MSC Cruises confirms that its entire 19 ship fleet will be sailing during summer 2022. It comes as 14 vessels will be deployed in the Mediterranean, offering more than 40 different itineraries. There will be a return to the UK for MSC Virtuosa and details on the fleet for the coming year around the globe. All guests will also have to be vaccinated to take a cruise, resulting in the flexible booking policy being extended.
The UK and Northern Europe in 2022
The cruise line will have its entire fleet back sailing in summer 2022 as details have been released on more ships that will return to service in the Mediterranean, Northern Europe, and the UK. There will be 500 departures to choose from across the continent as MSC makes a comeback with all ships in service.
One of the biggest highlights for the summer season will be the new MSC Virtuousa, which was just recently christened at an event in Dubai, and no sailing a season in the United Arab Emirates and Qatar.
The Merviglia-Plus cruise ship will return to begin cruises from Southampton, UK, in summer 2022. MSC Virtuosa will sail 7- to 14-night itineraries to the Norwegian Fjords, St. Petersburg (Russia), via Sweden and Denmark. The ship will also offer longer cruises to the Canary Islands (Spain), the Mediterranean, and Norway’s North Cape, plus some 3-4 nights mini-cruises.
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MSC Magnifica will spend the summer in Northern Europe and take on the cruises previously announced for MSC Orchestra, offering the exact same itineraries out of Hamburg with 10-,11- and 14-night cruises.
Largest Deployment in the Meditteranean in 2022
There are more than 40 itineraries on offer across 14 MSC cruise ships for summer in the Meditteranean, making it the largest ever deployment by MSC Cruises. There are a range of mini-cruises to longer cruises of up to 21 nights being offered.
MSC Orchestra will sail a brand new itinerary in the summer, regularly calling in Lisbon, Portugal. The new itinerary will be for 10 nights and begin in June 2022. The option includes calls to Genoa in Italy, Marseille/Provence in France, Malaga, Cadiz/Seville, Alicante/Costa Blanca and Mahon/Menorca in Spain, Lisbon in Portugal, and Olbia in Emerald Coast/Sardinia in Italy.
MSC Grandiosa, MSC Meraviglia, MSC Opera, MSC Splendida, MSC Seaview and MSC Seaside will be in the Western Mediterranean next summer, with MSC Magnifica and MSC Poesia joining in autumn. Meanwhile, guests can choose from MSC Musica, MSC Fantasia, MSC Sinfonia, MSC Armonia, or MSC Lirica in the Eastern Mediterranean.
All 19 MSC Cruise Ships Sailing
The cruise line has already been moving forward on resuming operations around the globe, not just across the Meditteranean, but also in Northern Europe, the United States, and most recently, in South America.
2022 will follow the second half of 2021, with vessels returning to service and more choices opening up for cruisers worldwide.
For autumn 2022, MSC Fantasia will offer 11-night cruises from Trieste with calls in Izmir/Ephesus or Istanbul. MSC Magnifica will offer 11-night sailings from Genoa to Morocco and the Canary Islands. MSC Preziosa will sail from Hamburg to the Northern Pearls on 7-night itineraries, while MSC Poesia will be deployed on mini-cruises in the Mediterranean Sea.
In the Caribbean, the Company’s flagship, MSC Seashore, will continue to sail out of PortMiami while MSC Divina will offer 3-, 4- and 7-night cruises out of Port Canaveral (Orlando), with both ships calling at Ocean Cay MSC Marine Reserve in The Bahamas.
MSC Bellissima will be deployed in Asia in the Far East with cruises in Japan and China.
Vaccinated Sailings in 2022
MSC Cruises has been leading the way since cruise ships have been allowed to sail following the industry-wide suspension in 2020 and half of 2021. The cruise line has successfully implemented its protocols since August 2020 to make sure guests and crew remain safe.
Due to the evolving pandemic, the cruise line is now only offering sailings to vaccinated guests, which also applies to all the sailings through summer 2022. As a result, bookings made before December 31, 2021, will be subject to a flexible booking policy. It means that guests will have the option to reschedule their cruise free of charge up to 15 days before sailing or 21 days before a Fly&Cruise booking.
