MSC Cruises Approved for Test Sailing and to Restart Cruises From Florida

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MSC Cruises has been approved for a test sailing by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in July. The cruise line has also detailed that cruises will restart in August from Miami and September from Port Canaveral in Florida. The MSC restart will be for vaccinated and non-vaccinated guests.

This follows other cruise lines which have also received the green light to begin restricted and simulated sailings this summer.

Test Cruise Approval

Cruise lines are gearing up for a great cruise comeback this summer, including MSC Cruises. An important step towards cruises resuming operations is to operate a simulated sailing as part of the CDC’s Conditional Sailing Order.

The CDC has approved MSC Meraviglia to operated a simulated sailing. The large vessel will depart from PortMiami on July 17 so that the cruise line can stress test its health protocols. However, MSC Cruises is one of the most experienced cruise lines globally by already resuming cruises in several markets for many months.

Also Read: Things to Do on the MSC Meraviglia Cruise Ship

Gianni Onorato, CEO of MSC Cruises. โ€œAfter what has been a challenging period, weโ€™re thrilled to say itโ€™s finally time to cruise again. We are excited to be officially announcing our restart this summer from the U.S., and Florida in particular, as excitement is building for vacationers to get back to traveling and plan a much-deserved getaway.โ€

Onorato continued to say, โ€œWe want to thank our guests and partners, as well as Governor Ron DeSantis and the State of Florida, Mayor Daniella Levine Cava and Miami Dade County, PortMiami and Port Canaveral port officials. and the CDC for their strong support in bringing cruising back to the U.S. so we can get back to doing what we do best, providing our guests incredible and enriching vacations at sea.โ€

MSC Divina, Florida

Florida Restart

MSC Cruises has completed port agreements PortMiami and Port Canaveral which is part of the CDC’s Phase 2A in the Conditional Sailing order. This opens the door for a cruise restart out of the US.

With MSC Meraviglia completing a test voyage in July, she will become the first MSC cruise ship to sail from the US since suspensions first began in March 2020. The ship will depart PortMiami on August 2, 2021, with 3- and 4-night cruises from Miami to The Bahamas and featuring MSC Cruisesโ€™ exclusive new private island destination, Ocean Cay MSC Marine Reserve.

The vessel will then also begin sailing on seven-night cruises from Miami, Florida on September 18, 2021. All the bookings for the MSC Meraviglia will open on June 16, 2021.

MSC Divina will also restart operations in the US out of Port Canaveral, Florida. The ship will begin sailing 3-, 4- and 7-night cruise options from to The Bahamas and Caribbean, also including stops at Ocean Cay MSC Marine Reserve on September 16, 2021.

Related: Things to Do on the MSC Divina Cruise Ship

Rubรฉn Rodriguez, president of MSC Cruises USA said, โ€œWith our vast experience cruising in Europe since August 2020 along with our industry-leading health and safety protocol, our guests can book with confidence knowing we are well prepared for a successful restart in the U.S.โ€

Rodriguez continued to say, โ€œTo ensure the safest experience for our guests, we previously announced a fleet-wide vaccination program for all crew โ€” thanks to the support of The State of Florida, local government and port officials, and our partners,โ€” and we expect that the majority of our guests booking a cruise this summer will plan to be vaccinated prior to sail. The rapid distribution of vaccines in the U.S. has been a positive step toward helping vacationers get back to traveling, and we encourage our guests to take advantage of this added layer of protection when resuming travel this summer.โ€

All the cruises out of the US will be available for vaccinated and non-vaccinated passengers, and there will be strict health protocols in place, which the cruise line will release in the coming days. MSC has hinted towards further restrictions for those who are not fully vaccinated.

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Emrys Thakkar
Emrys Thakkar
The founder of Cruise Hive, Emrys has been reporting on the cruise industry since 2008. Expert insights and tips featured on a number of publications including The Express, Business Insider, Fodor's Travel and more. Worked for Carnival for 8 years and traveled to more than 34 countries and been on over 100 cruises.

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