Royal Caribbean Cruise Line is seeking volunteers to test its cruises as it restarts voyages following suspensions during the coronavirus pandemic.
Why it matters
The US Center for Disease Control lifted cruise suspensions on Oct 31st, but cruise lines must conduct test sailings in the advent of new health protocols in the industry. Then cruise lines can officially begin taking passengers onboard.
What they say
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.”
What are the requirements?
- A volunteer will be you must be 18 or older.
- They must have written proof that they have no pre-existing medical conditions that would place them at high-risk for COVID-19.
- They must follow testing protocols, including rapid testing before embarkation and disembarkation.
- Volunteers must submit to the cruise ship’s monitored observation period
- Volunteer passengers will be informed of the “inherently risky activity” of their test sailing with untested health and safety protocols.
What’s being tested?
- Embarkation and disembarkation procedures, including terminal check-in
- Activities on aboard, including dining and entertainment venues; the ship must modify meal service and entertainment venues to facilitate social distancing during the simulated
- 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
Volunteers can sign up at https://www.facebook.com/groups/rcibackatsea/
Featured Image: Royal Caribbean Cruise