MSC Cruises Gives Back to Healthcare Heroes with Discounted Fares

MSC Cruises announced a special global discounted cruise fare program for all front line and back office healthcare professionals globally as a way of saying ‘thank you’ for their ongoing contribution to fight the global pandemic.

The ‘thank you’ discounted cruise fare program for healthcare professionals and their immediate families will go on sale on Monday, Aug. 31 and will be available for all MSC Cruises’ sailings of any duration through to the end of 2021. This includes all cruises departing up to Dec. 31, 2021, when the booking is made by April 30, 2021.

The special per stateroom fares will result in a discount of up to or exceeding 50% off the regular rates and will be available to healthcare workers for booking from travel advisors and MSC Cruises contact centers.

Additionally, the program will include a series of on-board activities to properly recognize and celebrate these special guests and their families.

“As a family-owned company we think it’s only right and proper to find a way to express our heartfelt ‘thank you’ to each and every healthcare professional of the world – as well as their families – for their selfless and tireless dedication, professionalism and bravery in tackling the current global pandemic,” Pierfrancesco Vago, executive chairman of MSC Cruises said.

For the past five months, MSC Cruises has worked with respected medical experts to draw up a comprehensive healthcare and safety operating protocol to protect the wellbeing of all passengers on board ships.

The new health and safety operating protocol was recently implemented MSC Grandiosa was the first ship from the fleet to return to welcome guests at sea in the West Mediterranean when it departed from the Italian port of Genoa for its first seven-night cruise on Aug. 16.

MSC said cruises in the U.S. will only restart operations “when the time is right,” following approval by the CDC and other relevant authorities across the region.

MSC Grandiosa is now halfway through the next seven-night cruise along the same Western Mediterranean itinerary. Every guest and crew member goes through a comprehensive medical screening before boarding the ship, which includes universal testing for all guests and crew as well as only protected ashore excursions at each port of call.

“The backbone of our protocol is down to the new data, research into COVID-19 and improved understanding of the virus that worldwide healthcare professionals have established during the pandemic and we want to thank them for their selfless and tireless work,” Vago continued.

“And what better way to do that than on a cruise vacation together with their loved ones, who have also endured much to support them during the past months and continue to do so?”