Travellers who cancelled their cruises due to Covid-19 may get the chance to sail the seas during South Africa's summer season, which kicks off in November.
Managing Director for MSC Cruises South Africa Ross Volk told IOL Travel that the cruise company is considering all options to launch its operations in South Africa in time for the 2020/2021 cruise season.
“We are engaging with government at all levels to ensure that all factors have been considered, which include extensive health and safety protocols. We are confident that by the time of our first sailing, the situation ashore with the global Covid-19 pandemic will have improved sufficiently to allow for people to start thinking even more freely about taking a holiday.
“Should these extreme circumstances change over the coming months, we will respond with an applicable solution that embraces our ethos of health and safety first,” he said.
MSC Cruises revealed its Winter 2020/2021 Season (SA summer) schedule this week. The schedule offers over 90 different itineraries across the Caribbean, Mediterranean, the Gulf, South Africa, South America and Asia. Itineraries range in length from two to 24 nights, along with the third MSC World Cruise departing in January 2021 and an extensive Grand Voyages programme.
The company announced that in South Africa, MSC Orchestra, which replaces the MSC Musica, will offer a range of cruises from either Durban or Cape Town to destinations including Maputo, Mozambique, Portuguese Island, Pomene, Mozambique and Port Elizabeth, as per the originally planned itinerary.
MSC Opera will operate the planned itinerary from Cape Town and Durban. There will also be a 14-night New Year cruise on MSC Orchestra that will sail to five destinations, including an overnight stay in Port Louis in Mauritius.
Volk added: “Guests who were affected by the cancellations have been offered future cruise vouchers for the value of their cruise package for the winter 2020/21 season in South Africa.”