The certification now paves the way for the line to open sales for homeporting cruises in Japan to local residents in December and begin working with ports in the country to prepare for the coming season, the company reported.

“We are extremely pleased to have received this certification and are now confident that we will be able to restart our Japan operation serving the local market by April 2021," commented Gianni Onorato, MSC Cruises’ CEO.

The port authorities' health and safety operating procedures in Japan and MSC Cruises will also meet the guidelines laid down by the Japan Oceangoing Passenger Ship Association (JOPA).

Launched in 2019, the MSC Bellissima will be deployed to Japan, Yokohama homeport, to sail six-to-nine-night cruises in April, May and June 2021. During October and November 2021, she is also scheduled to work in the region.

“This is the first important step of a longer-term plan for MSC Cruises to resume Japanese cruise operations in the first half of 2021, and we will now work closely with the line towards that goal," said Junichi Hirata, ClassNK’s General Manager of Innovation and Sustainability Department.

Maritime Business World