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More than 200,000 people have applied for Royal Caribbean's free test cruises that will help the cruise line prepare for relaunch.
As part of the CDC's requirements for a conditional sailing certificate, all cruise lines that want to resume operations in the United States must participate in virtual sailings that enable the ships to practice their covid-19 prevention protocols while being evaluated.
200,000 People in a Week
According to Cruise Critic, while speaking at the International Cruise Summit in Madrid, Bayley explained that over 200,000 people applied within the first 7 days.
“Within about a week to 10 days, we had close to 200,000 volunteers,” said Bayley.
‘Volunteer of the Seas'
Initially Royal Caribbean announced the would be looking for volunteers for test sailings and were instantly overwhelmed by thousands of emails and Facebook messages.
This lead the cruise line to set up and official application center called ‘Volunteer of The Seas' where those interested can officially apply.
How Volunteers Will Be Selected
President Michael Bayley explained that while they hadn't fully figured out how the selection process would work, he did comment that loyalty status with the cruise lines could be a deciding factor.
“We haven't figured out our protocols yet for the volunteers but certainly loyalty status will be a key selector,” Bayley stated.
Who Can Apply For Royal Caribbean Test Sailings?
While anyone may apply for the free test sailings, participants must meet the following requirements to actually be considered:
- Be 18 years of age or older
- Written confirmation from a doctor that they are free from any pre-existing conditions.
- Accept they are applying for ‘risky' activity that has yet to be tested.
Why Royal Caribbean Is Sailing Free Test Cruises
All cruise lines that wish to operate in the United States must participate in ‘simulated sailings' as per CDC requirements.
The simulated sailings are required by all cruise lines in order to receive their conditional sailing certificate which grant them permission to operate in the United States.
Expect major cruise lines including Carnival, NCL and MSC to announce simulated sailings soon.
When Will Real Cruising Actually Resume?
That is the million dollar question, or should we say billion? All major cruise lines in the United States have already announced that they will not resume sailings until at least March of 2021.
Again, this is a tentative date and could be pushed back even further due to the evolving COVID-19 pandemic.
By the time cruise ships do return to the U.S., it will have been a year since the global halt of cruising back in March of 2020.
How To Volunteer For Royal Caribbean's Free Test Cruises
Those that understand the risks and want to be a volunteer passenger can apply directly on Royal Caribbean's ‘Volunteer of the Seas' website.
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