MSC Cruises officially started its crew vaccination program in the U.S.
On May 7, crew from the MSC Meraviglia ship received their first COVID vaccinations at PortMiami Florida, marking MSC's first crew in the states to be vaccinated.
MSC’s crew vaccination program was introduced on May 1. The first vessel to see its crew participate was MSC Bellissima on April 30.
The company is prioritizing crew aboard its ten liners that will be operating voyages this summer, as well as crew members aboard vessels that are scheduled to resume service from US ports to the Caribbean.
MSC’s vaccine effort in PortMiami follows Port Canaveral’s program, which saw its personnel vacinated on April 30 as well. As of last week, the port had daily capacity to vaccinate up to 1000 crew, shoreside workers and support personnel. PortMiami has daily capacity 900 people.
In Texas, Port Galveston commenced its own vaccine initiative and last week, the port started distribution of the Pfizer vaccine to crew via a partnership with the University of Texas Medical Branch. Carnival Vista and Carnival Breeze crew were among the first to receive doses via Galveston’s program as both liners arrived at Port last weekend.
All of these vaccination efforts have come on the heels of the CDC's latest guidance. The Conditional Sailing Order update of the agency doesn’t state that crew members or passengers must be vaccinated but does say that if cruise companies want to skip operating test voyages with volunteer guests, at least 95% of passengers and 98% of the crew must have the vaccine.