MSC gets approval to restart cruising in August :)

[BermudaBound2014]

"MSC Cruises announced today that the MSC Grandiosa and MSC Magnifica will resume operations in the Mediterranean starting from August 16 and 29, 2020 respectively.

 

MSC Cruises has today cancelled all other cruises in the Mediterranean from August 16 through to and including October 31, 2020. In addition, MSC Cruises announced the cancellation of all U.S. cruise departures through to and including October 31, 2020"

 

https://www.cruiseindustrynews.com/cruise-news/23349-msc-gets-approval-to-restart-cruising-in-august.html

[sptrout]

If their experience is like the few smaller, to much smaller, cruise lines, they will depart, then turn around two or three days later with COVID being the main not-paying passenger. Hope not, but almost a certainty within a cruise or two. 

[HappyInVan]

8 hours ago, BermudaBound2014 said:

"MSC Cruises announced today that the MSC Grandiosa and MSC Magnifica will resume operations in the Mediterranean starting from August 16 and 29, 2020 respectively.

 

 

Thanks for the heads up. As expected ...

 

"For this initial phase of the restart of operations, the two MSC Cruises’ ships operating in the Mediterranean for the current summer season will initially only welcome guests who are residents in Schengen countries and subject to any restrictions imposed by the Italian authorities."

[cruiser man 60]

9 hours ago, sptrout said:

If their experience is like the few smaller, to much smaller, cruise lines, they will depart, then turn around two or three days later with COVID being the main not-paying passenger. Hope not, but almost a certainty within a cruise or two. 

Passengers being rapid tested before departure plus all crew, virus not as rampant in Europe like the americas

[emmas gran]

1 hour ago, cruiser man 60 said:

Passengers being rapid tested before departure plus all crew, virus not as rampant in Europe like the americas

 

While this is true , cases in UK and other European countries are seeing "spikes and rises in cases". I am expecting another lock-down here, a lot of people do not understand social distancing and wearing a face mask around your chin instead of nose & mouth does nothing to help

[deliver42]

It's a start. Hopefully with all the protocols MSC has put in place, the cruises will go well. I'm in the U.S., so a cruise is only a pipe dream.

[abbflex]

Dont think this is a good idea yet since numbers are increasing some places in europe,  but hopefully they have good enough routines for testing and quarantine if any cases is positive. 

[WH_Cruise]

Its bonkers. I give it less than a month before their boats are riddled with cases.

[sptrout]

7 hours ago, cruiser man 60 said:

Passengers being rapid tested before departure plus all crew, virus not as rampant in Europe like the americas

The cruises that I was referring to was one very small boat (36 passengers) out of Canada, and the remaining were cruises in Europe. The U.S. has been totally shut down for months.

Edited August 9, 2020 by sptrout

[sptrout]

8 minutes ago, WH_Cruise said:

Its bonkers. I give it less than a month before their boats are riddled with cases.

Sadly, very true. According to my travel agent, MSC still plans on starting in the U.S. this fall. Not going to happen. I was calling them to cancel my December cruise before they grabbed my final payment money. We cannot afford to finance MSC for any length of time not to mention the obvious COVID outbreak that will happen if they try to sail this year. Maybe even extending well into 2021. 

[Hlitner]

2 hours ago, WH_Cruise said:

Its bonkers. I give it less than a month before their boats are riddled with cases.

I fear you are correct and it is borne out by what has already happened in Europe (TUI, Hurtigruten, Costa) and Alaska.  I also fear that MSC is liable to damage the ability of any other cruise lines to restart.  Lets be honest, when it comes to cruising and COVID everyone is walking on broken glass.   If the resumption of cruising has 9 lives we may already be at life 7 or 8 (sorry for all the metaphors).   But I also do not think the passage of more time will solve much.   Without a safe/effective COVID vaccine it is inevitable that more cases will develop on both land and sea.  But a huge question is how many more COVID incidents can be attributed to cruise lines before the industry is harmed beyond repair.

 

At least this attempt will not be blamed on America :).  A Swiss company owned by an Italian family trying to restart cruising in Europe with only Europeans.  

 

Hank

[Cruiser Bruiser]

I hope that MSC is successful with this trial run. They certainly seem to have developed a rigorous process though which they will screen for cases and manage them should they arise. I think one key to their success is their ability to quarantine and disembark passengers who subsequently test positive. Also their ability to contact trace using the bands. Through the tracing they should be able to further test and triage and manage any spread.

 

Masks and distancing are the key on land and at sea. Fingers crossed.

[sidari]

58 minutes ago, Hlitner said:

I fear you are correct and it is borne out by what has already happened in Europe (TUI, Hurtigruten, Costa) and Alaska.  I also fear that MSC is liable to damage the ability of any other cruise lines to restart.  Lets be honest, when it comes to cruising and COVID everyone is walking on broken glass.   If the resumption of cruising has 9 lives we may already be at life 7 or 8 (sorry for all the metaphors).   But I also do not think the passage of more time will solve much.   Without a safe/effective COVID vaccine it is inevitable that more cases will develop on both land and sea.  But a huge question is how many more COVID incidents can be attributed to cruise lines before the industry is harmed beyond repair.

