When the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) gave cruise lines two choices in how to restart operations, Royal Caribbean knew there was one clear choice for them.

Some have wondered why Royal Caribbean International did not follow sister brand Celebrity Cruises in mandating 95% of its guests be fully vaccinated, and it has to do with the fact Royal Caribbean International is a family brand.

In April 2021, the CDC gave cruise lines two choices: skip test cruises if 98% of crew and 95% of passengers are fully vaccinated, or conduct simulated sailings first.

Royal Caribbean decided to go with the simulated sailings because of its commitment to families.

Speaking with Royal Caribbean International's senior vice president of Hotel Operations, Mark Tamis, he emphasized the decision to conduct test sailings was an easy one for them, "When the first set of potential regulations were published, it was such an obvious choice of the path that we had to go down."

"Once there were two clear paths, 95% or under 95%, it wasn’t even really a consideration."

Mr. Tamis called the decision "obvious" given how many kids sail with Royal Caribbean, along with the cruise line's dedication to remaining a family brand. "A good 20 to 25 percent of our guests are kids,"

In fact, according to Tamis, more than 1 million children sail on Royal Caribbean ships each year, "We're the largest family cruise brand in the world, so it was pretty obvious that we would just go down this path."

Royal Caribbean International President and CEO Michael Bayley posted recently on social media there are a substantial amount of children too young for a vaccine on most sailings, "As a family brand, Royal Caribbean typically sails with 10 percent of our guests under 12 years old, and today, they are ineligible for the vaccine."

The vaccine policy is not the only way Royal Caribbean is looking to protect the family cruise segment of its customer base. Recently, Royal Caribbean announced unvaccinated passengers would not be able to go on independent shore excursions, including families where the parents are vaccinated but the kids are not.

Mr. Tamis indicated the cruise line wanted to make sure there were options available for families at a reasonable price, "We have just looked at how we manage that, and we made sure we had price points available so price wouldn't be a negative factor."

Cruises from Florida in July require both vaccinated and unvaccinated guests to have to wear masks onboard, but Mr. Tamis is optimistic new guidance from the CDC will change that.

"I'm guessing when we do get new regulations from the CDC, it will be around the number, a percentage of vaccinated."

While speaking to members of the media at Perfect Day at CocoCay on Sunday, Mr. Bayley said he is expecting a new update from the CDC regarding masks, which could allow for a ship with at least 75% vaccinated guests onboard to not require fully vaccinated guests to have to wear masks while indoors.

A few weeks after a federal judge sided with Florida in a lawsuit against the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC), the agency is appealing the decision.

On June 18, a federal judge ruled in favor of Florida in a lawsuit against the CDC because the agency overstepped its authority.

In a court filing on Tuesday, the CDC appealed the verdict to the United States Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit.

Florida sued the CDC because it felt the CSO unfairly singled out one industry and was hurting Florida's economy, and a judge agreed with Florida.

In the 124 page summary, Judge Steven D. Merryday granted a preliminary injunction for Florida ports.

"This order finds that Florida is highly likely to prevail on the merits of the claim that CDC's conditional sailing order and the implementing orders exceed the authority delegated to CDC," the ruling said.

"Florida persuasively claims that the conditional sailing order will shut down most cruises through the summer and perhaps much longer," the judge wrote, adding that Florida "faces an increasingly threatening and imminent prospect that the cruise industry will depart the state."

The intention of the ruling was to bring cruise ships in line with other forms of leisure travel and entertainment, such as airlines, railroads, hotels, casinos, sports venues, buses, subways, and others.

The CDC instituted a ban on all cruise ships from the United States in March 2020 due to the global health crisis. Then on October 30, 2020 the CDC imposed a four-phase conditional framework it said would allow the industry to gradually resume operations if certain thresholds were met.

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis sued the CDC in April as a way to fight back against the CDC, which had not granted any permission to sail at the time.

"The CDC has been wrong all along, and they knew it," DeSantis said.

Since Judge Merryday issued his ruling, the CDC has granted permission for Freedom of the Seas to sail from the United States, and approved a number of other test cruises.

