MOBILITY, MEDICAL AND DIETARY REQUIREMENTS

Guests can inform MSC Cruises of any special requirements by filling in the relevant form (Special Needs Form) available online and at all accredited travel agencies. This information should preferably be provided at the time of booking, or, at the very latest, no fewer than two working days before departure. This allows us time to provide the best possible service for our guests, which depends on the facilities and resources on board each ship. If we are notified after this deadline we will do everything in our power to provide the services requested, but this may not be possible at such short notice.

 

Guests will only be prevented from booking or embarking in exceptional circumstances, and only in the event of a serious or urgent threat to the safety of the guests or the crew.

 

All personal data provided by guests will be treated in a manner that fully conforms to our privacy policy. For further information on the services offered on board, on how to inform us of any special needs or other requirements not expressly mentioned in this section, please get in touch with your travel agent.

Accessible cabins, fitted out especially for guests with disabilities and/or reduced mobility, are available on every ship in the fleet. Guests requiring an accessible cabin can request it at the time of booking.

The accessible cabins are larger and offer more space for movement than regular cabins, and come with extra facilities and equipment to meet special needs.

 

Check the facilities available on your preferred ship: MSC Armonia, MSC Bellissima, MSC Divina, MSC Fantasia, MSC Grandiosa, MSC Lirica, MSC Magnifica, MSC Meraviglia, MSC Musica, MSC Opera, MSC Orchestra, MSC Poesia, MSC Preziosa, MSC Seaside, MSC Seaview, MSC Sinfonia, MSC Splendida, MSC Virtuosa.

All decks, public areas and tenders are designed to be as accessible as possible for guests with reduced mobility. There might be ports or tender services you may not access with a mobility device as we cannot lift it. In addition, there are varying numbers of specially fitted-out cabins available on each ship in the fleet. For safety reasons, guests requiring assistance may be requested to travel with a carer, depending on the specific route.

Wheelchairs are available on board our ships, for the use of guests during embarkation and disembarkation only, or in case of emergency. Guests that require constant use of a wheelchair or any other form of support must bring their own equipment with them. It is the responsibility of the guest to check with the relevant producers/suppliers that this equipment is safe to take on board and use on a cruise ship, and to organise both its delivery to the departure terminal in good time for embarkation, and its collection at the end of the cruise.

For detailed information on the ports of call and excursions suitable for passengers who experience mobility problems, read the relevant pages in this section, and once on board check the accuracy of the information provided.

MSC Preziosa, MSC Divina, MSC Splendida and MSC Fantasia have Braille signs in public areas, in lifts and at the entrance to the cabins; all the ships have deck indicators in the lifts and fully accessible public areas, decks and tenders. For their safety, and depending on their level of disability, guests may be requested to travel with a carer or guide dog.

 

For detailed information on accessible shore excursions, read the relevant pages in this section, and once on board check the accuracy of the information provided.

For safety reasons, guests with hearing disabilities must travel with a carer. Passengers with partial hearing disabilities can travel alone, only if they request the installation of a TDD System kit in their cabin. This kit, available in limited numbers on all ships, includes light and vibrating devices, a text phone and an analogue alarm clock.

 

Furthermore, wireless amplifiers and indicator lights are available in the theatre and other rooms. Indicator lights are also available in the lifts.

Suitably trained and certified guide dogs are allowed on board all ships, assuming that they are in a good state of health and possess all necessary documents for entering the foreign countries visited during the cruise.

 

The guest will be informed in advance about the accommodation made for the animal, the facilities available (if required) and the embarking and disembarking procedure.

 

The guest is personally responsible (with the aid of the carer if applicable) for the custody, feeding and general care of the animal during the whole stay on board.

The medical facilities and equipment on board may not be technically adequate to deal with a birth or pregnancy complications. Therefore, for safety reasons, we cannot admit women on board who will have reached or exceeded their twenty-fourth week of pregnancy by the end of the cruise. Regardless of the stage of pregnancy, a doctor should be consulted before setting off on a cruise to evaluate whether the guest is fit to travel.

Guests undergoing peritoneal dialysis treatment can travel as normal, bringing with them all medicines and equipment that may be required during the cruise. The relevant medical treatment is available through the on-board medical facilities.

 

Equipment and machinery for haemodialysis treatment will only be carried on board by specialized independent companies on certain routes. For further information on this service, please contact your travel agent.

Children with special needs have normal access to all on-board services and facilities. Although the entertainment staff do not offer a childcare service, they are trained to provide a wide range of entertainment aimed specifically at children.

 

All children, including those with special needs, are assigned to a certain entertainment area depending on their age. If necessary, children or young people with special needs can be placed with a lower age group (with the agreement of their parents), or they can take part in specific activities, together with their parents if required.

Guests with food intolerances and/or allergies are asked to inform MSC Cruises of their requirements through the Special Needs Form, and, once on board, to confirm their needs at the Reception – Guest Service and/or with the Maître d’Hôtel. If informed in advance, on-board staff will be happy to assist guests in choosing dishes that do not contain foods or ingredients that could cause an allergic reaction.

 

MSC Cruises has obtained a certification from Bureau Veritas to provide gluten-free menus worldwide (food code: < 20 ppm*) in the main restaurants of MSC Seaside, MSC Seaview, MSC Meraviglia, MSC Preziosa, MSC Divina, MSC Splendida, MSC Fantasia, MSC Magnifica, MSC Poesia, MSC Orchestra and MSC Musica. All gluten-free recipes are prepared by skilled personnel in dedicated kitchens on board, using products stored in special areas in accordance with the  "Cruises Project" of the  Associazione Italiana Celiachia (Italian Coeliac Association) with which MSC works closely for the above ships, cruising in the Mediterranean and in Northern Europe. On MSC Armonia, MSC Sinfonia, MSC Opera and MSC Lirica guests can find only pre-packaged gluten-free snacks such as, biscuits, croissants, sponge cakes and muffins.

 

Once MSC Grandiosa and MSC Bellissima are launched, we will complete the certification process with Bureau Veritas that will allow us to offer gluten-free menus on these ships as well. The process is expected to be completed within 1 month after the launch of the ships, so please check availability of gluten-free menus at time of booking.

 

For any other requirements not expressly mentioned in this section, please get in touch with your travel agent.

 

*MSC gluten free menus are suitable for gluten intolerance, but not in case of gluten allergy.