Disabled Facilities & Special Needs

Cabin Facilities

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.

Reduced Mobility

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.

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.

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

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.

Excursions

The majority of excursions are fully accessible, however we would recommend that all our guests to read-through the programme of available tours at the Excursion Office on board.

Special Dietary Requirements

MSC Cruises has obtained a certification from Bureau Veritas to provide gluten-free menus worldwide (food code: 20 ppm) on all ships. Please check availability when booking. 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. Guests with food intolerances and/or allergies 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.

Kosher meals (pre-packaged breakfast, lunch and dinner) may be available on board for an additional charge starting from €25 pp/day. Kosher meals can be consumed in the main restaurants and must be booked at least 3 weeks before ship’s departure.

Halal products (beef, lamb and poultry) may be available on board following former request of the guest at least two months before departure.

Pregnancy

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.

Dress Code

Casual wear is advised is advised for life onboard and shore excursions. For informal evenings, summery dresses for women and a lightweight jacket for men are recommended. For Gala evenings and Parties, slightly more formal dress is advised. For any formal evenings, cocktail dresses for ladies, and a lightweight suit or dinner jacket for the gentlemen onboard.

MSC Cruises advise bringing a jumper or shawl in your luggage to be prepared for changes in temperature in-between the air conditioned interior of the ship and the deck areas.

For visits to religious sites, appropriate clothing is recommended∘. This means covering knees, shoulders, and no low-cut tops.

Medical Facilities

All MSC cruise ships have a well-equipped Medical Centre, supervised by a ship’s doctor and other medical personnel. The Medical Centre is open at the times advertised in the ship’s Daily Programme. Emergency services are available round the clock by calling the Medical Emergency number. Excluding emergencies, medical services carry a fee and prices are available on board. Guests who incur medical expenses during their cruise can ask their insurance company for reimbursement once ashore.

Dialysis

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.

Smoking Policy

In line with global standards, smoking areas on board are fewer than non-smoking areas and are indicated by signage and ashtrays.

Smoking (including e-cigarettes) is not permitted in cabins, on cabin balconies and anywhere not expressly indicated by signage and ashtrays.

The Company reserves the right to levy a fee should passengers be found smoking in non-designated areas of the vessel. Repeatedly smoking in non-smoking areas can ultimately lead to disembarkation.

We remind you that throwing cigarette butts or anything else overboard at sea is strictly prohibited as it may seriously put in danger safety at sea.

Wi-Fi

Wi-Fi is available on board all of our ships.

Satellite Internet Access is available in all public areas of the ship and in most cabins, including all MSC Yacht Club suites. All you need is one of our Satellite Internet Access packages and a mobile internet device (smartphone, tablet, laptop, etc.).

You can also access the internet without the need for a mobile device, by using the computers in the Internet Café on board.

When at sea, it is not possible to access the internet using a high-speed broadband connection as you would on land. Instead, internet connectivity on board is provided by links between the ship and communications satellites in orbit far above the Earth.

Service Animals

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.

Onboard Language

The company uses six main languages for its communications: English, Italian, German, French, Spanish and Brazilian Portuguese. The order in which these languages appear is determined exclusively by the number of guests in each language group as a proportion of our total guests. The cabin information booklet and other printed material used on board are available in different versions for each of the six languages listed above. The order of the languages used in our menus changes depending on the area of the world in which each ship is located.

Laundry Services

Everyone loves the feel of freshly-laundered clothes and the convenience of a same-day laundry service.

Extend the relaxation after a wonderful long holiday by returning home with your shirts and trousers washed, dried and ready to put away

Take advantage of our laundry packages any time, even the last day of your cruise. That’s why we offer several Laundry Service Packages to choose from.

For a modest single charge, you and every traveller in your cabin can use the service whenever you like for up to 20 items per cabin per cruise.

Simply leave your items for collection before 9am on any day except the last day of your cruise, and they’ll be returned freshly laundered by 5pm on the very same day.

Now isn’t that a clean sight better? Take advantage of our pre-boarding rates now!