Royal Caribbean gets first CDC go-ahead for test cruises from Miami in late June

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention gave its first green light for test cruises to Royal Caribbean Group Tuesday, the agency said in a statement.

The cruise company will be able to conduct simulated cruises with volunteer passengers in late June to test out its COVID-19 protocols from PortMiami on its Freedom of the Seas ship. The test cruises are a requirement for ships that are not guaranteeing most passengers and crew on board are vaccinated against COVID-19 before revenue cruises can begin.

The approval is a significant step forward for the cruise industry, which has not been able to operate in the U.S. — its most lucrative market — since March 2020 after virus outbreaks and deaths on several ships.

Under a conditional sail order (CSO) for restarting cruises first released by the CDC in October, cruise companies had to enhance COVID-19 testing capabilities on their ships, report weekly crew test results to the agency, and secure agreements with ports and local health authorities in the cities they plan to visit.

“CDC is committed to working with the cruise industry and seaport partners to resume cruising following the phased approach outlined in the CSO,” said agency spokesperson Caitlin Shockey in a statement. “Over the past month, senior leadership from CDC have met multiple times a week with cruise line senior executives to discuss the Framework for Conditional Sailing Order (CSO). During these meetings, participants asked questions and discussed the fastest path back to sailing without compromising safety. CDC and the cruise industry agree that the industry has what it needs to move forward and no additional roadblocks exist for resuming sailing by mid-summer.”

Royal Caribbean Group, which owns Royal Caribbean International, Celebrity Cruises and Silversea, is the first company to have its port and local health agreements approved and move onto test cruises. Test cruises must carry at least 10% of the total passenger capacity permitted by the ports it will visit, made up by volunteer passengers 18 years old or older who agree to be tested for COVID-19 and have their test results recorded after the cruise.

Volunteers who aren’t vaccinated must attest that they are not at high risk of severe COVID-19. Cruise companies will have to end a test cruise if 1.5% of COVID-19 cases are detected in passengers or 1% of COVID-19 cases are detected in crew. Royal Caribbean International spokesperson Lyan Sierra-Caro said people interested in volunteering can visit the company’s Volunteers of the Seas page on Facebook.

Royal Caribbean International and Celebrity Cruises said when revenue cruises resume the cruise lines will require all passengers who are 16 years old or older to provide proof of vaccination when boarding, according to their websites. Starting Aug. 1, they will require all passengers 12 years old or older to provide proof of vaccination.

Complicating the restart for companies in Florida is a law passed by the Republican-controlled state Legislature and promoted by Gov. Ron DeSantis that prevents cruise companies from asking passengers for proof of vaccination. The CDC recommends that all crew members, passengers and port workers be vaccinated when cruises restart. Cruise ships that can prove that 98% of their crew and 95% of their passengers have been vaccinated can skip test cruises and restart revenue cruises as soon as they have agreements with ports in place. Ships that don’t meet the vaccination thresholds must first perform test cruises before getting approval to welcome paying passengers.

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It is not clear how Royal Caribbean International will require vaccination for passengers 16 years and older and comply with the Florida law for its cruises from PortMiami.

In a celebratory Facebook post, Royal Caribbean International CEO Michael Bayley shared a letter from the CDC announcing its approval.

“After 15 months and so much work by so many during very challenging times,” he wrote. “To all our colleagues, loyal guests and supporters all over the world I am proud and pleased to share some bright and wonderful news! Boom! Onwards and upwards team!”

An earlier version of this story misstated when Royal Caribbean is allowed to begin test cruises. The company can start them in late June.