MSC Cruises has worked with the authorities in all of the regions and countries in which the ships operate to ensure its protocol meets and exceed the required health and safety measures. The below details are subject to change.

Before booking your cruise, please check HERE if you are allowed to embark according to your country of residence. Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, there might be international travel restrictions depending on your cruise destination and your country of residence.

The below requirements are valid for current and following sailings (health and safety measures are subject to change and will adapt according to the evolution of the pandemic).

Please note that all Guests over 12 years old will need to follow one of these requirements to be allowed on board:

• Be fully vaccinated AND provide a certificate of a negative RT-PCR or antigen test taken within 48 hours before embarkation. Guests must bring the valid negative test certificate with them to the terminal. If you embark on your cruise at 15:00 on a Saturday, you should take your COVID-19 test on the Thursday as of 15:00. 

• Have recovered from COVID-19 within the last 6 months and have a verification certificate or QR Code confirming as such AND provide a certificate of a negative RT-PCR or antigen test taken within 48 hours before embarkation. Guests will need to show an EU Digital Covid Certificate or equivalent valid documentation. If you embark on your cruise at 15:00 on a Saturday, you should take your COVID-19 test on the Thursday as of 15:00.

Note: MSC Opera: Guests over 18 who have boarded MSC Opera with a COVID-19 recovery certificate and negative test, will need to repeat a Covid test free of charge in the terminal at La Goulette before going ashore in Tunisia. MSC Armonia and MSC Lirica: All guests embarking in Piraeus (Athens) will be required to take a Covid test at the terminal.

Guests 2-11 years of age must present a RT-PCR or antigen test within 48 hours before embarkation. Guests must bring the valid negative test certificate with them to the terminal. There are no testing or vaccination requirements for guests under 2 years of age.

Guests are considered fully vaccinated if:  

Within the last 9 months and 14 or more days prior to departure they have completed two set of vaccines in accordance with local regulations including Pfizer, Moderna, AstraZeneca, Johnson & Johnson and Novavax. A “mix-and-match” combination of the above list of vaccines is also accepted. If more than 9 months (270 days) have passed since receiving the two set of vaccine shots, a booster vaccine will be required to embark. If the booster was done before expiration of the second vacccine (therefore within nine months) it is not necessary to respect the 14 days waiting period before boarding. However, if the booster is taken after nine months from the second dose, it is necessary to have had the booster at least 14 days before the departure date. Guests who received a booster vaccine are exempted from the 9 months restriction. Fully vaccinated Guests who have recovered from Covid-19 are also exempted from the 9 months restriction.

Vaccination certificates must be valid for the duration of the entire cruise. Guests who recovered from Covid-19 and received only one shot of the vaccine are considered as fully vaccinated, as long they have got their vaccine shot and have recovered from Covid-19 within the last 6 months and have a verification certificate or QR Code confirming as such.

Please note: 2 doses of a non European Medicines Agency (EMA) approved vaccine plus an European Medicines Agency (EMA) approved booster (including Pfizer, Moderna, AstraZeneca, Johnson & Johnson and Novavax) will be accepted for embarkation only if the booster shot was given within 6 months of receiving the second vaccine shot and administered at least 28 days after receiving the second vaccine shot.

To note: Antigen self-test is not accepted for Embarkation

The original test results certificate or vaccination or recovery certificate must be presented at the terminal (paper or electronic format) and must be in one of the following languages: English, Italian, German, French or Spanish. The COVID 19 test certificate must contain: guest’s personal data (verifiable with the other travel documents), date of the test, identification / contact details of the centre that performed the analysis, technique used and negative test result.

The below requirements are valid for current and following sailings (health and safety measures are subject to change and will adapt according to the evolution of the pandemic).

Please note that all Guests will need to follow all of these requirements to be allowed on board: 

• All Guests (2 years old and over) need to provide a certificate of a negative RT-PCR test or antigen test taken within 48 hours before embarkation. Guests must bring the valid negative test certificate with them to the terminal. If you embark on your cruise at 15:00 on a Saturday, you should take your COVID-19 test on the Thursday as of 15:00 at the earliest.

• All Guests (12 years old and over) have to be fully vaccinated. 

• Guests are considered fully vaccinated if:  
• 
  
• Within the last 9 months and 14 or more days prior to departure they have completed two set of vaccines in accordance with local regulations including Pfizer, Moderna, AstraZeneca, Johnson & Johnson and Novavax. A “mix-and-match” combination of the above list of vaccines is also accepted. If more than 9 months (270 days) have passed since receiving the two set of vaccine shots, a booster vaccine will be required to embark. If the booster was done before expiration of the second vacccine (therefore within nine months) it is not necessary to respect the 14 days waiting period before boarding. However, if the booster is taken after nine months from the second dose, it is necessary to have had the booster at least 14 days before the departure date. Guests who received a booster vaccine are exempted from the 9 months restriction.
• Fully vaccinated Guests who have recovered from Covid-19 are also exempted from the 9 months restriction.
• 
  
• Vaccination certificates must be valid for the duration of the entire cruise. Guests who recovered from Covid-19 and received only one shot of the vaccine are considered as fully vaccinated, as long they have got their vaccine shot and have recovered from Covid-19 within the last 6 months and have a verification certificate or QR Code confirming as such. 
• 
  
• - Antigen self-test is not accepted for Embarkation 
• 
  
• Please note: 2 doses of a non European Medicines Agency (EMA) approved vaccine plus an European Medicines Agency (EMA) approved booster (including Pfizer, Moderna, AstraZeneca, Johnson & Johnson and Novavax) will be accepted for embarkation only if the booster shot was given within 6 months of receiving the second vaccine shot and administered at least 28 days after receiving the second vaccine shot. 

