SUBJECT: Important: Your upcoming cruise on MSC [SHIP]
Dear [PERSONALIZE NAME],
Thank you for choosing MSC Cruises for your forthcoming cruise holiday. We wanted to take the opportunity to share some important health information about your sailing.
In light of the COVID-19 (coronavirus) outbreak that originated in China, MSC Cruises has undertaken a series of global actions since 24 January to secure the health and well-being of all guests and crew. Thanks to these measures and our strict public health policies, there have been no cases of coronavirus on board any of our ships.
As the situation continues to evolve, we have updated our precautionary measures, and further enhanced them to protect everyone on board, in particular to reflect the latest recommendations of international and local health authorities – including most recently in Italy.
Guests embarking on a cruise are requested to take the following into account:
Rigorous pre-embarkation screening:
MSC Cruises has conducted and continues to conduct pre-boarding screening by thermal cameras to exclude persons who may be at risk, and passengers with signs or symptoms of illness such as fever (≥38 C°/100.4 F°) or feverishness, chills, cough or difficulty breathing will be denied embarkation. The same rules apply to their travel companions and will also result in a denial of boarding;
Keeping the ship free from infectious diseases:
Throughout the cruise, at ports of call, guests and crew embarking and disembarking will be frequently checked by thermal cameras for fever symptoms;
In addition, there has been and will continue to be an elevated deep-sanitation on every ship in our entire fleet. There is increased continuous disinfection of public areas especially frequently touched areas such as handrails, elevator buttons, door handles and reception desks, and people are reminded constantly to thoroughly hand-wash and use alcohol-based hand-sanitizers.
We are denying boarding to anyone from high-risk areas:
Anyone who has travelled to, from or through mainland China, Hong Kong or Macau, (or transited via airports) in the past 14 days, or visited, will be denied access to the ship. The same rules apply to such passengers’ travel companions (parent, spouse, child, siblings, or a companion who shares a cabin).
Similarly, anyone who lives in, or has travelled to, from or through any of the following towns in central northern Italy in the past 14 days, or visited, will be denied access: Casalpusterlengo, Codogno, Castiglione d'Adda, Fombio, Maleo, Somaglia, Bertonico, Terranova dei Passerini, Castelgerundo, San Fiorano and Vò. These are the municipalities that are subject to quarantine measures put in place by the Italian health authorities. Anyone who, within 14 days before embarkation, has had close contact with, or helped care for, anyone suspected or diagnosed as having coronavirus, or who is currently subject to health monitoring for possible exposure to novel coronavirus, will be denied boarding;
In addition, the Italian municipalities subject to the quarantine measures are all located in central northern Italy. None of the ports visited by any of our ships in Italy nor any of the related excursion destinations are anywhere near these municipalities or neighbouring territories.
We trust you understand that given the circumstances we were required to take these precautionary measures. We look forward to welcoming you very soon on board our ship and will make sure your holiday with us will be a one-of-a-kind memorable cruise.
If you have any further questions, don’t hesitate to contact your Travel Agent or the MSC Cruises contact centre on [INSERT NUMBER].
