MSC Cruises announced last month that it will restart its sailing operations in Germany on July 3 with is first ever deployment of an innovative Seaside class ship to operate in the Baltic Sea, MSC Seaview, and with a brand-new itinerary for the region.
The vessel will homeport in Kiel until September and offer seven-night voyages – all to include protected shore excursions – to Visby on Sweden’s largest island of Gotland, the port of Nynashamn for Swedish capital city Stockholm, and Estonia’s capital Tallinn, before returning to the northern Germany port.
At the moment, MSC Seaview will be available for guests of all ages from the Schengen area in Europe, plus residents of Croatia, Romania and Bulgaria only.
Gianni Onorato, CEO, MSC Cruises, said: “We are looking forward to the resumption of our cruises from Germany, an incredibly important market for us, and provide our guests with an enjoyable, relaxing and safe cruise holiday on MSC Seaview, one of our most innovative ships.
“Visiting destinations and going ashore is an integral aspect of a cruise holiday and it is now possible with our Baltic Sea cruises from Germany thanks to the general relaxation of health measures locally, as well as much of Europe, and the confirmed opening of the ports and destinations MSC Seaview will call.
Visby, the capital of the Baltic Sea island of Gotland, is a UNESCO World Heritage Site with impressive medieval buildings. Stockholm – known as the ‘Venice of the North’ – is famous for its outstanding architecture and abundance of open water, and Tallinn is renowned for its monumental walls, towers and well-preserved ancient buildings.
MSC Seaview’s Baltic Sea cruises are another step forward in MSC Cruises’ wider plans for a return to sea for its fleet of ships. MSC Grandiosa and MSC Seaside are currently sailing in the West Mediterranean and will be joined in August by MSC Seashore for her maiden season. The company’s most recent addition MSC Virtuosa started her own maiden season with voyages around the UK in late May.
Onorato said: “We are very proud that MSC Virtuosa’s first ever sailing marks the resumption of cruising from British ports after an enforced break of more than a year and effectively heralds the next phase of restart for our industry.
“Our shipping prowess led the way last August with a health and safety protocol designed to protect our guests and crew, as well as the destinations that our ships visit. The data, knowledge and experience we have gleaned since our initial restart in the Mediterranean has helped us to drive forward with our plans to have nearly half of our fleet back at sea during this coming summer, with more to follow in other key markets around the world.
“Since our restart last August in the Mediterranean thousands of guests have had a safe and enjoyable cruise holiday on board one of our ships and we look forward to many more having the same well-earned relaxing breaks with their friends and families in the weeks and months ahead as more of our ships return to water in the UK, across the Mediterranean and Northern Europe.”
Three more ships will soon begin cruises in the East Mediterranean – MSC Orchestra, MSC Splendida and MSC Magnifica. MSC Cruises has cancelled its proposed summer season sailings from the German ports of Warnemünde and Hamburg for MSC Preziosa and MSC Musica, respectively.