Royal Caribbean (NYSE:RCL) has launched a website where you can volunteer and apply to be a passenger on an upcoming test sailing in preparation for the relaunch of cruising in the U.S.. Over 20,000 people signed up in the first 24 hours to assist the company in earning their ‘conditional sailing certificate',
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Cruise ships haven't been sailing since March 14th, 2020, but the CDC officially lifted its ‘no sail order‘ on October 31st, 2020 and implemented a strict ‘conditional sail order' which gives cruise lines permission to sail again in U.S. waters if they meet all safety requirements.
As of this post, no official date has been set for the trial cruise/s but according to the Royal Caribbean website, the cruise line has scheduled their first real cruises starting in January, 2021. This means that the test sailings could come as early as December giving the cruise line enough time to for its voyages to be given the green light by the CDC.
The trial cruises are expected to sail to Royal Caribbean's private island of Cococay which will allow the cruise line to strictly control the voyage conditions. Onboard the simulation cruises will be CDC officials, cruise line officials and an unbiased third party auditor.
COVID-19 prevention protocols passengers can expect during the test cruise and real cruises once they start are mandatory Covid testing and temperature checks before boarding, face coverings in public areas of the ship, reduced ship capacity, socially distanced dining and shorter voyages.
A simulated voyage must meet the following requirements:
- The cruise ship operator must design and conduct a simulated voyage insofar as practicable to test the efficacy of the cruise ship operator’s ability to mitigate the risks of COVID-19 onboard its cruise ship.
- Volunteer passengers are to be told in writing of the "inherently risky activity" of their test sailing.
- All volunteer passengers must be at least eighteen years old or older.
- All volunteer passengers must have a written certification from a healthcare provider that they have no pre-existing medical conditions.
- Royal Caribbean must conduct any simulation on a consensual basis.
- Royal Caribbean must embark additional crew members beyond safe minimum manning levels only as determined through CDC technical instructions or orders.
- The cruise ship operator must conduct a monitored observation period and laboratory testing of volunteer passengers, as directed in CDC technical instructions or orders, prior to embarking volunteer passengers on a simulated voyage.
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