 

At least this attempt will not be blamed on America :).  A Swiss company owned by an Italian family trying to restart cruising in Europe with only Europeans.  

 

Hank

MSC is not a Swiss company, registered for tax purposes yes, Italian company, Italian owned.

[shipgeeks]

I really, really hope that some passengers on these first MSC cruises will report back on CC.  We can learn, and we can enjoy vicariously.

[Hlitner]

25 minutes ago, sidari said:

MSC is not a Swiss company, registered for tax purposes yes, Italian company, Italian owned.

Ok have it your way ).  An Italian company headquartered in Geneva Switzerland, and Registered in Switzerland.  

 

Hank

[sidari]

8 minutes ago, Hlitner said:

Ok have it your way ).  An Italian company headquartered in Geneva Switzerland, and Registered in Switzerland.  

 

Hank

Not my way but the way it is!

[rkacruiser]

6 hours ago, sptrout said:

he cruises that I was referring to was one very small boat (36 passengers) out of Canada

 

Wasn't this the Wilderness Adventurer that sailed out of Juneau?  And, now has returned to Juneau with their crew quarantined on board and the guests quarantined in a Juneau hotel.  

Edited August 9, 2020 by rkacruiser

[sptrout]

20 minutes ago, rkacruiser said:

 

Wasn't this the Wilderness Adventurer that sailed out of Juneau?  And, now has returned to Juneau with their crew quarantined on board and the guests quarantined in a Juneau hotel.  

Yea, I think that you are correct. Did it allow US passengers? I don't remember. 

[HaveWeMetYet]

11 hours ago, abbflex said:

Dont think this is a good idea yet since numbers are increasing some places in europe,  but hopefully they have good enough routines for testing and quarantine if any cases is positive. 

From August 9th.

Greece reported 203 new coronavirus cases Sunday, the biggest single-day jump since the beginning of the pandemic, bringing its total to 5,623. It also was the biggest jump in daily cases since April 21.

 

The UK reported more than 1,000 new cases for the first time since June 26, bringing its total to 310,825. The 1,062 cases reported Sunday are higher than the seven-day average of 877.

 

Good Luck MSC and crew.

[muffydawg]

I hope MSC is successful however imagine two couples boarding the ship; one of the four tests + for COVID and is denied boarding. Gotta think the partner, spouse, relative of the person denied boarding would not sail without their partner.

 

The MSC COVID-19 Protection Plan is currently available only to guests from Schengen countries. This really looks like a scam designed to artificially inflate revenues from people who buy the MSC COVID-19 Protection Plan; and it looks like only the person denied boarding due to sickness can leverage the MSC COVID-19 Protection Plan benefits and not their partner who is ok.

 

If a passenger tests + under item #6 they could be put off the ship; what does their traveling companion do?

 

I would not book a cruise under these circumstances. Perhaps the residents of Schengen countries would but not me.

 

 

[rkacruiser]

2 hours ago, sptrout said:

Yea, I think that you are correct. Did it allow US passengers? I don't remember. 

 

I have no idea as to what nationality the passengers were.  The fact that the Company was able to gain permission to start that cruise from a United States port was a surprise to me.  

[shipgeeks]

A recent post on the Celebrity board, "Live from the first cruise....." by Germancruiser, is quite interesting, and quite positive.  He reported no problems, and said he would do it all again.  

[resistk]

We can't get back COVID results here in the USA for 5-10 days including people with symptoms but tests are available for cruisers on MSC within hours? Something seriously wrong with the United States and cruise lines.

[resistk]

4 hours ago, HaveWeMetYet said:

From August 9th.

Greece reported 203 new coronavirus cases Sunday, the biggest single-day jump since the beginning of the pandemic, bringing its total to 5,623. It also was the biggest jump in daily cases since April 21.

 

The UK reported more than 1,000 new cases for the first time since June 26, bringing its total to 310,825. The 1,062 cases reported Sunday are higher than the seven-day average of 877.

 

Good Luck MSC and crew.

 

No need for luck, the results are assured.  You can't game a pandemic, though I suppose the cruise lines will try their best.

[resistk]

8 hours ago, Cruiser Bruiser said:

I hope that MSC is successful with this trial run. They certainly seem to have developed a rigorous process though which they will screen for cases and manage them should they arise. I think one key to their success is their ability to quarantine and disembark passengers who subsequently test positive. Also their ability to contact trace using the bands. Through the tracing they should be able to further test and triage and manage any spread.

 

Masks and distancing are the key on land and at sea. Fingers crossed.

 

Having been a Black Card member on MSC; I doubt I would entrust my health to them during a pandemic, they can sometimes barely get a dinner order correct at times.