Covid
Can you travel if you have not been Covid-19 Vaccinated?
Before booking your cruise, please check HERE if you are allowed to embark according to your country of residence. Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, there might be international travel restrictions depending on your cruise destination and your country of residence.
The below requirements are valid for current and following sailings (health and safety measures are subject to change and will adapt according to the evolution of the pandemic).
Vaccination requirements
All Guests are strongly encouraged, but not required, to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19.
When a Guest is considered “fully vaccinated”?
- Guests who have received at least two doses of vaccine - except in the case of a single dose Johnson * Johnson - including those not considered up-to-date by EMA standards.
- Guests recovered from Covid-19 with one shot of vaccine are considered fully vaccinated (They must provide a QR code or alternatively a validating documentation)
Testing requirements
- For vaccinated Guests it’s not required (but strongly recommended) to present a negative test.
- Unvaccinated Guests, Guests without a vaccine certificate, or guests who have recovered from COVID-19, ages 5 and older are required to present a negative COVID-19 RT-PCR or Antigen test taken 48 hours prior to embarkation.
Tests must be laboratory certified. A rapid antigen self-test is not valid for travel purposes.
All guests are recommended to travel with their COVID-19 vaccination status and test results. While the vaccination is not required for boarding it could be requested in various ports of call and at local attractions.
The original test results certificate and vaccination certificate must be presented at the terminal (paper or electronic format) and must be in one of the following languages: English, Italian, German, French or Spanish. The COVID 19 test certificate must contain: guest’s personal data (verifiable with the other travel documents), date of the test, identification / contact details of the centre that performed the analysis, technique used and negative test result.
Other Travel Requirements?
A COVID-19 test or Passenger locator form (PLF) may still be necessary for national or international mobility requirement: it’s every guest’s responsibility to verify this requirement before departure. For more information, it is recommended to check your country’s competent authorities official channels.
St Maarten has established a mandatory health pre-authorization application through an Electronic Health Authorization System (EHAS) for every visitor arriving by air including transits, visitors and Saint Martin residents. Without the health pre-authorization boarding will not be possible. Be advised that processing time can take up to 12 hours.
- All passengers must complete the application procedure through EHAS before departing to St Maarten.
- Within 48 hours, before disembarking again in St Maarten at the end of the cruise, all passengers 5 years and older must have an antigen test performed by the cruise line.
- Applying through EHAS is not necessary when returning to St Maarten at the end of the cruise.
- The purchase of COVID-19 insurance (14 USD) is mandatory only when staying more than one (1) day in St Maarten either before or after the cruise. The insurance is only valid during the days of stay in St Maarten between the arrival date and return date to the country of origin.
To ensure peace of mind, MSC Cruises requires all guests to have a specific and mandatory Covid-19 insurance policy to embark, covering against COVID-19 related risks, i.e cancellation, interruption, repatriation expenses, quarantine, medical assistance and related expenses, as well as hospitalization. Should you need COVID-19 insurance cover, our travel insurance partner may be able to help you. You can see the policy benefits available here to see if they are of interest and benefit for you. A proof of the specific COVID-19 coverage insurance policy - which must be in one of the following languages: English, Italian, German, French or Spanish - must be presented at embarkation or boarding will be denied.