MSC Cruises Health and Safety Protocol

MSC Cruises Health and Safety Protocol

General requirements

On all cruises in the coming months, all guests will be subject to strict boarding requirements.

Cruises in the Mediterranean Sea (Summer 2022)

In addition to the MSC Cruises protocol requirements below, please read   the entry and exit regulations for the country where the cruise begins.

Boarding will be permitted if  all of  the following documents are present:

1. Confirmation of full vaccination with a  vaccine approved for this region*, namely at least two doses of a two-component vaccine (there are no additional requirements for vaccination dates). The rule applies to all passengers aged 12 and older.

OR confirmation of having suffered and cured the disease of COVID-19  within the previous 6 months of the cruise.

Document requirements:

1. The vaccination certificate  (in paper format) must be presented at the cruise terminal prior to boarding. The certificate must be in English, Italian, German, French or Spanish.
2. The document confirming the transfer and cure of the disease of COVID-19  (in paper format) must be verified with a QR code and be in English (digital European certificate or Action)  
3. A negative result of a PCR test or an antigen test  made no earlier than  48 hours  before the departure of the cruise. The rule applies to all passengers aged 2 years and older. The original test (in paper format) must be presented at the cruise terminal prior to boarding. The certificate must be in English, Italian, German, French or Spanish and contain: the guest's personal data (checked together with other travel documents), the date of the test, the identification/contact details of the center that carried out the analysis, the methodology used and the negative test result.  

* Vaccines approved for this swimming region:

• All two-component COVID-19 vaccines registered worldwide by local health authorities (no WHO or EMA approval required, including EpiVacCorona, CoviVac, Pfizer, AstraZeneca, Moderna, Novavax, Sinopharm, Sinovac, etc.
• One-component Johnson & Johnson vaccine ( COVID-19 Vaccine Janssen ). One dose is enough for a cruise. 

Notes:

If there is confirmation of receiving  one dose of vaccination with a  two-component vaccine approved for this region,  and if there is confirmation of the transferred and cured disease of COVID-19 , the  passenger can take a cruise.

For  MSC LIRICA cruises (Greece, Turkey, Cyprus, Israel) from 04/11/2022 to 10/21/2022,  a detailed protocol is published separately.

general requirements

According to the requirements of the Italian authorities, when using transport in the country, including buses, tourists must use FFP2 masks. When using other masks, tourists will be refused transportation.

In order to visit Tunisia (MSC Opera), unvaccinated passengers over 18 years of age who take a cruise on the basis of a previous illness will need a negative antigen test result (can be done at the port of Tunisia free of charge).

Port visits

Independent disembarkation in ports will be allowed for all tourists in the absence of appropriate restrictions by local authorities for cruise passengers.

Testing during landing

MSC Cruises no longer tests all passengers for Covid, but continues to conduct a brief medical examination. 

 

Cruises in the Mediterranean Sea MSC LIRICA

(Greece, Turkey, Cyprus, Israel from 05/23/2022 to 10/21/2022)

Boarding will be permitted if all of the following documents are present:

1. Confirmation of full vaccination with a  vaccine approved for this region*, namely at least two doses of a two-component vaccine (there are no additional requirements for vaccination dates). The rule applies to all passengers aged 12 and older.

OR confirmation of having suffered and cured the disease of COVID-19  within the previous 6 months of the cruise.

Document requirements:

1. The vaccination certificate  (in paper format) must be presented at the cruise terminal prior to boarding. The certificate must be in English, Italian, German, French or Spanish.
2. The document confirming the transferred and cured disease of COVID-19  (in paper format) must be verified with a QR code and be in English (digital European certificate or DIYA/Ukraine, etc.). 
3. A negative result of a PCR test or an antigen test  made no earlier than  48 hours  before the departure of the cruise. The rule applies to all passengers aged  2 years  and older.
   The original test (in paper format) must be presented at the cruise terminal prior to boarding. The certificate must be in English, Italian, German, French or Spanish and contain: the guest's personal data (checked together with other travel documents), the date of the test, the identification/contact details of the center that carried out the analysis, the methodology used and the negative test result.  

