MSC Cruises will install a newly developed sanitation system to improve the cleanliness of air onboard the MSC Seashore, now under construction in Italy.

The ship is scheduled for delivery in July 2021 from Fincantieri’s Monfalcone shipyard.

The next-generation sanitation system, called “Safe Air,” 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. The air flow is radiated with a short wavelength light that prevents the circulation of air pollutants such as viruses, bacteria and mold.

MSC Cruises was one of the first cruise lines to resume operations in August in Europe with a comprehensive health and safety protocol approved by national and regional authorities during the pandemic .

The “Safe Air” sanitation system was developed by Fincantieri and the virology laboratory of the International Center for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology, a leading global research institute headquartered in Trieste, Italy.

MSC Cruises returned to the seas Aug. 16 with the MSC Grandiosa , which has now completed nine voyages with more than 16,000 guests. A second ship, the MSC Magnifica, began sailing this week.

The new health and safety protocols went beyond the guidance from the authorities in the countries where the ships sail. Before boarding the ship, all guests undergo a health screening that includes a temperature check, a health questionnaire, and a COVID-19 antigen swab test. Crew are tested up to three times before being permitted to start work.

Other aspects of the new protocols include elevated sanitation and cleaning, protected bubble shore excursions, facemasks and social distancing, enhanced onboard medical facilities, daily health monitoring and a contingency plan.