GENEVA — MSC Cruises has announced a new re-start date for MSC Magnifica, its second ship to return to sea since the start of the pandemic.

The ship will resume operations on Oct. 19 with a series of seven cruises, including an eight-night Christmas cruise departing on Dec. 18 from Genoa, Italy. Its new program will cover both the West and East Mediterranean and will see the ship homeport in Genoa. Calls will include Livorno, Messina, Valletta, Piraeus, Katakolon and Civitavecchia.

One such itinerary is a 10-night voyage that offers more destinations and more time at sea, thanks to the protected excursions the cruise line introduced last month under its new health and safety protocol. Longer sailings are also expected to appeal to guests who typically cruise during the autumn and winter months, says MSC, and who are looking for a longer alternative to the seven-night cruises available on sister ship MSC Grandiosa.

Following the completion of its updated itinerary, MSC Magnifica will sail MSC’s trademark World Cruise in 2021 for the second consecutive year.

The Magnifica will follow in the footsteps of MSC Grandiosa, whose current sailings have been extended through year-end to also include a Christmas cruise departing Genoa on Dec. 20. The ship, which resumed sailing in August and is now on its fourth consecutive seven-night cruise in the Western Mediterranean, will offer seven-night cruises with embarkation in the Italian ports of Genoa, Civitavecchia, Naples and Palermo, plus a call in Valletta.

As a result of MSC Magnifica’s enriched schedule, its four proposed seven-night cruises from Bari, Italy between Sept. 26 and Oct. 24 have been cancelled. Impacted guests will either be re-protected onto another cruise (in particularly on MSC Grandiosa, which is currently sailing in the Western Med), or will receive a future cruise credit, allowing them to transfer the full amount paid for their cancelled cruise to a future voyage of their choice, on any ship for any itinerary, until the end of 2021.

To view MSC Magnifica’s itineraries click here. To view MSC Grandiosa’s itineraries click here.