Yesterday MSC announced it would be canceling all cruises in the US for the time being, today there is much better news from Europe’s largest cruise line.
It is quite the announcement from MSC cruises. Most cruise lines have been announcing one or two itineraries here and there; MSC now announces itineraries for no less than ten ships that will be sailing across Europe this Summer.
Mediterranean, UK, and Germany
MSC Cruises is not mucking around when it comes to announcing new cruises today. The line, which took a leading role last year in developing and operating a safe way to cruise and has sailed with more than 60,000 guests since August last year, has announced itineraries for ten of its vessels, which will be sailing as early as May 1, 2021.
Gianni Onorato, the CEO of MSC Cruises, said the following:
“Today, we have clarity on which European destinations and ports will initially be open this summer, and we have fully reflected this into the first set of new and updated itineraries for the upcoming season so that guests can book their holidays with us with confidence. The entire MSC Cruises team and I look forward to welcoming both returning and new guests onboard one of our ships that will be at sea this summer and to provide them with a memorable, relaxing, and, above all, safe holiday.”
The itineraries which have been made available today are the ones that have been 100% confirmed by the cruise line and countries that the ships will be sailing to. While the news in itself is excellent, MSC says it’s not done yet.
The line plans to open and operate more itineraries as more ports open up, and tourism destinations start opening up again in time for Europe’s tourism high season between May and September.
Worth Reading: Must-Know Things About the MSC Seaside Cruise Ship
MSC Cruises will introduce a unique private beach experience in Taranto for MSC Seaside, exclusively for its guests. Guests will be able to relax in true summer fashion on the sandy beach next to the Ionian Sea’s clear waters.
Which MSC Ships Will Sail?
The cruise line is planning to have a wide variety of itineraries for guests, including multiple embarkation ports per voyage, so guests minimize international travel as much as possible.
Gianni Onorato:
“We are extremely proud to be in a position to offer our guests and travel agent partners for the coming summer a growing choice of cruise holidays to a range of different destinations across the Mediterranean and Europe. We will be featuring some of our most innovative and more modern vessels in our fleet. And to make it even easier and safer for our guests to reach our ships from closer to their homes, all our itineraries will feature additional ports of embarkation. In the Mediterranean alone, MSC Cruises will offer its guests up to 15 ports of embarkation. Â
Three Ships in the Western Mediterranean
MSC Grandiosa will initially extend her current 7-night itinerary by calling at Italian ports of Genoa, Civitavecchia and Rome, and Naples, Palermo, and Vallet Malta. When Valencia and Barcelona confirm their availability, the cruise line will add them to the ship’s current itinerary.
MSC Grandiosa Cruise Ship: Overview & Must-Know Things
MSC Seaside will begin sailing from Genoa on May 1, calling at newly introduced ports of Siracusa in Sicily and Taranto in Puglia and Civitavecchia for Rome and Valetta in Malta. If the French city of Marseille becomes available, it will then be added to the ship’s itinerary.
The MSC Seashore, MSC Cruises’ newest flagship, will join the cruise line’s fleet at the end of July. Between August 1 and October 31, the vessel will offer 7-night cruises calling at the Italian ports of Genoa, Naples, and Messina, as well as Valletta in Malta, Barcelona in Spain, and Marseille in France.
After finishing her Mediterranean season, MSC Seashore will then make her way to Miami in November 2021 to begin sailing The Bahamas and Caribbean, with a stop at MSC Cruises’ private Bahamian destination, Ocean Cay MSC Marine Reserve.
Three Ships in the Eastern Mediterranean
MSC Cruises will deploy three ships in the Eastern Mediterranean for the upcoming summer, calling at the Greek Islands, Kotor in Montenegro, and Dubrovnik and Split in Croatia. Homeports include Trieste, Venice, and Bari in Italy and Piraeus in Greece.
MSC Orchestra will sail June 5 with embarkation in the Italian ports of Venice on Saturdays, Bari on Sundays, calling at the Greek Islands of Corfu, Mykonos, and Dubrovnik in Croatia. MSC Splendida will sail June 12 with embarkation in Trieste, Italy on Saturdays and in Bari on Tuesdays, with stops in Dubrovnik, Croatia, Corfu, Greece, and Kotor, Montenegro.
Finally, MSC Magnifica will sail June 20 from Venice on Sundays, and Bari on Mondays, and Piraeus on Wednesdays, calling at the Greek Island of Mykonos and Split, Croatia.
Four Ships in Northern Europe
MSC plans to operate four vessels in Northern Europe. The first will be MSC Virtuosa which will sail on a UK itinerary, available for UK guests only. At first, the ship will sail mini cruises from Southampton before transitioning to longer 7-day cruises from Southampton, with stops in Liverpool, Greenock for Glasgow, and calling at Portland, and Belfast in Northern Ireland.
MSC plans to sail as well from Germany; however, the port opening situation is unclear here, so sailings will not begin until June 15.
MSC Seaview will homeport in Kiel, Germany, starting on June 19, replacing MSC Virtuosa. Additionally, MSC Preziosa is planned to depart on June 21 from Hamburg, Germany, and MSC Musica on June 20 from Warnemunde, Germany, if the German ports are open.
The three ships are intended to sail 7-night and longer sailings with itineraries to the Norwegian fjords and the Baltic capitals.
Guests who have vouchers or FCC’s from MSC can re-book now for any of these voyages and be confident that these cruises will sail. So while it was disappointing news yesterday from MSC cruises, guests in Europe will be able to choose from a wide variety of cruises this summer.
