Italian cruise ships prepare to set sail

Italian cruise lines are ready to set sail in mid-August, hoping to revive a key sector for Italy’s economy hit hard by the Covid-19 pandemic .

The MSC Cruises group announced on Monday that it will resume operations as of August 16, with two departures from the port of Genoa (northwest) and Bari (south).

The company is the largest international cruise line to resume its Mediterranean voyages, “a relief for the Italian economy,” said Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte.

The decision was announced three days after the government authorized by decree to restart the season from August 15.

Costa Cruises (owned by the Carnival group), the line that competes with MSC Cruises, has not yet announced its projects for now.

“After months of confinement (…) people want to travel again,” MSC spokesman Michele Curatolo told AFP , and said that the company has received “many calls” to request information.

“We are prepared, we have worked very hard,” said the head of MSC Cruises, Gianni Onorato, during a press conference organized to illustrate the health protocols on board due to the coronavirus.

Costa Cruises prepared a prevention guide for the resumption of its cruises and they have planned two departures, on August 15 from Savona and on August 16 from Venice, which have not yet been confirmed.

Italy has suspended its cruises since March when the new coronavirus epidemic broke out in the north of the country.

The sector, which represents 14.5 billion euros for Italy, guarantees about 53,000 jobs, according to the International Cruise Lines Association (CLIA).

During the pandemic, several cruise ships with passengers infected or suspected of being infected remained docked by order of local authorities in ports of Japan, California, Spain and Italy, among others.

The floating hotels are particularly conducive to the spread of the virus, due to limited space and a rather elderly and vulnerable clientele.

According to John Hopkins University, more than 3,000 people have been infected and 73 died aboard 48 ships, as of June 11.

The companies say they have established new health protocols: tests for passengers and crew, daily temperature measurements, maximum distance during shore excursions, table service instead of buffets.