Editor

Cruise News MSCOct 20, 2020 By Editor

MSC Magnifica returns to sail safely, with Covid-19 tests to be done before boarding the ship

MSC Magnifica sailed on October 19 from the Port of Genoa, making it the second MSC Cruises ship to resume operations since the Company returned to sail safely in mid-August. MSC Cruises has introduced a rigorous health protocol, which was done together with international experts, and with the collaboration of the Italian authorities.

MSC Magnifica will embark in the four Italian ports of Genoa, Livorno (for excursions to Florence and Pisa), Messina and Civitavecchia (Rome). Thanks to boarding from the Port of Civitavecchia, this 10-night cruise (a stopover in Piraeus for the visit to Athens, Katakolon for Olympia, Valletta in Malta) is easily accessible for guests residing in Schengen countries, only ones who can currently take part in the cruise in this first phase of resumption of operations.

MSC Cruises’ health and safety protocol includes universal health screening of all guests and crew, with Covid-19 tests to be carried out before boarding the ship; high hygiene, sanitation and cleaning measures throughout the boat; social distancing; mandatory wearing of masks in public areas and on-board contact tracing technology. In this initial phase, the ship’s capacity was also reduced to 70% to ensure social distancing on board.

By the end of the year, the ship is planning a total of six Mediterranean cruises, including a special 8-night Christmas trip that will depart Genoa on 18 December.

Covid-19 Swab Testing at the Port of Civitavecchia

All international transport has been affected by the Coronavirus pandemic (COVID-19), and obviously the arrivals and departures of cruise ships and ferries at the port of Civitavecchia have also been affected.

Currently the Covid-19 swab-test is mandatory only for those returning from Barcelona, while it is highly recommended for those returning from Sardinia.

Where and how to do the swab-test at the port of Civitavecchia

To get the COVID-19 swab it is necessary to show up with a travel document and health insurance card/fiscal code (e-prescription is not mandatory).

The times for taking the swab test at the port are: 6:00 am – 1:00 pm / 6:00 pm – until the end of the swap-tests.

IMPORTANT: we inform all passengers that there are currently long waits at the Largo della Pace Drive-In. Swabs can be made, even in all other territorially competent ASL structures (Local Health Authority).

Here is a useful list of ASL structures that make the covid-19 swab:

PS Ospedale San Paolo – Largo Donatori del Sangue 1,Civitavecchia (Mon-Sat 9am-7pm)
AO San Giovanni Addolorata – Via Ambaradan – Roma (Mon-Sat 9am-7pm)
Ex Presidio Forlanini – Piazza Carlo Forlanini – Roma (Mon-Sat 9am-7pm)

Covid-19 Swab Test for those embarking at the Civitavecchia Port

Starting from Monday 14 September, even those leaving from the Port of Civitavecchia (passengers for Sardinia, for example) can have the test for COVID-19 at the tent at the San Paolo Hospital in Civitavecchia.

The timetables for those who embark for taking the swab test at the port are:
Mon-Fri 9:00 am – 7:00 pm / Sat-Sun 9:00 am – 2 pm

To get a swab test you have to show a travel document.

The time needed to take the COVID-19 test and get the result is about 1 hour.

Covid-19 Swab Test result

To know the swab test result, please contact (from Tue to Sat):

Tel: 06 96669302 / 470 / 471 / 477
E-mail: richiestareferticovid@aslroma4.it

IMPORTANT. Those who have a positive swab test result will be promptly advised.

Travel NewsMay 15, 2020 By Editor

Cancellations and refunds of services booked through our site

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Refund Update

The processing time for cash refunds is taking far longer than normal as we are processing over 1,000 times the normal volume of cancellations. We also have 75% fewer staff available to process refunds due to social distancing restrictions.

CivitavecchiaPort.org is offering vouchers as these are automated and give customers an immediate alternative. Unfortunately, cash refunds cannot be automated. Customers who choose a voucher, but don’t redeem it within 12 months may still apply for and obtain a refund after this 12 month period.

