COVID-19 brought the cruise industry to a screeching halt with the ‘no-sail’ order being lifted just last month and replaced with a “framework for conditional sailing” order.
Before cruise lines are allowed to officially set sail, they must meet certain criteria – including deploying “mock cruises” to make sure their COVID-19 protocols actually work.
So cruise lines are looking for “mock cruise” volunteers to essentially be the guinea pigs.
If the new protocols end up working – great!
No harm done.
But if not…
… volunteers might find themselves trapped on a cruise ship with other infected passengers.
Fox News reported:
“The ship operators will need to inform volunteer passengers in writing that they’re “participating in a simulation of unproven and untested health and safety protocols for purposes of simulating a cruise ship voyage and that sailing during a pandemic is an inherently risky activity.” They’ll also be responsible for getting approval from local health authorities at any ports where the ship will dock during a simulated voyage.”
Sounds crazy to knowingly subject yourself to what could be a failed attempt at managing COVID-19 on a cruise ship, right?
And after the cruise ship nightmares this past spring with folks trapped at sea and COVID-19 spreading like wildfire… you’d think no one would sign up for this type of experience.
But according to the CEO of Royal Caribbean, more than 100,000 people have already expressed interest to be volunteers!
Of course, the details aren’t worked out yet, but Royal Caribbean hints test sailings could begin as soon as December.
Royal Caribbean reported:
“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.”
The fact over 100,000 people are willing to risk their lives just to experience a taste of travel shows just how “over it” Americans are at being forced to sit at home.
Personally, I’d rather wait until things are more stable than subject myself to the very real likelihood that I could catch COVID-19.
Plus the thought of being on a cruise ship and having to wear a mask outside instead of breathing in the fresh salty air sounds like a bit of a waste if you ask me.
And not to mention all the new regulations cruise passengers will have to follow – like proving they don’t have COVID-19 before they board.
Then there’s the daily temperature checks…
…and all the social distancing guidelines.
But hey, for young millennials and others in good health (who don’t mind being part of a giant experiment) – this just might be the perfect “mock” vacation for you!
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