MSC Cruises USA has extended its temporary halt of operations in the Mediterranean from Aug. 16 through to and including Oct. 31, 2020—with the exception of MSC Grandiosa and MSC Magnifica for guests residing in Schengen countries only—and in the Caribbean from Oct. 1 through to and including Oct. 31, 2020.
Similar to our previous procedures, for your clients impacted by the above-mentioned cancelations, no action is necessary.
MSC Cruises USA will provide a 125 percent Future Cruise Credit of the original cruise fare paid to be used on a sailing on or before Dec. 31, 2021. The Future Cruise Credits will be sent to the email the cruise line has on file by Monday, Aug. 31 for all impacted sailings. In the instance the cruise line only has the agency email on file and not the client’s email, the Future Cruise Credit will be emailed to you so that you can then forward it to your client. Please note, any applicable prepaid items and government taxes and fees will be refunded to your client’s original form of payment.
If your client wishes to receive a refund instead, MSC Cruises USA is asking you to submit the request through its form on MSC Book available beginning Monday, Aug. 31. At that time, the cruise line will deactivate your client’s Future Cruise Credit and process their refund, which will be issued within 60 days from the date requested.
Restart of Operations in the Mediterranean
MSC Cruises will return to service in the Mediterranean this summer with MSC Grandiosa and MSC Magnifica resuming on Aug. 16 and 29, 2020, respectively. For this initial phase of the restart of operations, the two MSC Cruises’ ships operating in the Mediterranean for the current summer season will initially only welcome guests who are residents in Schengen countries.
MSC Cruises will only restart operations in the U.S. when the time is right, following approval by the CDC and other relevant authorities across the region in observance of their requirements and guidelines.
MSC Cruises also recently revealed its new comprehensive health and safety protocol that has been approved by the relevant national authorities from the countries that these ships will call at. The company has worked to encompass every aspect of the guest’s journey from the moment of booking, embarkation and life on board through to disembarkation and the return home.
It includes universal health screening (including all guests being swab tested for COVID-19 upon arrival at the port prior to joining the ship), enhanced sanitation and cleaning measures, social distancing, enhanced medical facilities, ongoing health monitoring, a contingency response plan and more.
For more information on MSC’s health and safety measures, visit msccruisesusa.com.
For more Cruise updates, visit recommend.com/get-inspired/cruise.
