First Mediterranean cruise making stop in Malta sets sail with new COVID-19 protocols in place
Tests, quarantine and screening have been performed.
The first Mediterranean cruise after Italy’s COVID-19 lockdown has set sail, with one of the stops being Malta. Various measures have been implemented, with passengers having been tested and had their temperatures checked before boarding.
The company MSC has implemented procedures to ensure the safety of its crew and passengers. The MSC Grandiosa, christened last year, left the Genoa port on Sunday evening for a seven-night cruise in the western part of the Med.
The new protocols
Reportedly, anyone who presented with any symptoms or who had tested positive were not allowed on board. Guests must wear face masks in common areas (such as lifts) where social distancing isn’t possible. Ensuring that they were safe for work, the crew also spent time in isolation before the cruise set sail.
Earlier this month, Italy’s government approved the departures of cruise ships from its ports, however limited the capacity to 70 per cent. Among the port of calls for the MSC Grandiosa’s trip are Naples, Palermo, Sicily and Valletta.
For now, MSC are also limiting guests who are residents of Europe’s 26-nation Schengen visa free travel zone. Every guest and crew members will also be given a wristband which “facilitates contactless transactions around the ship as well as providing contact and proximity tracing.”