MSC Cruises announced it would deploy MSC Seaside ship on a new 7-night Mediterranean itinerary for summer 2021 season.
MSC has also updated the itineraries for the beginning of its summer season, commencing in April, as a result of the delay in the return to availability of certain cruise ports across Europe.
MSC Cruises has canceled all itineraries (except for MSC Grandiosa and MSC Seaside sailings) in the western Med for April-May and plans to resume those in June 2021.
Eastern Mediterranean cruises are canceled for April, with sailings resuming from May 2021 as planned.
All itineraries in northern Europe are canceled in April. All itineraries in the Caribbean are canceled through May 31, 2021.
MSC Seaside is due to join MSC Grandiosa in the Med starting May 1. A new 7-night itinerary for Seaside will include Civitavecchia-Rome, Genoa, Valletta Malta, and for the first time, Siracusa Sicily and Taranto.
The company is extending the current itinerary of Grandiosa through the end of May with calls to Genoa, Civitavecchia, Naples, Palermo Sicily and Valletta Malta. Cruises on both ships are currently bookable only by European residents (Schengen countries) and those from Croatia, Romania, and Bulgaria.
MSC Seaside will use the same health and safety protocols that have been successfully used since August 2020 on Grandiosa. Protocol measures feature universal testing at embarkation and mid-cruise, weekly testing of the crew, social distancing, wearing of masks in all public areas, booking of only protected shore trips, enhanced deep sanitation and cleaning procedures.