TRAVEL SPOTLIGHT: CRUISING SUCCESSFULLY RESTARTS IN THE UK
By Harden Holidays
Restarting cruising means so much to so many people. As with many things, you don’t truly value what you have until it’s gone. We were bursting with excitement as we drove into City Cruise Terminal in Southampton and caught the first glimpse of MSC Virtuosa – that is when it really hit home – this is really happening – we are going on holiday on this new and amazing ship! We wrote about her in last month’s article so we won’t go into the details on this occasion. This article is about our personal experience of what it is like to be cruising again. We were warmly welcomed by the shore-side team who guided us through the embarkation process – with regulations and protocols so tight you may be denied boarding if not followed correctly. The two key things that could end in your boarding being denied are lack of evidence of a negative Covid test within 72 hours of boarding / proof of double vaccination, and travel insurance that specifically covers you for Covid. After queuing up for security and another lateral flow test, we found ourselves on board, right under the LED Dome Galleria. The LED screen extends the length of the 112m promenade and was displaying a Union Jack to mark the special occasion. With a glass of bubbly in our hand - we could not be happier. The 6,200 passenger ship is sailing at a reduced capacity of 1,000 guests until the 21st June to allow for greater social distancing and for the new protocols to become familiar. ‘Health is our priority’ is MSC’s mantra for this new era and they take it very seriously. Most of the rules are no different than what we are already accustomed to: wearing face masks while moving around the ship, socially distanced seating in restaurants, bars and theatres and menus accessed via QR code. All these protocols do take a bit to get used to, however compliance has been excellent and everyone on board was very attentive to these new necessities. The MSC for Me app is great – it allows you to access the daily activities, view your
