Cruise Ship Mock Voyages: Ensuring Safety Amidst COVID-19
As the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is now requiring cruise lines to hold mock voyages to test onboard COVID-19 protocols, thousands of people are willing to participate as volunteer passengers.
Cruise ships have been left adrift for months as officials grapple with ways to create a safe onboard experience. Now that the CDC has dropped its “no sail order” and announced new safety regulations, cruise lines are eager to resume operations. However, the CDC recommends that they follow a “phased approach” with a “framework of actionable items.”
During the first phase, cruise lines must demonstrate adherence to testing, quarantine, isolation, and social distancing. Subsequent phases will include mock cruises where volunteers act as passengers to “test cruise ship operators’ ability to mitigate COVID-19 risk.” This strategy allows for the identification and resolution of potential issues before sailing resumes.
Furthermore, it appears that many individuals are enthusiastic about participating in the program. Recently, it was reported that Royal Caribbean would seek volunteers for its trial sailings. A company spokesperson indicated that they had received over 5000 emails from prospective volunteers—not counting various tweets, comments, and messages across social media platforms. However, plans to set sail or hire any volunteers have not been finalized yet.
“We have been overjoyed with their interest,” stated the company. “We have a lot of details to work out to ensure everyone’s experience on board is as safe and enjoyable as possible. Consequently, while we currently have no dates to announce, we are excited about the interest we have received thus far—we can’t wait to finally welcome our guests back on board.”
At this stage, it remains unclear whether volunteers will be compensated for their experience. Nevertheless, they would have access to cruise amenities and activities—ranging from dining to entertainment and private excursions—in addition to adhering to health and safety protocols on board the ship, which include laboratory testing every time they embark and disembark.
