Cruise Liner To Dock In Valletta Tomorrow, First To Do So Since March
MSC Grandiosa will be docking at the Valletta Cruise Port tomorrow 21st August – making it the first cruise liner to do so since last March.
Malta had reopened its ports on 1st July, however no cruise ships have called in Valletta since.
The MSC Grandiosa set off from Genoa earlier this week on a seven-night Western Mediterranean Cruise. For the initial phase of this restart of operations, the cruise has only been welcoming residents in Schengen countries.
MSC Cruises have implemented a set of protocols to safeguard passengers’ and the general public’s health during the pandemic.
Guests willing to go ashore upon the cruise’s docking will not be allowed to go ashore independently, rather, they will have to participate in a protected excursion.
MSC Cruises’ health protocols also include numerous health checks upon guests’ embarkation.
These include a temperature check, a health questionnaire, and a COVID-19 antigen swab test. Depending on the screening results and according to the guest’s medical or travel history, a secondary health screening and follow-up molecular testing will take place.
Any guest who tests positive, displays symptoms or a temperature will be denied boarding.
MSC Grandiosa will be sailing with a maximum occupancy rate of 70%, allowing for 10 square metres of space per passenger.