• 
  

  Important notice for Guests embarking in Valletta (Malta) 

  
  

  Guests embarking in Valletta (Malta) must: 

  • Be fully vaccinated and provide a negative RT-PCR test or antigen test taken within 48 hours before embarkation (only for Guests over 2 years old). Guests must bring the valid negative test certificate with them to the terminal.
  • Guests are considered fully vaccinated if they received the full set of vaccine shots more than 14 days before the start of the cruise with an approved Covid-19 vaccine in accordance to local regulations including Pfizer, Moderna, AstraZeneca, Johnson & Johnson and Novavax. A “mix-and-match” combination of the above list of vaccines is accepted.
   
  The original test results certificate or vaccination certificate must be presented at the terminal (paper or electronic format) and must be in one of the following languages: English, Italian, German, French or Spanish. The COVID 19 test certificate must contain: guest’s personal data (verifiable with the other travel documents), date of the test, identification / contact details of the centre that performed the analysis, technique used and negative test result.

A COVID-19 test or Passenger locator form (PLF) may still be necessary for national or international mobility requirement: it’s every guest’s responsibility to verify this requirement before departure. For more information, it is recommended to check your country’s competent authorities official channels. 

• Italy: a Passenger Locator Form needs to be filled in before entering the country (more information here). 
• Spain: guests will need to fill a Health Control Form before entering in the country (more information here). 
• Valletta / Malta: A Passenger Locator Form is required for Guests embarking in Malta (if not residents in Malta) and for disembarking Guests. For more information please click here.

According to the latest regulations imposed by Italian authorities, all Guests must wear a FFP2 type mask when boarding a bus transfer on the Italian territory. Guests not following this requirement will not be accepted on board.

To ensure peace of mind, MSC Cruises requires all guests to have a specific and mandatory Covid-19 insurance policy to embark, covering against COVID-19 related risks, i.e cancellation, interruption, repatriation expenses, quarantine, medical assistance and related expenses, as well as hospitalization. A proof of the specific COVID-19 coverage insurance policy - which must be in one of the following languages English, Italian, German, French or Spanish - must be presented at embarkation or boarding will be denied.

As per our stringent MSC Health & Safety protocol, all guests both vaccinated and unvaccinated, will need to undergo some Health and COVID 19 screenings including but not limited to a health questionnaire and a contactless temperature check, at the terminal before boarding. 

For a seamless embarkation process, please make sure to review our Health & safety measures in place in our terminals and to bring:

• A printed copy of the embarkation form (available in your cruise ticket)
• A printed copy of the mandatory health questionnaire duly completed and signed within 6 hours prior to the embarkation (available in your cruise ticket)
• The original test results certificate and vaccination or recovery certificate (paper or electronic format) must indicate that complete vaccination has taken place within the last 9 months. Those passengers who received the booster vaccine are exempted from the 9 months restriction.
• A proof of COVID-19 insurance clearly showing the COVID-19 risks coverage
• A valid identity document 

We will deny boarding in case of:

• Symptoms i.e fever (>37.5 C / 99.5 F), cough, shortness of breath, chills, muscle/body aches, fatigue, headache, sore throat and loss of taste/smell in the 14 days prior to embarkation
• Potential exposure to a suspected or confirmed case of COVID 19 in the 14 days prior to embarkation
• Temporary travel restrictions based on local circumstances. For example, certain countries may deny visas or prohibit entry based on travel history or nationality.
• Failure to provide the proof of the mandatory COVID-19 insurance policy (which must be in one of the following languages: English, Italian, German, French or Spanish

A COVID-19 test or Passenger locator form (PLF) may still be necessary for national or international mobility requirement: it’s every guest’s responsibility to verify this requirement before departure. For more information, it is recommended to check your country’s competent authorities official channels.

Starting from April 1, 2022 Guests will be able to go ashore independently according to local requirements which are continually monitored and subject to change. Guests who are travelling with unvaccinated children are also able to go ashore independently. For the best ashore experience, we recommend all guests explore destinations with the comfort, convenience, and safety of an MSC Cruises Shore Excursion, bookable pre-cruise and on board. Some excursions will require an official Covid certificate to access some venues (I.e. museums, churches,..) or to participate any event. More information in the FAQ section. 

Guests travelling by cruise ship, will need to submit the PLF once and as the destination country select the country of their final disembarkation. They will have to enter in the electronic system the names of the ports visited by the ship during the cruise. (https://app.euplf.eu/#/)