MSC Cruises announces MSC Seaview will sail South Caribbean as itineraries changes
MSC Cruises has revealed it will return to the South Caribbean this winter with cruise ship MSC Seaview sailing out of St Maarten and Barbados.
MSC Cruises announced today that MSC Seaview will offer seven and 14-night cruises out of St Maarten and Barbados starting December 5, 2021.
Itineraries for the trip have been amended to incorporate 12 more hours at each stop.
MSC Seaview will operate two different seven-night itineraries from its two embarkation ports, with many of its guests planning to sail back-to-back cruises.
The first itinerary will depart from the port of Philipsburg, St Maarten’s capital, and Bridgetown, Barbados.
Philipsburg is known for its beautiful blue beaches, beachfront bars, casinos and there are even artifacts from the indigenous Arawak people at the Sint Maarten Museum.
Bridgetown, the capital of Barbados, is known for its British colonial architecture, 17th-century Garrison and horseracing track; Carlisle Bay in Barbados is home to six shipwreck dive sites.
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There will be stops at Castries in St. Lucia; Saint George, Grenada; Basseterre, St Kitts and Nevis.
The second itinerary will leave from St. Maarten and Bridgetown and have stops in Roseau, Dominica; St. John’s in Antigua and Barbuda; Road Town in Tortola and then back to St. Maarten.
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The CEO of MSC Cruises, Gianni Onorato, said of the news: “The southern Caribbean is an area much loved by cruisers from around the world as well as local guests from this region."
MSC was previously planning to cruise to Martinique and Guadeloupe, however the cruise line was forced to change itineraries due to COVID-19 regulations in the Caribbean.
Authorities in Martinique and Guadeloupe ruled cruise guests cannot visit because of the ongoing pandemic and the low vaccination rates in the area.
Consequently, MSC Cruises changed its original itinerary to include Philipsburg, St Maarten as an embarkation port along with Bridgetown, Barbados.
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Cruises can now run throughout the winter in the safest possible way.
What's more, this change in the itinerary now allows guests to have a full day at each location, in some cases up to 12 hours, truly giving cruisers the full travel experience.
Gianni commented: "We have worked hard to find alternative options for the itinerary that would allow us to confirm our usual winter season here, of course supported by our industry leading health and safety protocol."
He continued: “We would like to particularly thank our airline partners who have amended their charter flight schedules to serve the new itinerary to make it accessible for our guests.
“For this, we are still able to offer our guests an incredible cruise holiday this winter, calling at some of the most beautiful islands in the South Caribbean on board MSC Seaview – the perfect ship for sailing in these waters.”
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MSC Cruises is taking COVID precautions very seriously to ensure every passenger’s safety.
To enter the ship, all guests on MSC Seaview will have to be fully vaccinated or present a negative PCR test 72 hours before departure.
At most ports, guests will be able to go ashore independently with themselves or their families but, at others guests must go ashore with an MSC Cruises protected shore excursion.
What's onboard MSC Seaview?
MSC Seaview has a plethora of incredible features when it comes to dining, amenities and entertainment.
Onboard there is a Sunset Beach Pool, Panorama Pool, Waterfront Boardwalk, MSC Yacht Club, MSC Aurea Spa, two full-sized bowling alleys and a Forest Aquaventure Park.
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MSC Seaview has 2,066 guest cabins, and because of this, has one of the cruise industry’s highest ratio of open space per passenger.
This ratio is of great importance during a time where social distancing is still enforced and preferred.
On the ship, there is also a beach condo concept that brings guests closer to sea thanks to special design elements that take advantage of the warmer weather.