Five additional Royal Caribbean cruise ships have test cruises scheduled for July and August from ports in Florida, Washington, and Texas.

Carnival Cruise Line also restarted operations from PortMiami over the weekend with Carnival Horizon.

UPDATE: The CDC also filed a motion for a stay of the preliminary injunction on Tuesday.

In its court filing, the CDC wants the injunction to be stayed before the preliminary injunction takes effect on July 18, 2021.

The CDC believes the Conditional Sailing Order (CSO) plays an important role in keeping passengers and crew safe on a ship, "It does not shut down the cruise industry but instead provides a sensible, flexible framework for re-opening, based on the best available scientific evidence."

"The undisputed evidence shows that unregulated cruise ship operations would exacerbate the spread of COVID-19, and that the harm to the public that would result from such operations cannot be undone."

"Cruise ships are uniquely situated to spread COVID-19, due in part to their close quarters for passengers and crew for prolonged periods, and stops at foreign ports that risk introducing new variants of COVID-19 into the United States."

In the CDC's opinion, "The balance of the harms and the public interest thus overwhelmingly favor Defendants and maintaining the status quo pending appeal."

With Freedom of the Seas sailing from the United States, the state of enthusiasm for cruising's return is matched only by the amount of questions people have about what it is like to be onboard.

I shared my first look at what it is like to cruise on Freedom of the Seas, but I wanted to answer as many questions as possible from RoyalCaribbeanBlog readers on our Facebook page.

Keep in mind the protocols and requirements for cruises on Freedom from Miami in July may be different for other months and/or ships.

Do they still have the buffet?

Yes, the Windjammer Buffet is open for breakfast and lunch (not for dinner until they start allowing more guests onboard).

There are two major differences to the Windjammer:

1. The staff serves you the food
2. A crew member scans your SeaPass card when you come in because there is a limit to how many people can be in the Windjammer. If they reached that limit, they would turn guests away until it changes. Alternatively, you could make a reservation.
   1. So far, reservations have not been necessary with the small amount of guests on this sailing.

What are the rules for Adventure Ocean? Reservations? How many hours do you get per child?

There is limited capacity for every Adventure Ocean session, which means parents need to sign up their kids for a time slot.

Unlike on Adventure of the Seas where they give you hours to use, on Freedom, parents get a 4 sessions per sailing to book once onboard. The idea is to give everyone an equal opportunity to get time for their child.

Kids must wear masks while in Adventure Ocean.

How are they distinguishing being the vaccinated and unvaccinated passengers?

Vaccinated guests are given a wristband to wear around the ship, while unvaccinated guests have no wristband and get a hole punched in their SeaPass card.

You can read about how someone that is vaccinated can volunteer to disclose they are vaccinated.

If you have an unvaccinated child under 12 with you can they come with us into the vaccinated areas if all the adults are vaccinated?

No, since they are unvaccinated, you would have to follow the unvaccinated rules for designated venues that are off limits to unvaccinated guests.

Of course, when the child(ren) is not with you, you could go to any vaccinated space.

What percentage of the time are passengers forced to wear masks. 

Indoors, all guests (vaccinated or not) wear masks in public areas unless they are:

1. In their stateroom
2. Fully vaccinated and in a designated vaccinated area
3. Sitting and actively eating or drinking

No guests have to wear a mask outdoors, such as on the pool deck.

For a vaccinated passenger, that basically means you are wearing a mask when walking around inside.  In practice, when you get to where you are going (restaurant, lounge, other venue), you can usually remove your mask.

Are the crew still wearing masks?

Yes.

We have been assigned a 1:00 check-in for a Jr Suite. Can we arrive early and go to the lounge, or do we need to stick to the 1:00 sharp check-in time?

They are still being very strict about the check-in times and enforcing them in order to ensure the terminal does not get overcrowded.

Per Royal Caribbean, there are no pre-arrival lounges to use, so plan to arrive at your designated check-in time.

Does the stateroom attendant still come in twice a day? If so, do they wear gloves and change them out?

Yes, there is still daily stateroom service and turndown service each evening.

