There are few extra-European destinations open to tourism in the era of coronavirus and which are also actually frequented by a large number of Italian travelers; we all live in limbo, suspended between the end of the pandemic, the desire for post-Covid revival and the fear of relapses, so even the destinations that are theoretically accessible in safety remain in fact without, or almost without, flows from Italy. Among the exceptions is the Persian Gulf, which even before Covid was one of the favorite destinations of Italians and is now a privileged destination in post-coronavirus travel outside Europe, also thanks to the fact that the vaccination rate is comparable to that (very high) of Italy.
In Dubai all in masks even outdoors (photo by Luigi Grassia)
In the Persian Gulf the cruises of the MSC company involve the destinations of Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Doha, hyper-safe locations thanks to their internal rules, further strengthened by the procedures for embarking, disembarking and staying on board MSC; we have just taken part in one of these cruises and we have experienced the “bubble” that protects passengers, also thanks to the collaboration and sense of responsibility of the travelers. Ensuring health safety is in the common interest of passengers, states of destination, airlines connecting Italy and the Gulf and of the MSC Cruises group, which in 2019, the last pre-Covid year, had a turnover of three and a half billion euros. overall and now has the Emirates and Qatar among the strengths of the restart.
On board the Msc Virtuosa only in the swimming pool and at the restaurant you take off your mask, and indeed, not everyone does it (photo by Luigi Grassia)
As it is easy to imagine, you get on the plane at Malpensa or Fiumicino only by presenting the Green Pass for the double vaccination, and in addition you must certify that you have done the Rt-Pcr antigen test in the 48 hours preceding; if it is positive, goodbye to the holiday, but luckily at Malpensa, even among thousands of people leaving, we have not witnessed any harrowing scene. In flight you always keep the mask, except when you eat and drink, and on arrival at the airport you do a new test for Covid; however, you board the ship without further delay, that is, without waiting for the result, which will be communicated on board. On the Msc Virtuosa, in addition to always wearing a mask, except in the pool and in the restaurant, a small black watch is worn on the wrist, which is not actually a watch but a positioner, which is not afraid of either the water of the pool or that of the sea; this mini-device makes it possible to trace the movements and encounters of the passenger, in the very unlikely event that a contagion is discovered on board; in this way, one would immediately know which environments to sanitize and which people to isolate (but also on the ship, as at the airport, among thousands of travelers nothing has happened).
But the mask? Will the mask be mandatory here too, paddling among the mangroves? (photo by Luigi Grassia)
On the ship no one complained of having to always wear a mask (except in the pool and in the restaurant, we said) by now we are all used to it and we recognize the reason, and on the other hand in case of carelessness the obligation is enforced by the staffed with courtesy but firmly. The same goes for the landings, on the occasion of the various landings: people in Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Doha were very scrupulous and disciplined in wearing masks on the street, and even on the small island of Sir Bani Yas, a natural park where we bucked on horseback and paddled in a kayak among the mangroves, it was natural for all the participants to keep the mask at least resting on the chin and ready to be lifted in case of close contact. The staff in charge of horses and kayaks never lowered their goggles even in open spaces – in the natural park and in the sea among the mangroves – and it seemed almost strange that the horses did not wear it too …
On the island / natural park of Sir Bani Yas (United Arab Emirates) in masks even when riding. Only the horse exempted (photo by Luigi Grassia)
In fact, it is difficult to imagine a more Covid-free place than a MSC Cruises ship (or other companies, provided they follow the same protocols), given that accesses are highly controlled and safety on board is extreme. A real “bubble”.
Finally, we did one last anti-Covid test on the ship before disembarking and heading to Dubai airport: the airline demanded it, as is right. So much sanitary rigor was skipped only at Malpensa, when the Msc Virtuosa was by now 4662 kilometers from us: we got off the Arbus 380 proudly brandishing not only our passports but also the Green Passes and the results of the latest tests, but this time no one there. checked the health certificates: after all, by now we were so “Covid free” that if anything we would have had the right to ask the Malpensa staff to take a chemical-pharmaceutical shower before approaching them.