MSC Cruises has announced a further extension on the pause of operation out of the U.S. until 2021.
MSC Cruises Cancels More U.S. Sailings
MSC Cruises has joined other major cruise lines by canceling cruises for the remainder of 2020. MSC is not planning on returning to service in the U.S. until January 2021 at the earliest.
The cancellation will impact three cruise ships which are based in Florida with MSC Seaside in Port Canaveral and then MSC Meraviglia and MSC Armonia out of PortMiami.
Related: 9 Things to Do on the MSC Meraviglia Cruise Ship
It’s a big blow for the cruise line that was hoping to return to service before the end of the year. Even though the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has lifted the No-Sail order, the new Conditional Order has kind of given false hopes now with certain conditions and requirements needing to be implemented.
MSc Cruises has detailed the following options for guests impacted by the further cancellations:
- Guests booked through MSC Cruises USA or affiliated US-based travel advisors on the impacted sailings will be offered a 125 percent future cruise credit (FCC) of the original cruise fare where they have the opportunity to transfer the full amount paid for their cancelled cruise to a future cruise of their choice – on any ship, and any itinerary — through April 30, 2022, or can request a refund.
- The 125% FCC provides guests with opportunities to upgrade their stateroom category and add pre-purchases such as specialty dining, beverage packages, Wi-Fi, or spa treatments to their booking.
Also Read: Cruise Line Installs First COVID-19 PCR Laboratory At Sea
So Norwegian Cruise Line, Royal Caribbean and now MSC have all cancelled cruises from the U.S. until next year. Cruise lines are now working on restarting with new health measures in place but of course that process is complex. Trial sailings will need to be done first along with crew training, testing capacity and a lot more.
Cruise Hive will keep readers updated on all the latest developments on resuming cruises from the U.S.
Photo: MSC Cruises