I don't believe they are wearing gloves, but crew members practice a great deal of personal hygiene, including rigorous hand sanitization.

Do you "feel" the differences, pre-Covid vs. now?

The major differences that I feel are the lack of crowds due to limited capacity, and face mask requirements.

Overall, the cruise experience retains that fun feel it had before things shutdown, which means it still feels like you are on a cruise. The core elements are all still there.

Just like on land, there are some adjustments we have all made to adhere to new health requirements.

Since my wife doesn't drink alcohol can she give me her 4 Diamond drinks?

Yes, you just need your wife's SeaPass card to do that.  

Can unvaccinated children under 12 eat in specialty dining with vaccinated adults?

Yes, but with two exceptions:

• Chef's Table
• Izumi Hibachi

Do you think the Windjammer will re-open for dinner? 

Yes, Royal Caribbean executives have said it will re-open for dinner once there are more passengers onboard.

It is not quite clear yet what threshold the limited capacity onboard would have to reach, but it seems to be at least 50% occupancy.

Do they have extra masks when you go inside?

There are not masks available to pick up as you walk inside the ship from an outside area, but Royal Caribbean does have disposable masks they give you in your room on the first day.

It is primarily your responsibility to pack enough masks for your sailing.

Do you still leave cash tips at bars or are they attempting to be cashless?

Cash tips are still permitted.

How are they monitoring the masks?

Crew members will politely remind guests to put on or fix their mask if they notice a passenger not wearing one. Quite often it is a case of forgetting to put the mask back on after being outdoors.

Are the lounge chairs around the pool spaced further apart?

Yes, to some extent they are spaced a bit further apart than before. It looks like they don't mind chairs within a traveling party to be together, but other groups to have some space.

Can the WOW bands be used on Freedom of the Seas?

No, Royal Caribbean did not extend WOW band support to Freedom.

Royal Caribbean posted its health protocols for cruises sailing from Florida in August 2021 and there is no mention of face masks.

Whereas the protocols for cruises from Florida in July specify face masks must be work while in the cruise terminal and inside the ship, no such policy is listed for August sailings.

Royal Caribbean has not announced anything specifically to declare masks will not be necessary. Essentially, a face mask policy for August sailings is conspicuously missing.

August protocols for Florida sailings as seen today

At least one executive hinted at an upcoming federal policy change.

While speaking to members of the media at Perfect Day at CocoCay on Sunday, Royal Caribbean International President and CEO Michael Bayley said he is expecting a new update from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) regarding masks.

Mr. Bayley said he was expecting an update from the CDC that would allow a cruise ship with at least 75% vaccinated guests onboard to not require fully vaccinated guests to have to wear masks while indoors.

Having lunch at the Coco Beach Club on on @RoyalCaribbean’s Perfect Day at CocoCay. Michael Bayley just stopped by the table to tell us they’re expecting a #CDC announcement soon to waive onboard mask mandates. #cruise #cruises #cruising #royalcaribbean #royalcomeback #travel pic.twitter.com/uqlRJWkyy6

— Ashley Kosciolek (@SlyJabroni) July 4, 2021

He did not say exactly when this new CDC update might occur, but it seemed more likely to be sooner than later.

Currently, CDC guidelines require all guests 2 and older to wear masks unless they are actively eating or drinking. The CDC does make allowances for guests to remove their masks in venues and events dedicated to fully vaccinated parties.

Under the July protocols on Royal Caribbean's website, the cruise line says it expects an update from the CDC, "In the coming days, we are expecting updated guidance from the CDC on mask policies for vaccinated guests in shared spaces and will update you at that time."

A Royal Caribbean spokesperson indicated the full list of August protocols are not yet on the website, "We have not released our protocols for August sailings yet and just posted details on the vaccine and testing policies since it was related to insurance."

"We anticipate that August protocols will be very similar to July. That being said, we are hopeful that the CDC changes the mask policy soon."

On Royal Caribbean's sailings from The Bahamas on Adventure of the Seas, masks are not required to be worn onboard among fully vaccinated passengers, although unvaccinated passengers are required to wear masks.

