MSC Cruises and Norwegian Cruise Line will restart their operations in North American ports this week. And in the next few days, Disney Cruise Line is also set to make its return.
MSC Cruises’ MSC Meraviglia departed from Miami to the Bahamas on a four-night trip on Monday. On the other hand, Norwegian will kick things off on Saturday with its seven-night sailing of the Norwegian Encore from Seattle to Alaska.
Disney Cruise Line is set to restart in North America by Monday. It is going to be a four-night trip from Florida to the Bahamas on the Disney Dream.
First Departures By Three Cruises Since the Pandemic
These are the first departures from a North American port for the three cruises since COVID19 stopped the industry’s operations.
In March 2020, cruises stopped their operations as COVID19 cases increased around the world. MSC Cruises, Norwegian, and Disney were able to restart their operations in Europe first before in North America. As for Disney, the company offered its cruises in the UK for UK residents only.
As the three cruises start sailing in North America again, they join Royal Caribbean, Celebrity Cruises, and Carnival Cruise Line that already had a headstart in resuming operations in the region.
Sailing From North American Ports
CDC now allows cruises to operate in the US as long as operators meet certain conditions. For one, cruises need to meet a vaccination threshold before sailing. A cruise needs to have 95% of its crew and passengers vaccinated. If the cruise can’t meet the condition, the CDC requires a simulated voyage to test the safety protocols on board.
The three cruises will have different approaches to meet CDC’s conditions. Norwegian is only going to allow fully vaccinated passengers. MSC Cruises, on the other hand, will allow both vaccinated and unvaccinated but will conduct regular testing on board. Plus, those who are unvaccinated will not be able to disembark the MSC Meraviglia on their own. They will only be allowed to get off the ship in organized tours that have been arranged by MSC Cruises.
