MSC Cruises has launched its 2022 summer campaign today under the "Book with Peace of Mind" program, which reaffirms the company's industry-leading health and hygiene protocol, characterized by a clear and flexible booking policy, simple vaccination and testing requirements, as well as the guarantee of independent excursions off the ship on all its 2022 summer season itineraries.
All existing and new bookings for trips up to the end of the next summer season are covered by the “Book with Peace of Mind” program, with which MSC Cruises has already offered safe, flexible and enjoyable holidays to more than one million passengers during all phases of the pandemic, past and present.
Gianni Onorato, CEO of MSC Cruises, said: “We have been leading the industry's recovery since August of last year thanks to a comprehensive and flexible health and hygiene protocol, designed to adapt to the evolving pandemic on land and which has since set the standard in the travel and hospitality sector. With this, we have been able to continue offering the highest level of protection to our passengers, crew, and the communities where our ships call, responsibly and safely welcoming more than one million passengers who have wanted to enjoy their holidays at sea aboard our ships.”
As the pandemic continues to evolve, we understand the importance of providing clear information so our passengers can feel confident booking a cruise with flexibility and complete peace of mind. We have extended our Book with Confidence Guarantee to all our cruises through summer 2022 to continue offering our passengers a safe, flexible, and enjoyable vacation option. The program includes the required COVID-19 travel protection insurance, providing passengers with added security before and during their cruise. In addition, we will be reintroducing independent excursions in destinations where local regulations allow, to offer our passengers a more complete experience. There has truly never been a better time to book a cruise vacation”.
The "Book with Peace of Mind" program covers all ships and itineraries, allowing travelers to continue choosing MSC Cruises for a holiday at sea with the confidence that their health, safety, and enjoyment are a top priority. From winter sunshine in the Caribbean to breathtaking Mediterranean cruises for the whole family, passengers can book and sail with confidence thanks to the following features:
- Passengers and crew: vaccinated and examined.
- Free booking flexibility
- Peace of mind thanks to the COVID protection plan
- A complete experience to make your cruise safe and enjoyable
Furthermore, MSC Cruises continues to monitor and adapt its health and hygiene protocol, which was developed last year by the Blue Ribbon COVID Expert Group. This group of experts helped create a protocol that not only ensures the health and safety of passengers and crew throughout all aspects of the voyage, but also maintains the unique MSC Cruises travel experience. The panel was recently strengthened with the addition of Dr. Robert R. Redfield, an American virologist and infectious disease clinician who served as Director of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) from 2018 to 2021.
The panel also consists of:
- Dr. Ian Norton, an emergency medicine specialist, is currently the managing director of Respond Global and was formerly the program director of the World Health Organization's (WHO) Emergency Medical Team Initiative.
- Professor Christakis Hadjichristodoulou, Professor of Hygiene and Epidemiology at the Faculty of Medicine and Vice President of the Faculty of Health Sciences at the University of Thessaly, Greece.
- Professor Stephan J. Harbarth, hospital epidemiologist, infectious disease specialist and head of the antimicrobial stewardship program at the Geneva University Hospitals (HUG) and medical school.
- Professor Camillo Ricordi, Professor of Biomedical Engineering at the University of Miami School of Medicine.
- Dr. Jesús Arroyo, specialist in internal medicine at the Geneva University Hospitals, private physician in Geneva and medical affairs consultant for Trafigura Energy.
