MSC Cruises Announces All Passengers Must Be Fully Vaccinated

MSC Cruises has announced they will require all passengers to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 – and take a COVID-19 test up to 72 hours before their ship’s departure.

According to Cruise Industry News, the updated rules now apply to all guests on any of MSC’s winter sailings in the Mediterranean traveling from December 4, including guests booked on MSC Fantasia and MSC Grandiosa.

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“Our health and safety protocol has led the way in the industry not just because we were the first major cruise line to resume international operations but also because of its flexibility to adapt to the evolution of the pandemic ashore,” Gianni Onorato, CEO of MSC Cruises, said in a statement reported by Cruise Industry News. “This approach has reassured our guests, our crew and the destinations we visit with our ships and we saw last winter with our sailings in the Mediterranean that even during a new peak of the pandemic ashore we were able to adapt our health and safety measures appropriately and continue to offer the highest level of protection to our guests and crew.”

“This is the case once more as some countries in Europe are seeing an increase in infection rates ashore and to ensure the wellbeing of those on board our ships and at the communities they call, our approach again demonstrates that health and safety is our number one priority,” Onorato said.

People are considered fully vaccinated if they have received full sets of shots more than 14 days prior to sailing. The new ruling applies to passengers 12 and up.