Cruise & Ferry Itinerary Planning 2020

3 7 MSC Cruises was the first major cruise line in the world to resume cruise operations with visits ashore after the pandemic, with MSC Grandiosa sailing seven-night itineraries around the Western Mediterranean that will included calls to the Italian ports of Genoa, Civitavecchia and Naples, along with Valletta, the capital of Malta. However, the company is taking a cautious approach to opening up other regions around the world. “While we are currently resuming operations in the Mediterranean following approval of our health and safety protocol for guests and crew from the relevant local authorities, for other areas of the world we will only restart operations at the right time and when conditions allow,” De Nardo says. “What is for sure is that the successful ports will be those that engage fully with us and have in place a like-minded, robust and rigorous protocol for the well-being of our guests and, of course, for their own employees. We have set a very high bar, which our guests and the onshore communities we have served to date have welcomed. The ports we wish to serve in the future understand that and I’m extremely confident that they will match our exacting standards.” As the cruise line moves into 2021, MSC will also be welcoming two new ships to its fleet. The Meraviglia Plus- class ship MSC Virtuosa will feature the largest shopping area on any cruise ship, while the Seaside Evo-class vessel MSC Seashore will feature newly designed public spaces and more cabins than her sisters, MSC Seaside and MSC Seaview. “The additional capacity provides us with greater opportunities to have a wider range of itineraries on offer with the whole fleet,” says De Nardo. “But the fundamentals of itinerary planning remain the same. I think that the itinerary can only become more important in the future as the industry grows, with many rising destinations in the world doing a great job in advertising their attractiveness and authenticity for holidaymakers.” CFIP MSC Cruises has opened its own private Bahamian island destination, Ocean Cay MSC Marine Reserve “It ’s our role to create a range of different itineraries to match guests’ ambitions and desires”