In the meantime, Freedom of the Seas has restarted sailings from Miami, and all guests are required to wear a mask while indoors.

To reduce the need to wear masks among vaccinated guests, Royal Caribbean set up certain venues to be fully vaccinated zones, where masks are not necessary. This includes place such as the casino, various bars and lounges, specialty restaurants and more.

After 15 months, the first Royal Caribbean cruise ship is sailing from the United States.

Royal Caribbean's Freedom of the Seas is departing Miami today to begin a short 3-night weekend cruise, but the significance of her sailing is far more important than where she goes.

The cruise industry has been mostly shutdown since 2020, and while a couple of other ships have restarted around the world, all eyes have been focused on cruising's restart in the United States.

On Freedom of the Seas from Miami, Royal Caribbean will allow vaccinated and unvaccinated guests, although there are different rules about where you can go if you are unvaccinated. 

Before the cruise, Royal Caribbean gave passengers the choice of volunteering that they are vaccinated.  If you do not wish or skip showing proof of vaccination at check-in, your SeaPass card will be punched with a hole.

The health protocols in this post are for Freedom of the Seas sailings from Miami in July, and the cruise line has emphasized that protocols will vary depending on the ship and departure port. Moreover, protocols could change for Freedom of the Seas as various health organizations and the federal government changes requirements and recommendations.

The line has made some bars, lounges, restaurants, and events for vaccinated guests only, with no masks required. This includes:

• Chef’s Table
• Izumi Hibachi & Sushi
• R Bar
• Schooner Bar
• The Pub
• Viking Crown Lounge
• Solarium Bar
• Solarium Pool
• Casino Royale 
• Casino Bar
• Vitality Spa

Each scheduled event is designated if it is available to vaccinated guests only or not.

Unvaccinated guests will also need to pay for additional Covid testing.

Upon check-in, if you volunteered the information that you were vaccinated, you will be asked to show your vaccination card, at which point you will get a wristband to wear during the cruise to indicate to guests and crew you are vaccinated.

Unvaccinated guests will not have a wristband, and will get a hole punched in their SeaPass card.

In addition, masks are required to be worn in the cruise terminal and inside the ship for vaccinated or unvaccinated guests.  No masks are required outdoors.  

One major difference between Freedom of the Seas sailings from Miami and Adventure of the Seas sailings from The Bahamas is vaccinated guests need to wear masks while indoors onboard Freedom, whereas vaccinated guests do not have wear masks indoors on Adventure.

Around the ship, the designated areas for vaccinated guests have signs to remind guests of which areas are off limits.

Children's programming in Adventure Ocean and the teens club are operational, with limited capacity in the clubs to ensure the area does not get too crowded.

Revamped Adventure Ocean

Teen club

The vaccinated spaces have signs, and are even roped off in some cases, to mark areas available to vaccinated guests.

New muster drill

Perhaps the best new change is the refactoring of the cruise ship safety drill.

Instead of lining up at your muster station at a designated time, guests can now do the drill on their smart phone, tablet, or stateroom television.

Guests watch a short safety information video, listen to what the emergency alarm sounds like, and then go downstairs to their muster station to verify they know where it is.

The new muster drill is significantly faster, less burdensome, and does not require the entire ship to shutdown while everyone does the drill.  This is a very welcome change for guests, and an incredibly simple process to follow.

Dining

The dining options onboard are similar to what they were before the cruise industry shutdown.

There is still a buffet available for breakfast and lunch (they are closed for dinner), with a few different rules.

The buffet is full service instead of self-service, so the crew members will serve you the food.

In addition, there is limited capacity in the Windjammer.  Guests can make a reservation for a time, or simply walk up and see if there is space.  On our Adventure of the Seas sailings last week, there was never an issue with getting into the Windjammer.

In the Main Dining Room, there will be designated areas for vaccinated and unvaccinated reservations to dine separately.

My Time Dining will not be available to unvaccinated guests. 

How is it being on a cruise ship with the new protocols?

The overwhelming question everyone wants to know is what is it like to be on a cruise ship with the new rules in place.