* Vaccines approved for this swimming region:

• All two-component COVID-19 vaccines registered worldwide by local health authorities (no WHO or EMA approval required), including EpiVacCorona, CoviVac, Pfizer, AstraZeneca, Moderna, Novavax, Sinopharm, Sinova, etc.
• One-component Johnson & Johnson vaccine ( COVID-19 Vaccine Janssen ). One dose is enough for a cruise.

Notes:

If there is confirmation of receiving one dose of vaccination with a two-component vaccine approved for this region, and if there is confirmation of the transferred and cured disease of COVID-19, the passenger can take a cruise.

Visiting Israel

All passengers must complete a declaration form for entry to Israel  corona.health.gov.il/en/flights  within 48 hours prior to arrival at an Israeli port.

At the beginning of the cruise in Israel (Haifa)

To enter Israel, passengers must complete the Declaration of Entry to Israel  corona.health.gov.il/en/flights  within 48 hours before departure.

Passengers must also fill out a health declaration within 48 hours before boarding  corona.health.gov.il/en/flights  (the declaration must be filled out as an Exit statement). 

Boarding time

Tuesday (Kusadasi): from 11:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. (counters close at 2:30 p.m.)

Thursday (Haifa): from 12:00 to 16:00 (counters close at 16:30)

Friday (Limasol): from 10:00 to 13:00 (counters close at 13:30)

Monday (Piraeus): from 10:00 to 17:00 (counters close at 17:00)

Visiting ports along the route

Independent disembarkation in ports will be allowed for all tourists in the absence of appropriate restrictions by local authorities for cruise passengers.

Testing during landing

MSC Cruises no longer tests all passengers for Covid, but continues to conduct a brief medical examination. 

 

Northern Europe (Summer 2022)

In addition to the MSC Cruises protocol requirements below, please read   the entry and exit regulations for the country where the cruise begins.

Boarding will be permitted if  all of  the following documents are present:

1. Confirmation of full vaccination with a  vaccine approved for this region*, namely at least two doses of a two-component vaccine (there are no additional requirements for vaccination dates). The rule applies to all passengers aged 12 and older.

OR confirmation of having suffered and cured the disease of COVID-19  within the previous  6 months of the cruise.

 

Document requirements:

1. The vaccination certificate  (in paper format) must be presented at the cruise terminal prior to boarding. The certificate must be in English, Italian, German, French or Spanish.
2. The document confirming the transferred and cured disease of COVID-19  (in paper format) must be verified with a QR code and be in English (digital European certificate or DIYA/Ukraine, etc.).
3. A negative result of a PCR test or an antigen test  made no earlier than 48 hours before the departure of the cruise. The rule applies to all passengers aged 2 years and older.

The original test (in paper format) must be presented at the cruise terminal prior to boarding. The certificate must be in English, Italian, German, French or Spanish and contain: the guest's personal data (checked together with other travel documents), the date of the test, the identification/contact details of the center that carried out the analysis, the methodology used and the negative test result.

* Vaccines approved for this region:

• All two-component COVID-19 vaccines registered worldwide by local health authorities (no WHO or EMA approval required), including  Sputnik V, Sputnik M  , EpiVacCorona, CoviVac, Pfizer, AstraZeneca, Moderna, Novavax, Sinopharm, Sinova, etc.
• One-component Johnson & Johnson vaccine ( COVID-19 Vaccine Janssen ). One dose is enough for a cruise.

Notes:

If there is confirmation of receiving  one dose of vaccination with a  two-component vaccine approved for this region,  and if there is confirmation of the transferred and cured disease of COVID-19 , the  passenger can take a cruise.

general requirements

Port visits

Independent disembarkation in ports will be allowed for all tourists in the absence of appropriate restrictions by local authorities for cruise passengers.

Testing during landing

MSC Cruises no longer tests all passengers for Covid, but continues to conduct a brief medical examination.