Customers who choose not to accept a voucher will receive their refund in due course, once this crisis has passed. Over the coming weeks and months, we will be working hard to process refund requests as quickly as we can.

We sincerely apologise for these unavoidable refund delays which are due to the unprecedented volume of Govt. imposed flight and ship cancellations and we sincerely thank customers for their patience.

So if you plan to move your trip to the next year, we ask you to request the voucher by email, referring to your booking. Vouchers that you can spend next year[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]

How will I receive my voucher?

If your flight/ship was cancelled, you will receive your voucher from us by email to the email address provided in your Booking. The email will include voucher details, the monetary amount, and expiration date.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]

Are there limitations?

No, there are no limitations to travel on any car transfers.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]

If I don’t use my voucher within the time-frame will I lose it?

You will have 12 months to book your car transfer using your voucher from the date of issue.

If you accept the voucher and do not use it before the expiry date you will receive a full cash refund, if you only use part of the voucher prior to expiry, you will receive the remaining balance in cash upon expiry.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]

Do I need to use the full amount of the voucher at one time?

No you don’t! If you have remaining credit on your voucher after you complete a booking, you can purchase additional services with your voucher.

Or you can save your remaining voucher credit to book another transfer at a later date. Just ensure to complete the booking before the voucher expires, however you can still travel at a later date.

Once the voucher expires, any remaining balance will be refunded in cash.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]

What can I use my voucher for?

You can use your voucher to pay for car transfers on both Rome-airport.net and CivitavecchiaPort.org websites.

You cannot use your voucher to pay for ancillary products, such as tours.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]

Can I give my voucher to my family member or a friend?

Yes! You can pay for multiple travel companions as our voucher offers great travel flexibility.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]

What if I booked a family trip, will I just get one voucher?

Each group booking will receive one voucher on behalf of all customers (including infants). The voucher will be in the customer’s name who made the original booking.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]

Can I receive a cash refund instead of voucher?

You can request a cash refund however bear in mind we will place your request in the cash refund queue, and it will be dealt with accordingly. Your refund voucher will be valid and available for use until you receive your cash refund.
We highly recommend using the refund voucher.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]

Cruise NewsMay 6, 2020 By Editor

Covid-19 Update: When will ocean cruise lines resume service?

Ocean cruises temporarily suspended service worldwide due to the COVID-19 pandemic. We are trying to keep track of the changes, but the cruise industry has been hit hard by the pandemic. Following all the various updates can be challenging.

Obviously, the information we report is provided by various cruise lines around the world, and will be updated if necessary.
These dates are subject to change, and we recommend that you contact your cruise company for current information.

Adventure Canada (Ocean Endeavour only): 2021 (2020 season canceled)

AIDA: Aug 1

Coral Expeditions: November 2020 (to be confirmed)

Australis: September 2020 (start of season)

Azamara: August 1

Bahamas Paradise:

Grand Celebration: July 25
Grand Classica: October 3

Blue Lagoon Cruises: July 1

Captain Cook Cruises: June 1

Carnival: July 31
Carnival is planning a phased return to service, beginning August 1, when it plans to resume cruises on the following ships:

Galveston: Carnival Dream, Carnival Freedom and Carnival Vista
Miami: Carnival Horizon, Carnival Magic and Carnival Sensation
Port Canaveral: Carnival Breeze and Carnival Elation.
Other than the services from Galveston, Miami, and Port Canaveral all other North American and Australian homeport cruises will be cancelled through August 31.
All Carnival Spirit Alaskan cruises from Seattle will be cancelled, as well as the Carnival Spirit Vancouver-Honolulu cruise on September 25 and the Honolulu-Brisbane transpacific cruise on October 6.
All Carnival Splendor cruises in Australia from June 19 to August 31 will be cancelled.