As someone that is fully vaccinated, there are more areas available to enjoy and no restrictions.

The most noticable difference is the mask mandate while indoors (no masks required outside), which is far from ideal considering mask requirements for vaccinated people at home are eroding quickly in most restaurants, theme parks, hotels, and supermarkets.

Having been onboard for less than a day, my early thought is I will spend more time thinking in advance where I will go next, rather than leisurely walking around to explore.  That way, I can reduce the time needed where I am required to wear a mask.

Moreover, the limited capacity onboard (around 1,000 passengers on this sailing) means no lines or waiting for popular activities and attractions. 

But at the end of the day, being back on a cruise ship feels great. As a Floridian, being able to drive to a ship instead of flying is a welcome return.

Many cruisers I spoke to onboard are equaly eager to be back onboard and relish the opportunity, masks or not.

Others may find the rules too much at this time, and wait things out a bit longer until protocols change.  Royal Caribbean has said it expects government requirements to change regarding health protocol requirements, including possibly masks.

Based on sales, there is strong demand for cruises this summer as many flock to get back to travelling.

I will have regular updates throughout this sailing to provide a look at what the first cruise ship to sail from the United States looks and feels like.

Royal Caribbean will restart cruises to Alaska this month, and the cruise line has released its health protocols for guests onboard.

The cruise line has released the various vaccine and testing requirements, as well as rules regarding face masks and social distancing.

Serenade of the Seas will restart cruises to Alaska, becoming the first Royal Caribbean cruise ship to visit Alaska since 2019.

Serenade of the Seas will begin sailing on July 19, 2021, and Ovation of the Seas will begin sailing on August 13, 2021.

Serenade of the Seas will sail 7-night cruises beginning in July, with stops in popular ports of call, including Juneau, Sitka, Ketchikan and Icy Strait Point, Alaska, as well as the jaw-dropping Endicott Arm fjord and Dawes Glacier.

Here are the protocols for guests sailing on Serenade of the Seas from Seattle in July. Keep in mind protocols and (and likely will) change.

Vaccines and testing

Vaccination Requirement

All guests 16 years and older are required to bring proof of vaccination, such as the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) COVID-19 vaccination record card, with the final dose of the vaccine completed at least 14 days before sailing. 

Testing

At the terminal: Unvaccinated guests ages 2 years to 15 years are required to take a PCR test for COVID-19 when checking in at the terminal.  Registration details for this test will be sent via email in advance. 

Prior to disembarking

Unvaccinated guests ages 2 to 15 years are required to take an antigen test onboard within 24 hours of the end of voyage. Vaccinated guests who require an antigen or PCR test for entry into their destination country may receive one onboard at no charge. Registration details will be provided during the cruise. 

Shore Excursions

 Any unvaccinated guests, including parents traveling with unvaccinated children, must book a shore excursion through Royal Caribbean.

Fully vaccinated parties have the choice of booking a shore excursion or safely visiting the port freely.

All guests are also subject to restrictions and requirements as defined by local authorities in the ports Royal Caribbean visits. 

Masks

When indoors, CDC guidelines require all guests 2 and older to wear masks unless they are actively eating or drinking.

The CDC does make allowances for guests to remove their masks in venues and events dedicated to fully    vaccinated parties.

Masks are not required in their staterooms when they are with their traveling parties or outside on the open decks, unless in a crowded setting.

Social distancing

The entire ship and boarding process has been set up to allow for physical distancing, which is encouraged whenever interacting with those outside of their traveling party.

Dining & Lounges

Dining venues, including the Main Dining Room, will offer spaced seating with sections for everyone and other sections for vaccinated parties only.

My Time dining is not available to guests traveling with unvaccinated children.

If you prefer a buffet, Windjammer will be open, and the food will be served by our crew.

Some bars and lounges will be available only to vaccinated guests.

Other Venues

Theaters and activity venues will offer spaced seating with options for everyone and for vaccinated guests only. 

Spa services, except those offered in treatment rooms, are available to everyone and the Fitness Center will be open to everyone at designated times.

