May 22, 2021 - Which rules will MSC Cruise Ship guests in Croatia need to follow once they first arrive in Dubrovnik in June?

Jutarnji List reports that while other shipowners are still calculating or choosing cruises within national borders with the line of least resistance, the Geneva-based company MSC Cruises was the first to clearly and loudly confirm the flow of floating hotels in the port of Gruž this season. The arrival of the first cruiser has been agreed to for June 2021, and approved by the Dubrovnik Port Authority.

In the management of MSC Cruises, Jutarnji inquired about the safety protocols that Dubrovnik passengers need to follow this summer.

"Passengers must be tested before the cruise, but also in the middle of the cruise, with an antigen test before departure to cross the Italian border. The crew will not leave the ship just yet, they are being tested once a week, and the company has started a comprehensive crew vaccination program," points out Darija Semiz from MSC's marketing department.

There are also new rules for guests on cruise ships:

"Food and drinks are served only at the table. In addition to the standard menus, guests can view them on their mobile phone by scanning the QR code," says Semiz and explains further details of the itinerary:

"Destinations during the cruise are visited only as part of organized excursions of MSC Cruises, which means reduced vehicle capacity, testing of guides and drivers before starting work, and face masks are required, and passengers must not be separated from the group during the trip," said the Dubrovnik MSC Cruises representative.

"Passengers are required to wear masks in common areas, MSC has also provided smart bracelets that serve as a means of payment onboard, a cabin key, and to identify close contacts if necessary," Semiz said.

The MSC center reports that the vaccination program against COVID-19 for all crew members is becoming a vital element of the company's health and safety protocol, which has been in place since last August when the first ship began sailing regularly.

In the initial phase, MSC Cruises prioritized prevention to crew members, with ten ships announced in the cruise program for the summer of 2021 in the Mediterranean and Northern Europe. Priority is also given to the crews of the white fleet, which should re-sail the Caribbean from American ports and others that are preparing to re-sail.

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January 27, 2021 - Dubrovnik anticipates 354 cruisers this year, which should carry over 600,000 passengers, according to the Dubrovnik Port Authority director. 

Tportal.hr reports that the Dubrovnik Port Authority director, Blaz Pezo, said on Tuesday that in 2021, 354 cruise ships with over 600 thousand passengers had announced their arrival in Dubrovnik.

As an HDZ city councilor, Pezo participated in the Dubrovnik City Council's discussion on Tuesday on the amount of tourist tax for cruise ships in international maritime traffic when the ship is moored at the port or anchored in the City of Dubrovnik area in 2022, which we reported on yesterday. 

"The cruiser market could recover from June 1. The announcements are excellent, and whether it will happen depends on the epidemiological situation," Pezo pointed out.

City councilors Maro Kristić (Most) and Rikard Rossetti (DUSTRA) pointed out that the decision on the amount of the tourist tax should be postponed. Still, Pezo replied that the shipowners were aware of the decision and that the fees had already been included in their arrangements so that no one would be burdened.

The Dubrovnik City Council confirmed, among other things, that work on a critical infrastructure project in Dubrovnik, the development of the Lapad coast, should begin in mid-February. The mayor of Dubrovnik, Mato Franković, pointed out that an artificial problem is being created that does not exist.

"We have all the valid permits and consents of all competent ministries. The expropriation procedure has started and been completed, a tender has been announced, and it will be completed in a few days. If there are no complaints, the works will start in mid-February," said Franković, adding that the concessionaire of the port area Marina Frapa should solve the problem of overlapping the concession property with the Republic of Croatia concessionaire.

At the Dubrovnik City Council, it was decided that the City of Dubrovnik representatives in the Governing Board of the "Good Deeds" Foundation will be Terezina Orlić, Nada Medović, and Suzana Kosović.

The councilors also decided on the awards of the City of Dubrovnik for 2020. The winner of the Lifetime Achievement Award is former Dubrovnik Mayor Nikola Obuljen. Furthermore, the winners of the annual awards are Maja Nodari, Fr. Pijo Pejić, and the Society of Franciscan Sisters of the Immaculate Conception. The awards will be presented to the winners at a solemn session of the City Council during Dubrovnik City Day and the St. Blaise celebration. 

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