MSC Cruises to Offer Winter Sailings in the Southern Caribbean

MSC Cruises has reconfirmed its winter 2021/22 sailing program in the Southern Caribbean where MSC Seaview will be based during the season for 7- and 14-night cruises from St. Maarten and Barbados, starting December 5.

The authorities in Martinique and Guadeloupe have decided that cruise ships are not yet allowed to bring guests to the islands due to the pandemic situation ashore and the low vaccination rates.  As such, MSC Cruises carried out a full evaluation of alternative options and amended the original itinerary to include Phillipsburg, St. Maarten, as an embarkation port along with Bridgetown, Barbados, so that itineraries can still run the winter program in this region in a safe and healthy way. The updated itinerary reflects the ports that have guaranteed access to the ship and its guests from December onwards and allows for a full day at each destination, in some cases up to 12 hours, enabling guests to make the most of their time to fully discover the islands. 

 

MSC Seaview will operate two different 7-night itineraries from its two embarkation ports with many vacationers set to sail back-to-back cruises and enjoy a voyage of discovery in the magical and tranquil turquoise-colored waters of the Southern Caribbean Sea.

 

The first itinerary will depart the port of Philipsburg – St. Maarten’s capital – and Bridgetown, Barbados, with calls at; Castries, St Lucia; Saint George, Grenada; and Basseterre, St. Kitts and Nevis, before returning to St. Maarten.

 

The second itinerary will sail from St. Maarten and Bridgetown, Barbados, with calls at; Roseau, Dominica; St. John’s, Antigua and Barbuda; and Road Town, Tortola, before returning to St. Maarten.

 

Gianni Onorato, CEO MSC Cruises, said, “The Southern Caribbean is an area much loved by cruisers from around the world, as well as local guests from this region. We have worked hard to find alternative options for the itineraries that would allow us to confirm our usual winter season here, of course supported by our industry-leading health and safety protocols. We would like to particularly thank our airline partners who have amended their charter flight schedules to serve the new itineraries and make them accessible for our guests. Due to this, we are still able to offer our guests an incredible cruise vacation this winter, calling at some of the most beautiful islands in the Southern Caribbean on board MSC Seaview – the perfect ship for sailing in these waters.”

 

MSC Cruises’ ‘Fly & Cruise’ packages offer a range of flights from key European cities and other international air hubs around the world to join MSC Seaview or the Company’s three Florida-based ships, MSC Meraviglia, MSC Divina and, as of November 20, MSC Cruises’ new flagship MSC Seashore, for winter vacations in the Caribbean.

 

All guests on MSC Seaview will have to be fully vaccinated or show a proof of negative PCR test taken 72 hours prior to embarkation. Further, in most ports guests will be able to go ashore independently, while for select specific destinations guests will need to go ashore with an MSC Cruises protected shore excursion. More details will soon be available from the MSC Cruises website, travel agents and the line’s contact center.

 

MSC Seaview, with 2,066 guest cabins, has one of the cruise industry’s highest ratios of open space per passenger and features a beach condo concept that brings guests closer to the sea, thanks to special design elements that make the most of the warmer weather. For more about the ship, please visit here.

 

To learn more about MSC Seaview’s itinerary this winter, please visit here.