Disney and MSC Ships Leave on CDC Test Cruises

MSC Merivigila on her CDC test.

Two more cruise ships are hoping to score a CDC Conditional Sailing Certificate upon the successful completion of simulated voyages, better known as test cruises, with volunteer passengers aboard.

The Disney Dream sailed from Port Canaveral on Friday, while the MSC Meraviglia sailed from Miami on Friday.

Officials from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention sailed with Royal Caribbean International on the Freedom of the Seas test cruise in June, and are expected to be aboard with both Disney and MSC to observe COVID-19 related health and safety measures. 

If approved, the Conditional Sailing Certificate allows a cruise ship to operate with less than 95 per cent vaccinated guests aboard, which many cruise operators believe is needed to continue to appeal to families with children. 

Here Are the 13 Ships Approved for Test Cruises

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has approved 13 ships for simulated voyages, also known as test cruises, using volunteers as passengers.

With ships completing a test voyage successfully, each vessel is then issued a Conditional Sailing Certificate, allowing it to sail from U.S. homeports with less than 95 per cent of guests aboard being vaccinated. 

Ships Approved For Test Cruises:

  • Bahamas Paradise / Grand Classica
  • Carnival Cruise Line / Carnival Ecstasy 
  • Disney Cruise Line / Disney Dream
  • Disney Cruise Line / Fantasy 
  • MSC Cruises / MSC Meraviglia
  • Royal Caribbean / Allure of the Seas
  • Royal Caribbean / Independence of the Seas
  • Royal Caribbean / Mariner of the Seas
  • Royal Caribbean / Oasis of the Seas
  • Royal Caribbean / Odyssey of the Seas
  • Royal Caribbean / Ovation of the Seas
  • Royal Caribbean / Serenade of the Seas
  • Royal Caribbean / Symphony of the Seas

MSC Cruises Resumes Sailings From Germany

The MSC Seaview has departed from the German port of Kiel for the first on a seven-night cruises in the Baltic Sea, according to the cruise line’s press release.

The Seaview is the seventh MSC Cruises’ ship to resume sailings with guests onboard with a further three preparing to start future voyages, which will see half of the company’s fleet back at sea by the end of summer.

The vessel will homeport in Kiel until the beginning of October and the ship will welcome German and international guests for an itinerary to Visby on one of Sweden’s largest islands Gotland, Nynäshamn near the Swedish capital city of Stockholm and Estonia’s capital Tallinn before returning to her North German base.

MSC Cruises’ protected shore excursions are available at all ports of call.

In other MSC news, the weekend also saw Marseille added to MSC Seaview’s sister ship MSC Seaside’s West Mediterranean itinerary, the first French port to reopen for the cruise line and welcome international guests for weekly calls.

Five MSC Cruises’ ships are currently sailing in the Mediterranean – the MSC Grandiosa, MSC Seaside, MSC Orchestra, MSC Splendida and MSC Magnifica. A sixth ship, the MSC Virtuosa, has operated cruises around the UK for British guests only since May 20.

The MSC Meraviglia from Aug. 2 will resume Caribbean cruises from Miami and will be joined in the region from Sept. 18 when the MSC Divina restarts sailing from Port Canaveral near Orlando in Florida.

The MSC Seashore will come into service in August with voyages in the West Mediterranean before the company’s newest flagship transfers in November to Miami for a season in the Caribbean.