Tag Archives: MSC Cruises USA

Passengers on Mediterranean cruise test positive for covid-19

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Two passengers tested positive for the coronavirus during routine checks aboard a Mediterranean cruise this week, MSC Cruises said.

The passengers, who were asymptomatic, got their positive test results on Monday, according to MSC Cruises spokesman Luca Biondolillo. They were not travelling together on the MSC Seaside. Biondolillo said the individuals and their travelling groups, as well as close contacts, were immediately isolated, and no one aside from the original two passengers tested positive.

According to the Times of Malta, the vessel was not allowed to make a regular call-in to Malta’s Valletta cruise port Monday. Instead, Biondolillo said, the ship made a “technical call” — where passengers don’t disembark — and then resumed its regular schedule with a stop in Sicily.

Both passengers and their parties left the ship in Siracusa, on the island of Sicily, and were taken home “by protected MSC Cruises transport” Tuesday, the cruise company said. The ship continued its normal schedule after the Siracusa stop.

“All of this took place in line with the protocol and in coordination with the local health authorities,” Biondolillo said in an email Wednesday.

Passengers on MSC ships are not required to be vaccinated, but they have to undergo several tests: two to three days before leaving for a cruise, just before getting on the ship and midway through the cruise, Biondolillo said.

“If anything, this is another demonstration that the protocol works,” he said.

The company started sailing in the Mediterranean in August 2020 and has seen “a handful such cases” since, Biondolillo said, adding that “many thousands” of passengers have sailed safely.

Cruise ships have slowly started service again around the world, but still have not resumed in the United States since the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shut the industry down last March. The agency is not requiring cruise ships to sail with vaccinated passengers but will allow those with at least 95 per cent of vaccinated crew and guests to skip test cruises meant to show how they will deal with covid-19 risks.

The first cruise from U.S. shores with paying passengers is scheduled to set sail later this month. The Celebrity Cruises ship will require everyone 16 and older to be fully vaccinated — a condition that comes into conflict with a Florida law that says businesses can’t ask for proof of vaccination status.

MSC Cruises, which is headquartered in Geneva, announced this week that it plans to start short cruises on MSC Meraviglia from Miami to the Bahamas on Aug. 2. The company recently got approval from the CDC to conduct a test cruise on that vessel.

The company said it will “welcome both vaccinated and non-vaccinated guests,” with those who are not vaccinated subject to additional testing and restrictions. Rubén Rodriguez, president of MSC Cruises USA, said in a statement that he expects the majority of passengers will be vaccinated.

“The rapid distribution of vaccines in the U.S. has been a positive step toward helping vacationers get back to travelling, and we encourage our guests to take advantage of this added layer of protection when resuming travel this summer,” he said.

Dolphins Cheerleaders Wrap Up Photo Shoot on MSC Seaside

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Miami Dolphins Cheerleaders on MSC Seaside

The Miami Dolphins Cheerleaders have wrapped up their 2018 annual photo shoot aboard the MSC Seaside.

More than 20 of the Miami Dolphins Cheerleaders sailed to the Caribbean recently, with the ship serving as the backdrop for photo and video shoots.

The Miami Dolphins Cheerleaders Annual is set to be released at the Miami Dolphins Cheerleaders Fashion Show in Fall 2018.

“We are delighted that MSC Seaside was chosen as the ideal stage for capturing the images for the Miami Dolphins Cheerleaders Annual,” said Roberto Fusaro, President of MSC Cruises USA. “Whether strolling along the waterfront boardwalk, having fun in the multi-story aqua park, or relaxing in the MSC Aurea Spa, it was a true honour to host the Miami Dolphins Cheerleaders and provide them with the opportunity to experience and showcase our beautiful new ship.”

“We’re excited about our relationship with MSC Cruises and the spectacular Caribbean destinations the MSC Seaside opens up for our fans,” Miami Dolphins Senior Vice President & Chief Commercial Officer Todd Kline said. “The recent travels including our fans, alumni and cheerleaders are just the beginning of what we feel will be a thriving partnership with MSC Cruise and their world-class ships to benefit our truly diverse fan base.”

Beyond wrapping their annual photo shoot on board, the Cheerleaders also interacted with guests during a variety of activities throughout the cruise. The sailing kicked off with a warm Miami Dolphins welcome with the cheerleaders and mascot “TD” taking over the terminal to cheer guests into their vacation. Onboard, cruisers and cheerleaders mingled with activities like the sail away party, multiple youth cheer clinics, photo opportunities and special performances to entertain guests, MSC said, in a statement.

The Cheerleaders’ annual photoshoot onboard MSC Seaside came on the heels of the Miami Dolphins’ first-ever Fan Cruise onboard MSC Seaside in March. The cruise welcomed football legends like Kim Bokamper, Terry Kirby, Sam Madison, Nat Moore, Joe Rose and Patrick Surtain, for a week of themed activities. For Dol-fans still eager to get up close and personal with these Dolphins alumni, the team will host its second cruise in 2019.

MSC Cruises evolves to match competitors’ policies

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MSC Seaside

MSC Cruises, as reported previously, will implement several new sales policies that make its terms less generous and more closely aligned with those offered by its competitors in North America.

Among the changes are its first policy restricting the practice of commission rebating, a rule in place for more than a decade at brands such as Royal Caribbean International and Carnival Cruise Line.

“We want travel agents to advertise us at the going rate,” said Ken Muskat, the executive vice president of sales, public relations and guest services at MSC Cruises USA. “We want it to be fair across the board.”

The other policy changes include raising deposit minimums, making it harder to cancel cruises without a penalty, and setting a two-month window for passengers to move a direct booking to their agent’s account.

Taken together, Muskat said, the changes signal that MSC is evolving.

“MSC is starting to become very well-established in the market. We’ve got more demand. We’ve got more travel agents selling us,” he said.

The changes are set to go into effect on May 1.

Under the new policies, passengers will have 60 days from initiating a booking to switch it to their agent, provided the booking is not yet past the final payment date. While some agents would prefer that transfers be permitted all the way up until the final payment, Muskat said the new policy is competitive.

“Giving them 60 days to transfer that booking is more than enough time,” Muskat said. “It’s one of those things that, again, makes us more in line with what the other brands do.”

Other companies are also changing penalties for canceling a deposited cruise.

Under MSC’s new plan, previously adopted by Norwegian and Royal, passengers on cruises shorter than 15 days can lose their deposit if they cancel up to 90 days before sailing. It had previously been up to 60 days.

Muskat said MSC is trying to open sales 18 months to two years in advance, and with that comes the tougher terms.

MSC will also raise deposits from $100 to $200 per person on shorter cruises and to $300 on cruises longer than 15 days. Other lines are in the $250 range on deposits, so MSC retains an advantage, Muskat said, but “the higher deposits will make people a little more serious.”

The anti-rebating policy provides that sales can’t be made “at a price below [MSC’s] published or contracted pricing programs.”

Agents can use value-added gifts as incentives, but not cash equivalents, such as gift cards. Group bookings are not subject to the new terms.

Muskat said rebating hasn’t been a huge problem at MSC, but the policy should benefit home-based agents who can’t compete with larger players who can rebate in a big way.