Royal Caribbean Plans Test Cruise From Miami After CDC Approval

MIAMI, FL — The Royal Caribbean cruise line has been granted permission from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to launch a simulated cruise in preparation for the return of cruising after the COVID-19 pandemic brought the industry to a standstill last year.

A voyage onboard the Freedom of the Seas to test the company’s COVID-19 protocols has been approved for June 20-22, according to a letter from the Department of Health and Human Services that Royal Caribbean International CEO Michael Bayley shared on Facebook.

“After 15 months and so much work by so many during very challenging times,” Bayley wrote on Facebook.

The simulated cruise, which will leave from PortMiami, must be conducted with at least 10 percent of the maximum number of passengers permitted on the ship, the CDC said.

Royal Caribbean must document any issues with its health and safety protocols during the trip and address how it plans to rectify any problems that arise before applying for a COVID-19 Conditional Sailing Certificate through the CDC, according to the letter.

"We are thrilled by the news that Royal Caribbean will be able to conduct test voyages from PortMiami starting next month. This approval is a milestone for our hard-fought efforts to safely re-open the cruising industry, which is a cornerstone of Miami-Dade’s economy – generating $7 billion a year and supporting an estimated 40,000 jobs throughout multiple sectors of the economy,” Miami-Dade County Mayor Danielle Levine-Cava said in a statement.

She added, “For weeks we have been working to vaccinate thousands of crew members at PortMiami to prepare for a safe re-opening. Miami-Dade is committed to working with the CDC and our cruise partners on this next phase of the safe return to cruising for millions of visitors, and a safe return to work for tens of thousands of workers in Florida. We are ready to welcome back passengers to the Cruise Capital of the World."