MSC Not Tolerating Violation of New C-19 Health Protocols

[Von & John]

MSC Not Tolerating Violation of New C-19 Health Protocols

Let's hope by enforcing their new C-19 plan - MSC will complete a successful first voyage...

Family kicked off first Mediterranean cruise after violating new health protocols

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/opinion/family-kicked-off-first-mediterranean-cruise-after-violating-new-health-protocols/ar-BB18aj8M?li=BBnbklE

 

Edited August 19, 2020 by Von & John

[vulcan1971]

Not sure what kind of discussion this thread will generate but I think MSC made a good call.

[Germancruiser]

18 minutes ago, vulcan1971 said:

Not sure what kind of discussion this thread will generate but I think MSC made a good call.

The same course as everything goes these days- some are in line with the restrictions, some see them as a personal threat to their freedom.

I am of the opinion that the cruise line acted right. What´s the use of regulations to avoid contact with locals and not enforceing them. So- KUDOS  to MSC.

Edited August 20, 2020 by Germancruiser

[Von & John]

Although we'd all love to be back out on the Ocean...

If you elect to take a cruise @ this time, you should be willing to happily comply w/ the cruise line's C-19 mitigation plans... 

Ultimately - Cruising is a privilege, not a right...

Edited August 20, 2020 by Von & John

[SevenSeas1492]

Just like everything else, the rules don’t apply to them!  Good call, MSC!

[hcat]

The excursion rules make sense for now. Small group  safety,  easier to track, etc. Guests  are  no doubt made aware.

 

Cruise line did the right thing.  Sad that some think or want to believe the rules do not apply to them.  Poor example for children.

 

Edited August 20, 2020 by hcat

[Von & John]

Just now, hcat said:

The excursion rules make sense for now.

 

 

@hcat - this statement is the key for me...
Hoping this is simply a C-19 mitigation rule 🙂

Which will quickly disappear - when it is no longer needed...

[vulcan1971]

11 minutes ago, Von & John said:

 

@hcat - this statement is the key for me...
Hoping this is simply a C-19 mitigation rule 🙂

Which will quickly disappear - when it is no longer needed...

 

Agreed.

Edited August 20, 2020 by vulcan1971

[cheeseheads4ever]

Yes great call MSC. Don’t get the personal threat to freedom. You are protecting others as well as your selves. Same reason I don’t get people not wearing masks in stores. The more we protect each other the quicker this crud will be gone. Don’t get it.

[jelayne]

MSC made the right call, kudos to them.  Until this pandemic is a thing of the past if we want the freedom to cruise we need to abide by the rules that allow us to cruise.

[Germancruiser]

If I have got this right MSC offers those shore excursion with no charge. If just so happens I am quite quite sure- as soon as it is safe again- they will cancel that new rule. LOL

[SeaHunt]

29 minutes ago, Germancruiser said:

If I have got this right MSC offers those shore excursion with no charge. 

 

LOL like everything with MSC, this CC article shows that it all depends on the "experience" you choose - they only give ONE excursion complimentary for all cabin grades, and some other cabin grades can purchase up to three for 100 Euros pp. Only Yacht Club gets all five excursions:  

 

MSC will offer at least one of these excursions complimentary for all cabin grades, though additional excursions can be purchased depending on the cabin "Experience" that cruisers book. MSC's "experiences" come with numerous inclusions, including drink packages and other offerings. Passengers booking stays in the MSC Yacht Club, MSC's luxury ship-within-a-ship concept, will receive all five shore excursions (one in each port of call) for free. Passengers in other cabin grades can purchase up to three shore excursions for a flat, all-in rate of 100 Euros per person.

 

https://www.cruisecritic.com/news/5510/

[jelayne]

Regardless of whether or not the excursions were free or not, the fact that there are requirements in order to sail and when they were violated MSC stepped up and enforced them is what it will take to get ships sailing.

[Shadow9612]

MSC did the right thing.  It's so important to the cruise industry (and all of us eager to cruise) for these first sailings to go smooth and covid-free.

