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all different evolutions of the pandemic,” Rodríguez says. he waters around the South Florida “Our experience shows that our [health and safety] procruise industry had been eerily calm tocol effectively mitigates risk [and allows us to] provide for more than a full year, thanks to a safe and enjoyable cruise experience … through the the COVID-19 pandemic. It wasn’t until this past June that a U.S.-docked ongoing evolution of the pandemic. “The protocol was designed to be adaptable to the cruise ship once again set sail from Fort Lauderdale. Passengers lined the situation ashore,” he adds, “so when it is needed, we can strengthen our health and safety measures or relax them exterior balconies of Celebrity Edge and waved goodbye when it is possible to do so.” as the ship drifted toward the horizon. Despite traveling with only 1,200 passengers on SAFETY AT SEA board—approximately 1,800 fewer than the vessel’s After forming a panel of medical and public health capacity of nearly 3,000—the Celebrity Cruises voyage experts, many of MSC Cruises’ protocols have set the marked a much-anticipated reboot after, perhaps, the standard for the cruise industry at large, including unimost challenging period in the industry’s history. “For the past 15 months, our conversations with friends versal testing at embarkation, full vaccination and regular testing of crew, mask-wearing, enhanced sanitization and loved ones about seeing the world have been accomand fresh air circulation in staterooms and public areas, panied by the phrase ‘someday,’ ” noted Lisa Lutoff-Perlo, among others. president and MSC also creatCEO of Celebed a contingenrity Cruises (a cy response plan subsidiary of in the event of a Royal CaribCOVID-19 case bean), in a on board. statement about “An importthe Edge’s June ant decision we excursion. “I’m made for resumbeyond proud ing cruises from and excited to the U.S., based say that day has on the data and arrived.” knowledge we’d Though the gathered over Celebrity Edge many months voyage signaled of sailing in the resumption Europe, was of large passento maintain ger ship sailing ROOM WITH A VIEW: One of the contemporary villas inside Celebrity Edge, one our practice in the United of nine Celebrity ships sailing during the 2022-23 Caribbean winter season. of universal States, MSC testing of all guests Cruises was the first prior to embarkation, major cruise line to including fully vaccinated guests,” Rodríguez says. “We return to the high sea in the COVID-19 era—MSC Granwill continue to monitor the situation as it evolves and diosa resumed Mediterranean cruising in August 2020. take decisions that prioritize the health and safety of our “Very early on, we began working on how we could guests, crew and the communities we visit.” restart cruising in a safe and responsible way while also Carnival Cruises, which returned to service in early maintaining the richness of the cruise experience,” says July, has taken a similar approach. “The past months Rubén Rodríguez, USA president of MSC Cruises. “It was have been a learning process,” says Vance Gulliksen, important for us to look forward. We worked on develCarnival Cruises’ senior news desk manager. “We have oping a health and safety protocol that effectively set a developed comprehensive procedures and protocols to standard for the industry and allowed us to become the operate safely, and the feedback from our guests has been first major cruise line back at sea.” nothing short of sensational. We fully expect this positive That approach has allowed MSC Cruises to sail continresponse to continue as ships gradually resume service.” uously for the past year, with more than half of its fleet There are currently seven Carnival Cruises vessels back at sea, safely hosting thousands of passengers worldin service, with that number expected to jump to 15 by wide. Among its ships operating in Florida waters, MSC October—more than half of its fleet, Gulliksen says. Meraviglia has been sailing from Miami since early Au“[Since returning], we’ve safely carried tens of thougust 2021; meanwhile, MSC Divina has a new homeport sands of guests who have enjoyed the vacation they have in Port Canaveral (Brevard County) as of mid-September. “We have sailed in Europe for more than a year through been so patiently waiting for,” he adds. “Our hopes and LMGFL.COM | OCTOBER 2021
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