summer program offers passengers variety and flexibility, so whatever a passenger's holiday needs, there are options they can book with peace of mind.
- Cruise durations to suit all tastes: from mini-cruises of 3 or 4 nights, standard cruises of 7 nights and even longer cruises of 9, 11 or 14 nights.
- 19 ships to choose from, where passengers can choose from more traditional and charming ships to more modern ones with plenty of outdoor space.
- An unparalleled number of embarkation ports where passengers can find the one that is most convenient and easiest to connect with their chosen means of transport to reach it.
In addition to a wide variety of destinations, MSC Cruises ships offer an exceptional onboard experience with award-winning family entertainment, world-class amenities, and outstanding international dining experiences aboard modern ships. They also feature spacious and comfortable cabins, numerous public areas, and cutting-edge technology. And let's not forget the exclusive MSC Yacht Club on the Fantasia, Meraviglia, and Seaside classes, for passengers seeking even more personalized service and private areas.
The iconic Seaside-class ships will be the stars of the Western Mediterranean
MSC Cruises' three innovative and award-winning Seaside-class ships, designed to bring passengers closer to the sea, will be sailing together for the first time in the Western Mediterranean. These ships – MSC Seaside, MSC Seaview, and MSC Seashore – have been designed for warmer weather with more outdoor space and are the perfect ships for passengers who want to soak up the sun and enjoy the sea views of this popular region.
MSC Seashore will enter service on August 1, 2021, due to delays caused by the temporary closure of shipyards because of the COVID-19 pandemic. During this period, MSC Fantasia will operate its planned itinerary (passengers will receive a €100 onboard credit for this change). MSC Seashore will have the highest ratio of outdoor space per passenger of any ship in the MSC Cruises fleet and will sail the "Six Pearls" itinerary, with stops in Genoa, Naples for visits to Pompeii, Messina (Sicily), Valletta (Malta), Barcelona, and Marseille.
It will be joined by its sister ships, MSC Seaside and MSC Seaview, both of which will also offer 7-night itineraries in the world's most glamorous sea, the Mediterranean. Furthermore, the company will return to Tunisia in August, the month in which MSC Fantasia will begin its 7-night cruises with stops in Barcelona, Marseille, Genoa, the port of La Goulette (Tunisia), Palermo, and Civitavecchia.
12-night itineraries will also be available from Genoa (Italy) to Morocco, the Canary Islands, Madeira and Portugal, Greece and Israel with MSC Poesia, which will include a stop in the beautiful port of Haifa.
Eastern Mediterranean Itinerary
A new feature for summer 2021 is that MSC Lirica will have Venice and Trieste as its port of embarkation, with a spectacular itinerary with stops in Zadar, Dubrovnik and Slit (Croatia); Kotor, Montenegro and Corfu (Greece).
In addition, MSC Musica, MSC Orchestra, MSC Operaand MSC Sinfoniawill also have 7-night itineraries from Venice with stops in the Greek Islands, Montenegro and Croatia.
An inspiring range of itineraries in Northern Europe
From May 8, the new state-of-the-art ship, MSC Virtuosa, will spend its first summer season with 7 and 14 night cruises from the port of Kiel (Germany), alternating between Fjord and Baltic Capitals itineraries, also offering Copenhagen (Denmark) as a port of embarkation.
The famous fjords of Norway's west coast and the Baltic Capitals can also be enjoyed on 7 or 14 nights aboard MSC Splendida, which will also offer longer itineraries of 10 and 11 nights to the Baltic Capitals or the North Cape.
MSC Magnifica will have its embarkation port in Southampton (United Kingdom) and will offer 7-night itineraries to the Norwegian Fjords, 14-night itineraries to the Baltic Capitals or the Mediterranean in mid-August, 12-night itineraries to the Canary Islands and a 7-night cruise called “Pearls of the North” that will stop in Hamburg (Germany), Rotterdam (Netherlands), Zeebrugge (Belgium) and Le Havre (France).
MSC Preziosa will operate 9- to 14-night itineraries from Hamburg to Ireland, Iceland, and the North Cape and Spitzbergen in Norway.
Caribbean and Bahamas
Known as “the ship for all seasons,” MSC Meraviglia will offer 7-night cruises from Miami departing on Saturdays, while the classic MSC Armonia will run new short 3- and 4-night itineraries from Miami departing on Mondays and Fridays, with a stop at Ocean Cay MSC Marine Reserve.
The big news next summer is that MSC Divina will depart for the first time from Port Canaveral, Florida – a new embarkation port for MSC Cruises – and will offer a mix of 3, 4, and 7-night cruises departing on Sundays and Tuesdays. With this new embarkation port, MSC Cruises passengers will also have the opportunity to explore the Orlando area before or after their cruise, extending their vacation.
Ocean Cay MSC Marine Reserve will continue to be the star of Caribbean cruises with three ships calling at the private island in the Bahamas. Exclusive to passengers, the private island – just 100 kilometers from Miami – is surrounded by 64 square miles of marine reserve, offering passengers the unique opportunity to experience local marine life, discover the spirit of Bahamian culture, and reconnect with themselves and others.
With boats arriving on the island early in the morning and late in the afternoon, passengers can enjoy a full-day experience exploring over 3 kilometers of pristine beaches across eight different shores. A wide selection of ocean activities is available, including deep-sea fishing, snorkeling adventures, stand-up paddleboarding (SUP), and kayaking. In the evening, the island comes alive with the spectacular lighthouse and an authentic Junkanoo parade featuring dancing under the stars to live music from Bahamian artists and DJs.
For more information and detailed updates, passengers should contact their travel agents or visit the MSC Cruises website here: https://www.msccruceros.es/es-es/Homepage.aspx