Celebrity: August 1

Celestyal Cruises: July 31

Coral Expeditions: June 16

Costa: Aug 1

Cruise & Maritime Voyages: July 1

Crystal Cruises:

Crystal Espirt: August 9
Crystal Serenity: September 12
Crystal Symphony: September 1

Cunard Line:

Queen Mary 2: August 1
Queen Victoria: August 1
Queen Elizabeth: September 9

Disney Cruise Line:
• Disney Magic: August 5
• Disney Wonder: September 18
• Disney Dream: July 31
• Disney Fanatasy: August 1

Fred. Olsen: No fixed date.

G Adventures Aug 1, 2020.

Hapag-Lloyd Cruises: July 1; August 1 for sailings calling on a U.S. port of call.

Hebridean Island Cruises: July 23, 2020

Holland America Line: Holland America Line has canceled all Alaska, Europe and Canada/New England cruises for summer and fall 2020, as well as Alaska cruisetours.

Hurtigruten:
• June 16 (Coastal Voyage)
• Summer (Expedition Ships)
• Alaska: 2020 Season Cancelled

The Majestic Line: July 4

Marella Cruises: July 31

Metropolitan Touring: June 1

MSC Cruises: Aug 1

Norwegian Cruise Line: Aug 1

Oceania Cruises: Aug 1

P&O Cruises: Oct 16

P&O Cruises Australia:

Australia: September 18
New Zealand: September 1

Paul Gauguin: No fixed date

Pearl Seas Cruises: July 1

Ponant: Varies according to ship; no earlier than June

Poseidon Expeditions: No sooner than June 15

Princess Cruises: Princess has canceled most of its cruises, as well as Alaskan cruisetours, through Fall 2020.

Pullmantur Cruises: July 4

Quark Expeditions: September 20

Regent Seven Seas: August 1

Royal Caribbean: August 1

Saga Cruises: July 1

Sea Cloud Cruises: July 1

Seabourn:

Seabourn Sojourn: October 14
Seabourn Encore: October 20
Seabourn Ovation: November 7
Seabourn Quest: November 7
Seabourn Odyssey: November 21

SeaDream Yacht Club: September 1 for Mediterranean voyages; June for new Norway & Arctic itineraries.

Scenic: September 1

Silversea:

Silver Cloud: Octover 28
Silver Explorer: October 20
Silver Moon: October 2
Silver Muse: September 10
Silver Origin: August 22
Silver Shadow: July 26
Silver Spirit: August 20
Silver Whisper: July 18
Silver Wind: November 11

Star Clippers:

Royal Clipper: July 4
Star Flyer: July 11
Star Clipper: September 12

Tauck: August 1

UnCruise Adventures: End of May

Viking Cruises: August 31

Virgin Voyages: October 17

Windstar Cruises:
• Wind Spirit: September 3
• Star Breeze: October 27
• Wind Surf: November 29
• Wind Star: January 16, 2021
• Star Legend: March 1, 2021
• Star Pride: July 5, 2021

Zegrahm Expeditions: June 4

When Will River Cruise Lines Resume Service?

Amadeus: May 28

AmaWaterways: August 1

American Cruise Lines: June 15

American Queen Steamboat Company: July 6

APT: July 1

Arena Travel: April 30

A-ROSA River Cruises:

Douro: June 17
Rhine: June 19
Danube: June 20
Seine & Rhone: July

Avalon Waterways: September 1

Botanica: May 31

Captain Cook Cruises (Murray River): July 1 (Murray River); June 1 (Fiji)

CroisiEurope:

European, Egpt & South Africa Safari voyages: July 1
Mekong voyages: August 14

Crystal River Cruises: August 1

Emerald Waterways/Evergreen Cruises: September 1

Gate1 Travel: July 1

Grand Circle: July 1

Pandaw: July 2020

Riviera Travel June 1

Scenic: September 1

Tauck: August 1

Teeming River Cruises:. July 14

Titan: June 1

Travelmarvel: July 1

TUI River Cruises: November 26

Uniworld: July 1

Vantage Deluxe World Travel: July 12

Victory Cruise Lines: 2021

Viking River Cruises: August 31

Travel NewsMar 30, 2020 By Editor

Coronavirus emergency: state of arrivals and departures at the Port of Civitavecchia

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Coronavirus (COVID-19) is causing a series of difficulties for all Italian transport, and obviously the arrivals and departures of ferries and cruises are also affected.

