ITALY. MSC Magnifica departed Genoa yesterday, becoming the second ship on the MSC Cruises fleet to welcome guests back onboard, after the MSC Grandiosa restarted cruising in August. The ship set sail on a ten-night voyage across the east and west Mediterranean making stops in Italy, Malta and Greece.
MSC Magnifica is also the second ship to implement the company’s enhanced health and safety protocols, which were developed by a COVID Expert Group and formally approved by both national and regional authorities. To promote social distancing onboard, the ship’s capacity has also been reduced to 70%.
MSC Magnifica will call in four Italian ports during the cruise including Genoa, Livorno, Messina and Civitavecchia. It is also planning stops in Piraeus and Katakolon in Greece, and Valetta in Malta. It will operate six long Mediterranean cruises before the year-end including an eight-night Christmas voyage departing from Genoa on 18 December.
The flagship MSC Grandiosa has now completed nine seven-night voyages, underlining the efficacy of the enhanced safety measures, said the company.
The new measures — which include universal COVID-19 testing for all guests and crew, social distancing and elevated cleaning protocols, protected ashore visits and the introduction of a COVID-19 Protection Plan — go beyond the regional and national guidelines. They have also been verified by independent maritime certification corporation RINA as meeting the European Maritime Safety Agency (EMSA) standard.
Other measures include the use of guest-centric technology such as the MSC for Me App, which can be used by passengers to manage their onboard activities. Crew members will also be provided with complimentary MSC for Me wristbands to facilitate contactless payments and contact tracing onboard.
In addition, MSC Cruises is introducing next-generation air sanitation technology ‘Safe Air’ to its MSC Seashore ship, which is set to be delivered in 2021. The ship will be one of the company’s largest and most technologically advanced ships to date and the first of two Seaside Evo class ships.
Safe Air incorporates UV-C light technology in the ship’s air conditioning system to radiate air flow with a short wavelength light that prevents the circulation of viruses, bacteria and mould. It was developed by ship building company Fincantieri in partnership with the International Centre for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology.
Commenting on the enhanced safety measures, MSC Head of Retail Adrian Pittaway said, “MSC Retailing on board our ships has enhanced the guest experience to be one that is safe, welcoming and fully adapted to the current situation.
“Through our restart, we will continue to focus on providing a memorable shopping experience to our guests with warm and friendly service, expert advice and the widest range of products on offer at the best prices.”
*Adrian Pittaway was among the speakers in a special session on the return to cruising during the Virtual Travel Retail Expo last week. The full session from our Knowledge Hub can be accessed below.
