Cruising From Barcelona Resumes With Departure of MSC Ship

This past weekend, international cruising officially resumed from the Spanish port of Barcelona.

MSC Cruises’ ship MSC Grandiosa became the first vessel to embark Spanish guests and travelers from other Schengen countries. The seven-night voyage calls at Genoa, Civitavecchia (Rome), Naples, and Palermo, Italy, as well as Valletta, Malta.

MSC Grandiosa Galleria
The Galleria Grandiosa promenade on MSC Grandiosa (Photo courtesy of MSC Cruises)

Gianni Onorato, the CEO of MSC Cruises, said of the occasion:

“Barcelona is an integral part of our year-round itineraries in the Mediterranean and to see it reopen for our guests from Spain and other countries in Europe is extremely gratifying. This was a very welcome addition to the ever-increasing number of ports that are opening for business after such a long pause in operations.”

“As the first cruise line to offer international cruises from Spain we are sure that our Spanish guests will enjoy the convenience of embarkation in Barcelona on Saturdays and enjoy the popular itinerary that MSC Grandiosa offers in the Mediterranean.”

The port of Barcelona is especially important to MSC Cruises recently, as earlier this month the line received approval to operate and manage a new cruise terminal. It’s due to be completed in 2024.

READ MORE: Carnival Cruise Line Reveals New Muster Drill, Teases Dining Changes

MSC’s Barcelona restart this weekend follows approvals from relevant Spanish authorities for the line’s health and safety protocol, which were introduced in August 2020.

MSC Grandiosa‘s itinerary starting at the end of July will see the addition of Valencia, Spain, which will be a port of embarkation on Fridays. The ship will then call on Barcelona, Genoa, La Spezia (the port for Florence and Pisa), and Civitavecchia.

In the coming weeks, more ports are slated to reopen across Europe, and MSC Cruises is planning to offer a choice of six ships and itineraries this summer across Northern Europe and the Mediterranean.

MSC Seaview will start Baltic Sea cruises beginning July 3 from Kiel, Germany with seven-night sailings to Sweden and Estonia. Sister ship MSC Seaside will sail from Marseille, France on July 4, marking the reopening of the city’s cruise port.

MSC seaview
MSC Seaview (Photo courtesy of MSC Cruises)

MSC Magnifica resumed cruises last week in the eastern Mediterranean, joining MSC Splendida and Orchestra in the region. Since May 20, the company’s new ship MSC Virtuosa has been sailing around the UK.

Starting August 2, MSC Meraviglia will resume sailings in the Bahamas from Miami. She will be joined by MSC Divina for three, four, and seven-night cruises from Port Canaveral starting September 18.

And finally, MSC Seashore will enter service in August with voyages in the western Mediterranean before heading to her new homeport of Miami to operate Bahamas and Caribbean cruises.

READ NEXT: “We Have Longed For This Day” as First Cruise in 15 Months Departs a U.S. Port

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