 

Plus, hopefully others who feel rules don't apply to them, will think twice....

[MarkusToe]

within germany I've seen the free excursions as follows

inside 1

balcony 3

YC 5

[WrittenOnYourHeart]

Fabulous job MSC!!

 

Too often we see cruise lines and other businesses afraid to actually enforce their rules to not make the customer angry. But there are too many people who take advantage of that by doing what they want and then screaming "the customer is always right". Sorry, but no. There are times when the customer is NOT right and the business has the right - I would say the obligation - to uphold their regulations and rules.

 

Happy to see that at least one cruise line isn't going to ignore things to keep everyone happy.

[OceanCruise]

If the rules were fully made clear before sailing I have no problem with this. However, I would not want to take a cruise with these draconian measures in place. Part of the fun of a cruise is exploring the ports on our own. I would also feel safer being with only my spouse walking around or using a private driver rather than being confined for hours with an entire group of people.

[Spif Barwunkel]

Kudos to MSC. No doubt there will always be someone who disregards the guidelines put in place, feeling that there will be no consequences. The actions of this family were brazen, selfish and not in keeping with MSC's efforts to introduce an acceptable way to cruise under current conditions. A perfect example for all companies to follow when they resume cruising. 

 

By no means is this a "draconian measure" enacted by MSC. It is a necessary protocol put in place offering cruisers, who don't mind playing by the rules, the opportunity to enjoy a modified version of a favorite vacation.        

[TeaBag]

I agree, kudos to MSC.

[mayleeman]

I love what MSC did here. So many positive comments! Wouldn't it be cool if they actually faked it on this first cruise as a ploy to show all other cruisers that the rules are serious. (Probably not, but I had a prof do that to a "late arrival"--kicked him out. Turned out to be a grad ass't helping him make the point about tardy arrivals...) 

[yorky]

3 hours ago, OceanCruise said:

If the rules were fully made clear before sailing I have no problem with this. However, I would not want to take a cruise with these draconian measures in place. Part of the fun of a cruise is exploring the ports on our own. I would also feel safer being with only my spouse walking around or using a private driver rather than being confined for hours with an entire group of people.

The thing is that group of people have been tested. That private driver probably won’t have been. You are in a relatively safe bubble which makes a lot of sense.

[Fouremco]

4 hours ago, OceanCruise said:

If the rules were fully made clear before sailing I have no problem with this. However, I would not want to take a cruise with these draconian measures in place. Part of the fun of a cruise is exploring the ports on our own. I would also feel safer being with only my spouse walking around or using a private driver rather than being confined for hours with an entire group of people.

I definitely agree that part of the fun of cruising is exploring ports on your own. DW and I do that regularly as well as renting cars for DIY excursions. However, as I said in another thread, "as much as we might want to turn the clock back and cruise as we did pre-pandemic, that's simply not going to happen. Compromises are going to be the reality of cruises in the foreseeable future, and the sooner people accept it the better." 

 

[wrk2cruise]

To me all cruise lines are going to need to enforce the rules strictly if they want to retain their multi billion dollar industry.  It won't take too many missteps to tank the entire industry.  It should be zero tolerance.

[Baron Barracuda]

First cruises back are operating under a microscope.  Cruise lines must demonstrate their new safeguards actually prevent outbreaks.  Smart move then to make an example of rule-breakers.  Will get other passengers to toe the line and reassure  the cruising public that they are serious. 

[mnocket]

I'm going to question how strictly MSC is enforcing health protocols.

 

Over on the MSC board there is a post about the current MSC Grandiosa cruise that includes a number of videos from someone onboard.  Throughout, including waiters in the MDR, we see crew members wearing clear face shields - some wear face masks underneath and some do not.  My understanding is that face shields offer supplementary  protection and are not meant to replace face masks.  Apparently, MSC either approves of face shields without masks or doesn't enforce a face mask requirement for their crew.   

 

Should this be acceptable?  Is MSC cutting corners with safety?  If it's OK for crew members, shouldn't it be OK for passengers as well.  For many, wearing a face shield is much more comfortable than wearing a face mask.