MSC adding second ship in the Mediterranean
MSC Cruises is deploying MSC Seaside in Europe for the first time since her launch in 2017, joining flagship MSC Grandiosa in the Mediterranean from 1 May.
MSC Seaside will be performing a brand-new itinerary featuring seven-night cruises calling at Genoa, Valetta in Malta, and Civitavecchia with two first time ports of call – Siracusa in Sicily and Taranto in Puglia.
MSC Seaside will implement for the protections of guests and crew MSC Cruises’ health and safety protocols that have been tried and tested since August 2020.
Measures include universal testing at embarkation and mid-cruise, weekly testing of crew, social distancing, wearing of masks in public areas, only protected shore excursions, as well as enhanced deep sanitation and ongoing cleaning.
MSC Grandiosa’s current successful itinerary will be extended through to the end of May with the ship calling at the Italian ports of Genoa, Civitavecchia, Naples, Palermo as well as Valetta in Malta.
MSC Grandiosa has been welcoming guests for a holiday at sea from August of last year and has since safely carried more than 40,000 guests.
MSC Seaside and MSC Grandiosa itineraries are currently available to residents from Schengen countries and Bulgaria, Croatia, and Romania.
Other Itinerary Updates
MSC Cruises today also updated the itineraries for the start of its summer season as a result of the delay in the return to availability of certain ports across Europe.
It is cancelling all other itineraries in the West Mediterranean for April and May, with cruises there resuming from June as planned.
Similarly, in the East Mediterranean cruises are cancelled for April, with cruises resuming from May as planned. In Northern Europe, all itineraries are cancelled in April.
All Caribbean itineraries are cancelled through to 31 May. Guests impacted by these changes will be able to rebook on another cruise – including MSC Seaside and MSC Grandiosa in the Mediterranean.
Source: MSC Cruises PR
TravelMole Editorial Team
Editor for TravelMole North America and Asia pacific regions. Ray is a highly experienced (15+ years) skilled journalist and editor predominantly in travel, hospitality and lifestyle working with a huge number of major market-leading brands. He has also cover in-depth news, interviews and features in general business, finance, tech and geopolitical issues for a select few major news outlets and publishers.
Vegas’s Billion-Dollar Secrets – What They Don’t Want Tourists to Know
Visit Florida’s New CEO Bryan Griffin Shares His Vision for State Tourism with Graham
Chicago’s Tourism Renaissance: Graham Interviews Kristin Reynolds of Choose Chicago
Graham Talks with Cassandra McCauley of MMGY NextFactor About the Latest Industry Research
Destination International’s Andreas Weissenborn: Research, Advocacy, and Destination Impact
Graham and Don Welsh Discuss the Success of Destinations International’s Annual Conference
Graham and CEO Andre Kiwitz on Ventura Travel’s UK Move and Recruitment for the Role
Brett Laiken and Graham Discuss Florida’s Tourism Momentum and Global Appeal
Graham and Elliot Ferguson on Positioning DC as a Cultural and Inclusive Global Destination
Graham Talks to Fraser Last About His England-to-Ireland Trek for Mental Health Awareness
Kathy Nelson Tells Graham About the Honour of Hosting the World Cup and Kansas City’s Future
Graham McKenzie on Sir Richie Richardson’s Dual Passion for Golf and His Homeland, Antigua
ADS PRO 
France prepares for a massive strike across all transports on September 18
Turkish tourism stalls due to soaring prices for accommodation and food
CCS Insight: eSIMs ready to take the travel world by storm
Germany new European Entry/Exit System limited to a single airport on October 12, 2025
Airlines suspend Madagascar services following unrest and army revolt