How to Complete and Print the MSC Embarkation Form for Boarding

The MSC embarkation form is the online check-in you complete through the “Manage Your Booking” area of the MSC website or the MSC for Me mobile app before your sailing date. The window opens the moment your booking is confirmed and closes two days before departure.¹ Once you submit it, MSC generates the documents you print and carry to the terminal.

What to Have in Front of You Before You Start

Gather everything first so you aren’t hunting for numbers halfway through. For most itineraries you need a valid passport, and MSC prefers it remain valid for at least six months after the cruise ends. Have the passport number, country of issuance, and exact expiration date ready. If any port of call requires a visa, keep that documentation nearby too.²

U.S. citizens on closed-loop cruises, meaning sailings that depart from and return to the same U.S. port, may board with a U.S. birth certificate or naturalization certificate plus a valid government-issued photo ID instead of a passport.² A passport is still the safer document to sail with. If something forces you to fly home from a foreign port, you’ll need one to re-enter by air.

The form also asks for your full legal name exactly as it appears on your ID, your home address, and an emergency contact who is not traveling with you, with a name, surname, and phone number.¹ Have a credit or debit card handy if you plan to register it during check-in, though that step is optional.

Filling Out the Form

Sign in at “Manage Your Booking” on the MSC site, or open the MSC for Me app and go to check-in.³ Every field marked with an asterisk is mandatory. When you type your postal code and click “Search postcode,” the region and district fields fill in automatically.

You can also adjust your terminal arrival slot inside the form. MSC assigns a default embarkation window, and the lead guest can pick a different slot if others are available.¹ If you want to request shared dining with friends or family sailing on a separate booking, enter their booking number in the “Travel With” section. Shared dining is subject to availability.

Check every field before you submit. The details you enter go onto the ship’s manifest, and a mismatch between your form data and your physical ID can slow you down at the terminal or, in the worst case, get you denied boarding.

Security Photo

The security photo is used to identify you at embarkation and disembarkation at ports.¹ You need a device with a camera because the shot is captured live; you cannot upload a saved image. The system takes the picture automatically once your face position and lighting meet its requirements.

Taking the photo is optional. Skipping it won’t stop you from getting your e-ticket or boarding pass, but doing it now saves time at the terminal. If you skip it, MSC staff will take your photo at the check-in counter on embarkation day.¹

Credit Card Registration

You can register a credit or debit card during check-in to link it to your cruise card for onboard purchases. This is also optional. You can register a card at a Cruise Card Activation Point onboard (available on some ships) or leave a cash deposit at Guest Services after boarding.⁴ If you do register a card, expect a temporary pre-authorization hold. MSC confirms the hold appears on your statement but does not publish a fixed amount; it varies and reduces your available credit until the cruise settles.⁵

What You Print After You Submit

MSC issues two documents once your form is complete, and they work differently depending on how you booked.

E-ticket: available to all passengers. It summarizes your booked services and itinerary and includes luggage labels for printing.⁷
Boarding pass: issued only to guests who booked directly through the MSC website and finished the web check-in. It carries a QR code that staff scan when you board.6MSC Cruises. Web Check-In FAQs

Either document is enough to board. You can pull up the boarding pass or your personal QR code in the MSC for Me app, or print a paper copy.⁸ Save it somewhere you can open without an internet connection. A downloaded PDF or a mobile wallet screenshot works well if terminal Wi-Fi is spotty.

Luggage Tags

The e-ticket includes personalized luggage labels. Print them before you leave home; color printing is not required. Affix one to every bag you plan to check at the terminal.⁹ Each tag shows your name, ship name, cabin number, and departure date and port.⁸ Untagged bags can disappear into the thousands of pieces being loaded onto the ship, so don’t skip this step.

Extra Paperwork the Form Does Not Cover

A completed embarkation form is not the whole picture in a few situations. These require separate documents that you bring to the terminal, and missing them can mean denied boarding.

A child traveling with only one parent needs a notarized letter from the non-traveling parent granting permission for the child to sail. The letter must be signed in front of a notary, and a copy is required at check-in. If a child is traveling with an adult who is not their parent or legal guardian, the rules are stricter: the parent or guardian must provide an original notarized letter authorizing the adult to take the child on the cruise, accepting full responsibility for the child, and granting the adult medical decision-making authority. This must also be notarized and presented at embarkation, with no exceptions.¹⁰

Pregnant guests cannot sail if they will be more than 23 weeks and 6 days pregnant at any point during the cruise. Under that threshold, you need a letter from your obstetrician or gynecologist confirming your expected due date, that your pregnancy is low-risk, and that you are fit to travel without immediate access to specialized obstetric or neonatal care.¹¹ The Accessibility and Medical Request Form must be submitted at least 30 days before sailing.¹² The same form covers approval for electrical extension cords tied to medical equipment, motorized scooters, and other mobility devices.¹³

Bringing the Form to the Terminal

Stick to your assigned check-in slot. MSC treats it as essential: arriving before your window opens can mean waiting outside the terminal, and arriving after it closes can mean denied boarding.¹

At the terminal, staff verify your identity against the details you entered, scan the QR code on your printed embarkation form or in the MSC for Me app, and take your security photo if you didn’t do it online. Your bags go with the luggage handlers at drop-off, you clear security screening, and at the gangway your form or QR code is scanned one final time before you head to your cabin.⁸ Once you are aboard, your cruise card is activated and takes over as your stateroom key and onboard charge account.⁴

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MSC Cruises. Web Check-In FAQs
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MSC Cruises. Travel Documents and Visas
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MSC Cruises. MSC for Me – App Store
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MSC Cruises. Onboard Payment
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MSC Cruises. On Board Payment
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MSC Cruises. Web Check-In FAQs
Boarding pass: issued only to guests who booked directly through the MSC website and finished the web check-in. It carries a QR code that staff scan when you board.6MSC Cruises. Web Check-In FAQs