The Casino will be open to vaccinated guests only.

If you're thinking about booking one of the first cruises from Florida this summer, you're too late.  

The handful of ships scheduled to restart sailings in July and August from Florida are completely sold out.

This includes sailings on Freedom of the Seas, Allure of the Seas, Odyssey of the Seas, Mariner of the Seas and Symphony of the Seas.  

If you want a summer sailing in North America, you will have to sail out of Galveston, Seattle or Nassau, Bahamas.

Similarly, Anthem of the Seas is sold out from Southampton for the months of July and August.

Clearly demand is strong for these early cruises, despite not knowing the full set of protocols yet for all ships.  

Customer demand has remained high, even during the worst parts of the pandemic.   Royal Caribbean Group repeatedly reported strong bookings for future cruises in its quarterly earnings reports.   

Demand is still very present despite the cruise industry's recent struggles, largely because of a lot of people are eager to move past the global health crisis and begin planning their lives going forward.

Royal Caribbean has referred to this as "pent-up demand", which comes from everyone essentially wanting to make up for the lost time of little to no vacation in 2020.

The increase in bookings point to a "pent-up demand for vacations," noted Chairman and CEO Richard Fain during the fourth quarter 2020 earnings call.

"People are clamoring for opportunities to have experiences outside their home."

The first ship to sail from Florida for Royal Caribbean will be Freedom of the Seas this weekend.  By the end of August, 5 ships will be sailing again from Florida. 

Book early if you want to cruise soon

If there is a lesson learned, it is book sooner than later if you want to get on a ship this summer or fall.

Booking a cruise as early as you can has always been a tried and true strategy for locking in good rates, but with just a handful of ships sailing with limited capacity, booking early is now a must-do.

When Royal Caribbean releases new sailings, or announces restart plans, your best bet is to book something then.

Adventure of the Seas sailings from The Bahamas are still priced reasonably well for the summer, and while they do require a flight to get there, Adventure has arguably the best itinerary (two days at Perfect Day at CocoCay) and low prices for cabins.

If you are looking beyond August for a cruise, September cruises are the next to sell out and while autumn cruises usually see lower demand than summer, the limited supply of berths may have a repeat effect we saw this summer.

Read more: Summer 2021 Cruise Planning Guide

Part of Royal Caribbean's plan to restart cruises is to conduct a series of test sailings that will give the cruise line the opportunity to validate its new health protocols.

Test cruises are non-revenue simulated cruises that are conducted in a manner as close to a real cruise as possible, albeit with volunteers onboard.

Here is a summary of everything we know about Royal Caribbean's test sailings and how they will be conducted.

Why offer test sailings?

In late October 2020, The U.S. Centers for Disease Control (CDC) opened a pathway for cruise lines to restart with their Framework for Conditional Sailing.

Royal Caribbean is pursuing one of two pathways, laid out by the CDC, to get back to cruising. It requires that U.S-based ships conduct simulation cruises to test health and safety protocols if the cruise line expects to return to sailing with less than 95% fully vaccinated guests or crew. 

As a family brand, Royal Caribbean typically sees that children under the age of 12 make up 10% of our guests on board, and today, they are ineligible for the vaccine.

These test cruises will use cruise line employees (and possibly others) to help implement and tryout these new health rules.  The goal is to make tweaks and modifications to ensure that everything is running smoothly.

When will test sailings begin?

On May 5, 2021, the CDC has provided cruise lines with instructions on how to conduct test sailings.

Royal Caribbean has received permission for the following cruise ships to start test cruises:

• Freedom of the Seas – June 20 from PortMiami
• Serenade of the Seas – July 7 from Port of Seattle
• Odyssey of the Seas – July 19 from Port Everglades
• Allure of the Seas – July 27 from Port Canaveral
• Ovation of the Seas – July 30 from Port of Seattle
• Symphony of the Seas – Aug. 1 from PortMiami
• Independence of the Seas –  Aug. 1 from Port of Galveston
• Mariner of the Seas – Aug. 11 from Port Canaveral (2 Nights)
• Oasis of the Seas – Aug. 22 from Cape Liberty (6 Nights)
• Liberty of the Seas – Sep. 17 from Galveston, TX (4 Nights)
• Explorer of the Seas - October 29 from San Juan, Puerto Rico
• Navigator of the Seas - November 8 from Los Angeles, CA (2 Nights)

More test cruises are likely, with each ship needing to conduct test cruises in order to be certified by the CDC.

