Royal Caribbean to Call on Volunteers For Free Post-Lockdown 'Trial Cruises'

Royal Caribbean, along with most of the world's cruise industry, is currently in operation due to the coronavirus pandemic, with most of its ships anchored in ports waiting for the safe resumption of cruising.

In the meantime, the cruise line is calling on volunteers to take part in 'trial cruises', which will test the line's new health and safety protocols.

Following the global suspension of cruising and outbreaks on many cruise ships, the US Centres for Disease Control Prevention (CDC) created new ruled for cruise lines.

One of the rules insists cruise lines operate trial sailings to demonstrate their health and safety protocols and prove they are sea-worthy.

According to Cruise Industry News, Royal Caribbean is planning on offering volunteers a free trip to help them test out the new coronavirus measures.

‘We are going to be doing a series of sailings using our employees and other volunteers to test out the protocols and make modifications,' senior vice president of sales and trade support services, Vicki Freed, told the publication.

Freed revealed Royal Caribbean will be on the hunt for volunteers, but no official application process has yet been devised.

Once on board, it won't be just plain sailing, and passengers will most likely have to get involved in lots of tests and will have to follow strict health and safety precautions.

It is also not known if the trial cruises will take place in the UK, US or both.

On top of guidance from the CDC, Royal Caribbean International also has also developed an enhanced safety framework, which it devised with fellow cruise conglomerate Norwegian Cruise Lines.

The two cruise giants teamed up earlier in the year to create the Healthy Sail Panel, an independent panel of experts who worked together to devise a stringent and comprehensive series of new coronavirus protocols.

Volunteers will likely have to test out these protocols, which include the use of face coverings, enhanced hospital-grade deep cleaning methods, testing of passengers and crew and social distancing on board.

Other key strategies include screening before boarding, contingency plans for onboard treatment and closely controlling shore excursions