by Donald Wood
Last updated: 12:20 AM ET, Tue June 29, 2021
MSC Cruises became the first cruise line to depart on an international sailing from the port of Barcelona this weekend.
MSC Grandiosa departed from Barcelona on a seven-night voyage with Spanish guests and holidaymakers from other Schengen countries. The ship will make calls at the Italian ports of Genoa, Civitavecchia for Rome, Naples and Palermo, plus Valetta, Malta.
To make the voyage possible, MSC Cruises worked with Spanish authorities to ensure the health and safety measures implemented as part of the restart met and exceeded all local and national regulations.
Passengers on the MSC Grandiosa sailing who disembark in Barcelona will be required to complete an antigen coronavirus test within 48 hours of disembarkation at the end of the cruise.
"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," MSC Cruises CEO Gianni Onorato said. "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," Onorato continued.
MSC Grandiosa's itinerary starting at the end of July will add another Spanish port, Valencia, with embarkation on Fridays. The ship will then call Barcelona and the Italian ports of Genoa, La Spezia for Florence and Pisa, and Civitavecchia for Rome.
Earlier this month, MSC Cruises received official approval to operate and manage an exclusive cruise terminal in Barcelona, which is scheduled for completion in 2024.
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