health & MEDICAL
INCLUDING SPECIAL NEEDS FOR MOBILITY, MEDICAL AND DIETARY REQUIREMENTS
MSC Cruises and its staff have always been attentive to the needs of their guests, and constantly strive to offer the best possible service, meeting international accessibility standards.
For information on the assistance provided on board and at our port terminals, please consult the sections below.
You can also find information related to special needs in the General Booking Conditions, the Conditions of Carriage and in the FAQ section.
Informing us on any mobility, medical and dietary requirements
Guests can inform MSC Cruises of any special requirements by filling in the relevant form 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.
Download the Special Needs Form
Booking by travel agent: the documentation should be sent directly to your travel agent
Booking through our website: the documentation should be sent to the following address: reservations@msccruises.com.au
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.
Medications transport on board
Please note that the cabin coolers are not fridges and therefore are not suitable for refrigerated medications. We suggest that you bring cool bags with ice blocks, or request medication cold storage in the medical Center. Medication stored in the medical center fridge can only be accessed during opening hours.
Restrictions may apply to travelling with certain controlled drugs. Guests are responsible for ensuring they meet any specific requirements for the countries they are travelling through. It is recommended that guests carry and retain a signed, dated explanatory medical letter from their treating physician detailing the indication for use of any prescription medication. Onboard staff will not routinely ask to see the documentation; however, it may be requested if there are queries by local authorities or additional information is required.
To inform us of your special need or special requirement, please fill in the form at the following link Special Needs Form
Reduced Mobility
All decks, public areas and tenders are designed to be as accessible as possible for guests with reduced mobility. Some ports or tender services may not be accessible with a mobility device. 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.
Wheelchairs are available on board for guests to use during embarkation, disembarkation, and emergencies only. 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 organize both its delivery to the departure terminal in good time for embarkation, and its collection at the end of the cruise. Due to limited safety constraints on some cruises, it is important to inform MSC Cruises of your need to bring the mobility device (wheelchair/scooter) at the time of the booking
For detailed information on the ports of call and excursions suitable for guests who experience mobility problems, read the relevant pages in this section, and once on board check the accuracy of the information provided.
To inform us of your special need or special requirement, please fill in the form at the following link Special Needs Form
Cabin Facilities
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.
Accessible cabins, fitted out especially for guests with disabilities and/or reduced mobility, are available on the following ships:
MSC Armonia, MSC Bellissima, MSC Divina, MSC Euribia, MSC Fantasia, MSC Grandiosa, MSC Lirica, MSC Magnifica, MSC Meraviglia, MSC Musica, MSC Opera, MSC Orchestra, MSC Poesia, MSC Preziosa, MSC Seascape, MSC Seashore, MSC Seaside, MSC Seaview, MSC Sinfonia, MSC Splendida, MSC Virtuosa, MSC World America (from 2025) and MSC World Europa.
Mobility Scooter/Wheelchairs
Mobility Scooter /Wheelchairs can be brought on board MSC Cruises ships: scooters must be stored, and batteries recharged in your cabin which is fitted with 110V sockets (US type sockets) and 220V sockets (German type sockets) avoiding connecting when using the hairdryer. Keep in mind that the scooter minimizes the available space within your cabin. Due to safety considerations, wheelchairs and scooters cannot be stored in the corridors.
Your personal scooter should be able to fit in a standard cabin with a limited entry doorway (58 cm (about 1.9 ft) on MSC Divina and MSC Armonia, 68 cm (about 2.23 ft) on MSC Lirica, MSC Sinfonia and MSC Opera, 62 cm (about 2.03 ft) on the others). If your scooter is larger than the dimension reported for your chosen ship, you should book an H cabin or rent a smaller scooter. Segways and other similar vehicles cannot be operated on board. They shall be confiscated and can be taken off the ship to be used while in port.
Also please note that the aluminium gangways used if the ramp cannot be operated are less than 80 cm (about 2.62 ft) wide.
Tender Service
Pregnancy
Visual Impairments
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.
Hearing Impairments
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.
Dialysis
Guests undergoing peritoneal dialysis treatment can travel as normal, bringing with them all medicines and equipment that may be required during the cruise.
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
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.
Special Diets (Gluten Free, Kosher & Halal Meals, Vegetarian & Vegan Meals)
MSC Cruises S.A. makes every effort to accommodate our guests' dietary requirements whenever possible.
We keep special dietary needs in mind when planning our menus and serving our meals.
MSC Cruises S.A. is aware that some foods may cause an allergic reaction in certain guests due to intolerance of some ingredients such as the 14 major recognized allergens listed in the Regulation (EU) No 1169/2011; therefore, guests are invited to inform the Company of any such allergy at the time of booking but not later than 30 days prior to sailing (by duly filling out the Special Needs form). We further ask guests to report such allergy or intolerance to Reception - Guest Service and the Maître d’hôtel in the Main Dining Room upon first boarding the ship and prior to consuming any food or beverage onboard. Although there are several options at our various restaurants, special dietary and food requests can be accommodated in our main dining rooms only.
Despite our efforts, we cannot exclude the possibility of cross contamination between foods. We recommend our guests who are aware of allergies or intolerances always bring with them their emergency medications as prescribed by the doctor to be able to react in case of any allergic reaction.
When booking a tour with a meal included or when dining at Ocean Cay, please remember to always communicate your allergy/intolerance to the appropriate staff.
For medical reasons or for infants, guests can specifically request some food to be blended onboard. Guests can also bring their special sealed food on board, following written approval from the Company. Products to be taken onboard should respect EU food labelling / packaging regulations, should not have imminent expiry date, once open should be consumed as per instruction on the label. Inside your cabin you find a cooler, which is not a fridge, therefore it cannot be used for storing food. It is recommended to bring with you freezing bags. No homemade food is allowed. The onboard personnel is not authorized to store or manipulate (cook, heat ect) food that our guests bring on board.
To inform us of your special need or special requirement, please fill in the form at the following link Special Needs Form
Gluten Free
Please be advised that on MSC Armonia, MSC Sinfonia,MSC Opera and MSC Lirica guests can find only a limited selection of pre-packaged gluten-free snacks such as, biscuits, croissants, sponge cakes and muffins. Coeliac guests are therefore advised to book a cruise on any other fleet ships.
Kosher & Halal meals
Kosher meals (pre-packaged breakfast, lunch, and dinner) may be available on board for an additional charge of €25/$30 pp/day. Kosher meals can be consumed in the main restaurants and must be booked at least 30 days before the ship’s departure.
Halal products (beef, lamb and poultry) may be available on board following the former request of the guest at least two months before departure;
Vegetarian/ Vegan meals
Vegetarian and Vegan-friendly dishes are incorporated into our main restaurant menus and buffet restaurant culinary offer.
Guests with food intolerances, allergies and/or needs must inform MSC Cruises of their needs via the Special Needs Form and, once on board, confirm their requirements at Reception-Guest Service and/or with the Maître d’hôtel.