In this page we will try to update you on the Port of Civitavecchia, in particular regarding Cruises and the routes that connect it by ferry with Sardinia, Sicily, Spain and Tunisia.

We will try to constantly update this page, during the next few days, whenever there will be official communications from the various shipping companies.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]

Coronavirus update for Cruises at the Port of Civitavecchia.

MSC Cruises extended the cruise stop for the entire fleet until July 31, 2020 inclusive.

Through a note published directly on the official website, the company announced that it will consider restarting operations in August with a reduced number of ships in both the eastern and western Mediterranean. Further updates will be available by July 15th.

Costa Crociere, has announced the suspension of departures until 15 August 2020.

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SICILY

All connections and ordinary transport of people to and from Sicily on the routes of Civitavecchia-Palermo and Civitavecchia-Termini Imerese are back in operation.[/vc_column_text][vc_single_image image=”5689″ img_size=”full” alignment=”center”][/vc_column][vc_column width=”1/2″][vc_column_text]

SARDINIA

All the connections and ordinary transport of people to and from Sardinia on the routes of Civitavecchia-Olbia, Civitavecchia-Cagliari, Civitavecchia-Porto Torres and Civitavecchia-Arbatax are back in operation.[/vc_column_text][vc_single_image image=”5690″ img_size=”full” alignment=”center”][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_separator][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width=”1/2″][vc_column_text]

BARCELONA

Passenger transport to Barcelona from the port of Civitavecchia is currently operational.[/vc_column_text][vc_single_image image=”5692″ img_size=”full” alignment=”center”][/vc_column][vc_column width=”1/2″][vc_column_text]

TUNIS

Passenger transport to Tunis from the port of Civitavecchia is currently operational.[/vc_column_text][vc_single_image image=”5691″ img_size=”full” alignment=”center”][/vc_column][/vc_row]

Cruise News Travel NewsMar 14, 2020 By Editor

Italian ports have already lost 490 thousand passengers between March and April

The weight of the coronavirus emergency on the Italian cruise sector is starting to worsen. Following the stop of the cruise lines, today there are already 280 calls canceled in Italian ports between March and April with 490 thousand passengers lost.

Unfortunately, this is a minimal figure, in the hope that everything will start again as soon as possible. The calculation in fact concerns the companies which, today, have confirmed the cancellation of cruises. Other cruise lines have not yet confirmed the cancellation, but they are likely to do so shortly.

Cruise NewsMar 10, 2020 By Editor

Costa Cruises suspends travel to the Mediterranean

Following the new measures introduced by the government, Costa Cruises has decided to stop traveling in the Mediterranean until April 3. “The cruises currently underway will stop in Italian ports (Civitavecchia, Genova, Venezia, Livorno,…) only to allow guests to disembark and return home, without making excursions or new embarkations,” writes the company in a note. Costa will offer credit to interested cruise passengers for a future cruise.

Cruise News Travel NewsMar 6, 2020 By Editor

Coronavirus, prohibited docking of the Costa Fortuna in Phuket with Italians on board

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]The presence of 64 cruise passengers just arrived from Italy was enough to leave the Costa Fortuna ship with 1600 passengers and almost 1000 crew members at sea – without allowing it to dock on the Thai island of Phuket.

Local newspapers had reported in the morning the statements of the head of the Immigration office of the famous island, according to which the 64 (all from southern Italy) were “suspected of having contracted the” Covid-19 “, a false statement according to the captain of the “Fortuna”, which denies having found cases of illness neither among the 1630 passengers of all nationalities than among the crew on board, about 980 people.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_video link=”https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QFAcQI-qbfU&feature=youtu.be” align=”center” title=”Phuket officials screen over 2000 tourists from Costa Fortuna cruise ship”][vc_column_text]There were also 167 other Italians on the ship, who had long since embarked on the same cruise that sailed between Singapore, Phuket, Langkawi and Penang in Malaysia, and for this reason they had not even been mentioned in the Thai official’s statements.

