MSC Seaview's summer Baltics cruises open to Schengen passengers, Preziosa and Musica sailings cancelled

It will be the first Seaside class ship to operate in the Baltic Sea, but adds to a growing number of vessels sailing from Kiel this season.

MSC Preziosa and MSC Musica sailings from Warnemünde and Hamburg, respectively, are cancelled owing to the limited number of Baltic and North Seas ports operating this summer.

Itinerary and excursions 

The vessel, which will homeport in Kiel until October, will call at Sweden's Gotland island, home to the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Visby with its medieval architecture.

It will move to the port of Nynashamn for Stockholm, before arriving in Tallinn, Estonia. 

The cruise line will liaise with health, safety and transport authorities throughout Europe, and new ports could be added depending on the situation shoreside in different locations.  

Protected shore excursions will be permitted. 

A key market for MSC Cruises

Describing Germany as ‘an incredibly important market’ for the cruise line, MSC Cruises’ CEO  Gianni Onorato said, ‘Visiting destinations and going ashore is an integral aspect of a cruise holiday and it is now possible with our Baltic Sea cruises from Germany, thanks to the general relaxation of health measures locally, as well as much of Europe, and the confirmed opening of the ports and destinations MSC Seaview will call.

‘This brand-new itinerary will provide our guests with some outstanding destinations to visit ashore...with the same high health and safety standards as those on board MSC Seaview, as well as all of our ships.’

Health and safety  

Measures will include universal testing at embarkation and mid-cruise, weekly testing of crew, social distancing and the wearing of masks in public areas, in addition to health and safety protocols that enabled the cruise line to sail last August.

MSC Cruises' return to sailing 

MSC Grandiosa and MSC Seaside, which are currently sailing in the West Mediterranean, will be joined in August by MSC Seashore for its maiden season. MSC Orchestra, MSC Splendida and MSC Magnifica are set to resume cruises in the East Med.   

MSC Virtuosa begins its maiden season later this week with voyages around the UK.