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Asia Pacific
MSC Bellissima sailing altered to avoid China, Hong Kong and Macau
MSC Cruises has updated the itinerary of MSC Bellissima for her 28-night Grand Voyage sailing from the Gulf to Asia on March 21 to remove ports visits in mainland China, Hong Kong and Taiwan due to the ongoing coronavirus outbreak.
Instead, it has added Bangkok and Ho Chi Minh City and the ship will spend an extra day in Kobe, Japan.
In addition, the ship will now also call Sir Bani Yas Island, United Arab Emirates, instead of Khor Fakkan, UAE.
Passengers who no longer wish to travel will be given the option to cancel, said the cruise line. Those who are booked from Hong Kong (April 11) to Yokohama (April 18) will be able to embark earlier from Singapore (on April 6) with no additional charges, it added.
Anyone who has travelled to or from mainland China, Hong Kong or Macau in the previous 30 days, or transited via airports, is being denied access to all MSC Cruises and passengers with any symptoms of the coronavirus and their travel companions will be prevented from boarding.
MSC Cruises said it will continue to conduct pre-boarding screening and, in addition, it has an ‘elevated deep-sanitation’ on every ship.
"The above measures and the decision to alter the ship’s itinerary has been taken in the best interests of the safety and well-being for MSC Cruises’ passengers and crew," added the cruiseline.
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Linsey McNeill
Editor Linsey McNeill has been writing about travel for more than three decades. Bylines include The Times, Telegraph, Observer, Guardian and Which? plus the South China Morning Post. She also shares insider tips on thetraveljournalist.co.uk
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