Prior to starting any test cruises, the CDC wants all cruise lines to ensure there are adequate health and safety protections for crew members.

Who can volunteer for a test cruise?

Test sailings will be conducted with a combination of Royal Caribbean employees and volunteers, although they are not sure how volunteers will be picked yet.

Royal Caribbean's Senior Vice President, Sales, Trade Support and Service, Vicki Freed, said, "We're going to be doing a series of sailings using our employees and other volunteers to test out the new protocols and make tweaks and modifications to ensure that everything is running smoothly and still deliver that Royal Caribbean amazing vacation experience."

The minimum requirements to be a volunteer will be you must be 18 or older, as well as have written proof the person has no pre-existing medical conditions that would place them at high-risk for COVID-19.

Royal Caribbean has set up an online form to take test sailing volunteer contact information.

What is Royal Caribbean required to do during a test cruise?

The purpose of these test sailings it to apply a variety of new cruise line policies and rules to ensure they mitigate any potential spread of a virus onboard.

Volunteers and crew members will be required to follow testing protocols, which includes rapid testing prior to both embarkation and disembarkation.

A simulated voyage must meet the following requirements:

• The minimum number of required volunteer passengers for each simulated voyage must be at least 10% of the maximum number of passengers permitted onboard for restricted voyages.
• All volunteers must show proof of being fully vaccinated against Covid-19.
• Volunteers must be made aware of the CDC's health notice regarding Covid-19 and cruise ship travel.
• All volunteer passengers must be informed in writing that they are participating in a simulation of health and safety protocols that are unproven and untested in the United States for purposes of simulating a cruise ship voyage and that sailing during a pandemic is an inherently risky activity. 
• All volunteer passengers must be at least eighteen years old or older on the day of the simulation and at the time that their consent to participate is obtained.
• Volunteers cannot be paid, and cannot go on a sailing in exchange for consideration or future reward.
• All volunteer passengers must agree in writing to post-disembarkation specimen collection for COVID-19 testing at 3 to 5 days after completion of the simulated voyage. 
• To facilitate contact tracing, the cruise ship operator must advise all volunteer passengers to notify the cruise ship operator if they develop symptoms of COVID-19 or are diagnosed with COVID-19 with any SARS-CoV-2 viral test within 14 days after the voyage. Passengers who develop symptoms within 14 days should be advised to be tested. The cruise ship operator must in turn report aggregate results to CDC in the after-action report or through an amended after-action report.

Specifically, the CDC mandates certain activities be conducted during the course of a test sailing:

• embarkation and disembarkation procedures, including terminal check-in, 
• on board activities, including at dining and entertainment venues,
• private island shore excursions (if a port is visited)
• evacuation procedures,
• transfer of symptomatic passengers or crew, or those who test positive for SARSCoV-2, from cabins to isolation rooms,
• quarantine of all remaining passengers and non-essential crew, and
• other activities as may be listed in CDC technical instructions and orders.

In addition, Royal Caribbean must meet standards for hand hygiene, face coverings, and social distancing for passengers and crew, as well as ship sanitation, as may be required by CDC technical instructions or orders.

Royal Caribbean must modify meal service and entertainment venues to facilitate social distancing during the simulated voyage.

How many test sailings will be needed?

It is unknown how many test sailings will be needed yet.

At least one simulation must be conducted for each ship.

Royal Caribbean has not shared details on its plans for test sailings.

How do I sign up for a test cruise a volunteer?

Royal Caribbean has a form set up where you can sign up, as well as a Facebook group where you can talk with other people interested in volunteering.

With a handful of Royal Caribbean Group ships sailing again, how soon will more ships be able to return to the water?

