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EPA
MSC Cruises says all passengers and crew have been tested for coronavirus before boarding
The first large cruise ship to sail in the Mediterranean Sea in almost five months, came from the Italian city of Genoa.
The MSC Grandiosa will stop at three Italian ports and the Maltese capital Valletta in a seven-day journey.
Operator MSC Cruises, say all passengers and crew have been tested for coronavirus before boarding.
It comes as virus cases continue to rise around Italy, with more than 600 reported by authorities yesterday.
In response, Italian authorities on Monday ordered the closure of all dance halls and nightclubs. Face masks will also be required from 6pm to 6pm local time in public spaces where social distance is not possible.
MSC Cruises said it will also operate the MSC Grandiosa on about 70% of its normal operations, with about 2,500 passengers on board, to ensure safety protocols.
The launch is seen as a first step towards restarting a sector that generates $ 150 billion (£ 114bn) for the world economy, according to the Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA).
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For Italy, badly affected by coronavirus, it is especially important. It ranks seventh among cruise ship operating countries, with more than 800,000 passengers in 2018.
Last week, the Italian government gave permission for cruise lines to resume operations in the country on August 15.
MSC Cruises, which operates the MSC Grandiosa, will launch another cruise off Bari’s Italian port on August 29, but has suspended its Mediterranean cruises until mid-October.
The international cruise industry has suffered enormous financial losses due to the pandemic. Several carriers have also been criticized for leaving thousands of passengers aboard ships in Asia and the US in the early months of the pandemic. On June 11, 3,047 people were infected and 73 died while on board 48 cruise ships joined CLIA, according to Johns Hopkins University data.
The company said its new security protocols – including daily temperature checks for those on board – are more than national and sectoral standards. But the MSC Grandiosa sailing represents a major test for the sector amid long-standing concerns about passenger safety.
At the end of July, a small Norwegian operator, Hurtigruten, was forced to stop its newly launched service after dozens of passengers and crew tested positive for coronavirus.
