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MSC claims to be first to install new, improved air filtration system
MSC Cruises claims it will be the first cruiseline in the world to install an advanced technology air filtration system.
‘Safe Air’ will be fitted on MSC Seashore, one of the largest ships ever built in Italy and currently under construction at shipbuilder Fincantieri’s Monfalcone yard.
It is due to be delivered in July 2021 and be the first of two ‘Seaside Evo’ Class ships.
The cruiseline said the announcement was ‘another step forward in MSC Cruises’ ongoing commitment to health and safety’.
In August, it became the first major cruise line in the world to resume sailing since the start of the pandemic in March, when all cruises were cancelled.
MSC Grandiosa has since completed nine seven-night voyages, carrying more than 16,000 guests. MSC Magnifica has this week launched longer, 10-night cruises in the Mediterranean.
All guests go through health screening before boarding a ship, which includes a temperature check, a review of a personal health questionnaire and a Covid-19 antigen swab test. Crew are tested up to three times before being allowed to start work.
MSC said the ‘Safe Air’ next-generation sanitation system is based on the technology of UV-C lamps, which are type C ultraviolet rays applied in combination with the ship’s air conditioning system.
Air flow is radiated at source with a short wavelength light that hits organic particles and prevents the circulation of air pollutants such as viruses, bacteria and mould.
The ‘Safe Air’ sanitation system was developed by Fincantieri’s designers and technicians and the virology laboratory of the International Center for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology, a global research institute headquartered in Trieste, Italy.
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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