Celebrity Edge just began sailing from the United States this past weekend, and Freedom of the Seas is slated to begin cruises from Florida as well, so how soon can cruisers expect more ships to return.

Royal Caribbean Group Chairman and CEO Richard Fain told Bloomberg he expects a "majority of our fleet" to be operating by the end of the year.

"We really feel that it's important to get the flywheel going," Mr. Fain explained. "Our objective is to bring our ships back fairly quickly."

"I would expect the majority of our fleet to be back operating before the end of the year."

The majority of ships very likely includes other brands within the Royal Caribbean Group brand, which includes Celebrity Cruises and SilverSea.

Thus far, Royal Caribbean International has announced restart plans for 13 of its ships to sail from the United States, Europe, and England.

Quantum of the Seas has been sailing from Singapore since December 2020.

Mr. Fain added that getting enough crew members to return has not been a problem, although he did say outbreaks in certain countries added restrictions on the traditional recruitment process.  

"We do have problems because some of the countries that we recruit from, such as India, have had outbreaks, have put in place certain restrictions, but even having to overcome those kinds of problems, our crew is so anxious to get back."

According to Fain, 22,000 crew members have been fully vaccinated already.

Which Royal Caribbean ships will restart first?

Royal Caribbean has a gradual restart plan in place to bring back ships into operation.

The summer months of June, July,  August & September will see the first cruise ships returning, and more could be announced later.

Things kick off with Freedom of the Seas from Miami on July 2.

Royal Caribbean plans to resume Caribbean cruises out of Port Everglades on July 31 with Odyssey of the Seas.

Symphony of the Seas will resume departures out of Miami on August 14.

Two ships will sail from Port Canaveral this summer. Allure of the Seas will resume departures out of the port on August 8 followed by Mariner of the Seas on August 15.

Outside of Florida, Royal Caribbean will restart sailings from Galveston on Independence of the Seas on August 15.

Alaska cruises will also restart this summer with Serenade of the Seas from Seattle on July 19. Ovation of the Seas will also sail to Alaska from Seattle, beginning on August 13.

Read more: Royal Caribbean Summer 2021 Cruise Planning Guide

The original Oasis Class cruise ship has gotten approval to start test cruises.

Royal Caribbean International President and CEO Michael Bayley confirmed on Tuesday Oasis of the Seas has received permission from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to start test cruises.

Other ships that have gotten approval to conduct test cruises include Freedom of the Seas, Allure of the Seas, Odyssey of the Seas, and Symphony of the Seas.

The CDC's provisional approval for simulated voyages on Oasis of the Seas is August 22-28, 2021.

Mr. Bayley commented later on that the test cruises will sail from Cape Liberty in Bayonne, New Jersey.

Simulated voyages (also known as test cruises) are when cruise lines can operate ships with volunteer passengers in order to prove their new protocols work.

These are not cruises you can book, but rather, are limited voyages where a cruise line invites certain unpaid volunteers to help go through all the necessary steps and procedures to ensure cruise ships can be run safely.

Each cruise ship needs to be approved by the CDC in order to conduct test cruises.

Royal Caribbean International is pursuing one of two pathways, laid out by the CDC, to get back to cruising. It requires that U.S-based ships conduct
simulation cruises to test health and safety protocols if the cruise line expects to return to sailing with less than 95% fully vaccinated guests or crew.

Royal Caribbean says it is a family brand, which typically sees children under the age of 12 make up 10% of guests on board, and today, they are ineligible for the
vaccine.

"We are committed to continuing to deliver memorable family vacations, and it is why we are conducting simulation cruises."

During these test cruises, Royal Caribbean will go through a variety of scenarios to prove to the CDC that the ship can conduct sailings in a safe manner. Specifically, the new protocols aimed at preventing Covid-19 from getting onboard the ship are at the heart of these dry runs.

According to the CDC, passengers and crew must meet standards during the simulated voyage for hand hygiene, use of face masks, and social distancing for passengers and crew, as well as ship sanitation.

Royal Caribbean must modify meal service and entertainment venues to facilitate social distancing during the simulated voyage.