Free trips on mock cruises

Royal Caribbean is offering complimentary trips in order to run “mock cruises” to test drive its coronavirus measures.

Passengers can get a free cruise if they volunteer for new trial sailings, according to the Independent.

This initiative is part of a new set of rules introduced by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), which stipulates that cruise lines must demonstrate their Covid protocols are up to scratch by operating trial sailings.

The CDC, which previously banned all cruises in response to the pandemic, advised companies to have “volunteers play the role of passengers to test cruise ship operators’ ability to mitigate Covid-19 risk”.

And even though industry experts warn that these test cruises are unlikely to feel like a standard cruise vacation, CNN Travel reports that Royal Caribbean has been inundated with interest from would be cruisers and that the offer has attracted ‘thousands’ of volunteers.

“Royal Caribbean has some of the most loyal guests in the cruise industry, and we have been overjoyed with their interest to take part in our simulated trial sailings,” the cruise company’s spokesperson, Jonathon Fishman, told CNN Travel. 

“This week alone, we have received more than 5,000 emails, not including the tweets, comments and messages across social media.”

Before the cruise line can get started on simulated voyage plans, it must confirm it’s met the CDC’s requirements for protecting crew members onboard ships.

The CDC framework also requires simulated cruise voyages to meet a series of requirements, including that passengers are informed in writing ‘that they are participating in a simulation of unproven and untested health and safety protocols’ and ‘that sailing during a pandemic is an inherently risky activity’.

Volunteer passengers are also required to be at least 18 years old, and they must confirm they don’t have any pre-existing medical conditions that could make them more susceptible to coronavirus.