MIAMI – Cruises could be making a return after the coronavirus pandemic shuttered the industry last March.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention officially signed off on Royal Caribbean International’s plan to conduct simulated voyages to test the cruise line’s ability to mitigate COVID-19 risks during travel.
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The approval came Tuesday and will allow Royal Caribbean to run simulated cruises, also known as test cruises, with volunteer passengers starting June 20.
Volunteer passengers must be at least 18 years old and provide proof of being fully vaccinated against COVID-19, per the CDC simulation requirements. If passengers are not vaccinated they must have written documentation from a healthcare provider or self-certified statement that they have no medical conditions that would place the volunteer at high risk for severe COVID-19.
Testing for COVID-19 will be performed on each passenger before and after the cruise and all passengers must agree to additional testing at 3 and 5 days following the simulated voyage.
“After 15 months of hard work and collaboration, today’s approval of our simulated cruises onboard Freedom of the Seas is the latest promising step in our path to return to sailing in the U.S.,” Royal Caribbean International CEO Michael Bayley told PEOPLE.
A least 10% of a cruise ship’s maximum allowable passengers must be on board during the voyage, according to the CDC.
These simulated voyages will help determine whether or not cruise operations can return to normal operations, albeit with stricter requirements aimed at minimizing the risk of COVID-19.
Royal Caribbean is the first cruise line to receive permission to start test cruises. The Freedom of the Seas ship based out of Port Miami will be the first ship to sail from a U.S. port since the coronavirus pandemic reached a fever pitch last year.
“CDC is committed to working with the cruise industry and seaport partners to resume cruising following the phased approach outlined in the [Conditional Sailing Order],” CDC spokesperson Caitlin Shockey told PEOPLE.
Information regarding sign-ups to volunteer for the simulation cruises has not been officially released but in late 2020 a link to a questionnaire regarding the “Volunteer of the Seas” showed up online.
KSAT reached out to Royal Caribbean regarding test cruises and received the following statement:
Royal Caribbean International has incredibly loyal and supportive guests. To date, more than 250,000 people have volunteered to participate in our return to sailing efforts. Their encouragement and unwavering confidence in us over the last 15 months have contributed to the collective effort of bringing cruising back. There are logistics to figure out and we will share details once they have been worked through. We look forward to having Volunteers of the Seas be part of the Royal comeback this summer.