MSC Cruises has updated its health and safety protocols for sailings from U.S. ports in response to the CDC’s lifting of requirements for the cruise industry.
MSC Cruises has made some important changes to the announcement earlier this week. The newly updated policy will go into effect for cruises embarking from U.S. ports beginning August 29, 2022, pending destination requirements. MSC Cruises will continue to monitor pandemic conditions and port requirements outside of the U.S., with a goal to relax testing and vaccination protocols to open cruising to all guests, while prioritizing the health and safety of its guests, crew and destinations.
The updates concern U.S. and Puerto Rico residents departing on cruises from U.S. ports. Details of the changes include:
- Unvaccinated guests 2 years to 11 years old must show proof of a lab-administered negative COVID-19 viral test (NAAT or antigen) taken within 3 days of embarkation for all cruises from U.S. ports. MSC Cruises recommends unvaccinated guests to test within 1 day of departure, when possible.
- Fully vaccinated guests sailing 6 nights or longer from U.S. ports must show proof of a lab-administered negative COVID-19 viral test (NAAT or antigen) taken within 3 days of embarkation. MSC Cruises recommends vaccinated guests to test within 1 day of embarkation, when possible.
- For fully vaccinated guests sailing 5 nights or less from U.S. ports, COVID-19 testing within 3 days of embarkation is recommended, but not required.
MSC Cruises’ current vaccination requirements will remain in place for sailings from U.S. port until August 28, 2022. These require U.S. and Puerto Rico residents who are fully COVID-19 vaccinated to show proof of a negative antigen or RT-PCR test taken no more than 2 days prior to ship embarkation. Guests must bring the valid negative test certificate with them to the terminal. If necessary, MSC Cruises may provide additional testing at the terminal during embarkation or on board. Not fully vaccinated guests are required to show proof of a negative RT-PCR test taken no more than 3 days prior to embarkation. These guests must bring the valid negative test certificate with them to the terminal and may undergo an additional COVID-19 test at the terminal prior to embarkation. The test will be provided by MSC Cruises, free of charge. No pre-embarkation or embarkation testing is required for guests under 2 years of age.
For more details and updates visit MSC Cruises.