In any case, Thailand has applied for the first time one of the strictest protection rules against virus infections which provides for a mandatory quarantine period for anyone coming from Italy. In the case of the Costa Fortuna given the situation, the commander preferred to continue on the route of the next scheduled stop, Penang Port in Malaysia, in the hope of being able to disembark passengers for a stop. All the Italians will disembark except for the 64 “suspects” who will have to carry out checks.

Otherwise, a situation similar to that occurred on the Westerdam ship, refused by the authorities of Taiwan, Japan, the Philippines and Thailand, could occur before being accepted in Cambodia where only two passengers with the symptoms of the coronavirus.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]

Cruise News MSC Travel News Travel TipsMar 5, 2020 By Editor

Coronavirus. What cruise lines are doing to mitigate the effect of the emergency on reservations

Cruise companies focus on discounts to mitigate the effect of the Coronavirus emergency on bookings, and put in place different discount options that can be estimated, depending on the cruise companies, in a range between -10 and -25% .

Certainly the cruise sector is not helped by the news that a ferry for the transport of vehicles and passengers, the Gnv Rhapsody, now stopped on site in Genoa for maintenance, has been placed in isolation at the Port of Genoa, with 50 crew members on board, after a passenger, who landed in Tunisia on February 27, tested positive for the virus.

What is Costa Crociere doing now?

Costa Crociere, for example, launches several promotions, including Voglia d’estate, which allows you to book an all-inclusive cruise with the possibility of free cancellation until April 30. While Costa Club Members (including new members) by 8 March can book and cancel without penalty until the end of May, also enjoying a 25% discount on the cabin price.

Finally, for all new reservations, it is possible to book an external cabin at the internal price, or one with a balcony at the external price. Other companies, such as MSC Cruises and Norwegian Cruise line, are also running a promotion campaign.

What is MSC doing now?

In particular MSC, for all individual bookings already confirmed and for new confirmations by March 31st, allows you to withdraw from the contract within 21 days on the departure date with a practical management charge of 50 euros per person. The promotion is valid for the departures of March April May and June. In addition, for bookings until March 15, the Aponte group company offers the possibility to book a cruise with 50 euro deposit (per person) and a 25% deposit to be paid 60 days from the departure date.

Our opinion

Almost all companies are making discounts ranging from 10% to 25%. All companies are applying the utmost attention from the health point of view. Those who board, for example, must fill in a document certifying that they have not been in areas or countries at risk.

Currently booking a cruise is an excellent opportunity to tick off a great discount!

Cruise News Travel NewsFeb 22, 2020 By Editor

4 New Mega Ships arriving at the Port of Civitavecchia

The Port of Civitavecchia is the port of Rome. It has always been the destination of the largest and most luxurious cruise ships in the world. Let’s take a look at the brand new mega cruise ships that will arrive in our port in 2020.

Celebrity Apex.

The Celebrity Apex (Celebrity Cruises) will arrive at the port of Civitavecchia for the first time on May 30, 2020. The ship will sail from Southampton in April 2020, with itineraries in the Mediterranean before moving to Fort Lauderdale, Florida and the Caribbean in November 2020.
The super luxury ship is 300 meters long and can accommodate 2,900 passengers on board.

Enchanted Princess.

The Enchanted Princess (Princess Cruises) will sail in Europe in 2020 and will arrive in our port of Civitavecchia on June 19, 2020, to sail in the Mediterranean sea.

Built and inaugurated by Fincantieri, the new cruise ship is the fifth in the Royal category and will welcome 3,660 guests and 1,346 crew members.

MSC Virtuosa.

MSC Virtuosa (together with the MSC Grandiosa, is the largest ship of the MSC Cruises) will sail to Genoa Port and will arrive in the port of Rome for the first time on October 31, 2020, to navigate the Mediterranean and touch the ports of Barcelona and Marseille.

The new MSC Virtuosa will be able to accommodate 6,300 passengers and 1,700 crew members, with a tonnage of over 181 thousand tons.