Royal Caribbean has just received clearance to sail from Miami this weekend – THE DAILY MIAMI NEWS
Royal Caribbean has just received the green light for its first ticketed cruise from the US since the pandemic began.
After a successful test trip, Royal Caribbean’s Freedom of the Seas will leave Miami on Friday for a weekend cruise on July 4th to the Bahamas. The ship is scheduled to make a stop in Nassau and on CocoCay, Royal Caribbean’s private island in the Bahamas.
“This is exciting progress and we look forward to welcoming our guests on board,” said Michael Bayley, CEO of Royal Caribbean, when announcing the development on Facebook.
Royal Caribbean’s Freedom of the Seas recently completed a three-day, two-night test trip from Miami with 650 employees on board – a measure of their ability to operate safely during an ongoing pandemic.
According to Royal Caribbean, all crew members expected to be on board the Freedom of the Seas have been vaccinated. The cruise line also noted that “the majority of guests” were fully vaccinated, despite refusing to provide specific numbers.
In an aerial view the Royal Caribbean Freedom of the Seas in Miami, Florida.
Joe Raedle / Getty Images
Many of the ship’s unvaccinated guests are children and required to take COVID-19 tests and other safety measures, Bayley said on Facebook.
Vaccinated guests also have access to all areas on board, including restaurants, bars, pools, shops, and entertainment, while unvaccinated passengers are restricted in certain locations. A full list can be found here.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) have announced that they will allow cruise ships to sail as long as 95% of their crew and guests are vaccinated. Royal Caribbean requires COVID-19 vaccinations for guests arriving from some ports. Due to local regulations, the cruise line requires unvaccinated Florida passengers to wear COVID-19 insurance.
Another US cruise line, Celebrity Cruises, is also returning to the water. His Celebrity Edge ship was the first ship to return to commercial sailing since the pandemic began, leaving Fort Lauderdale on Saturday.
The Celebrity Edge is scheduled to stop in the Bahamas and Mexico. The ship sails with 1,200 passengers, a little more than a third of its normal volume.
Meena Thiruvengadam is a travel and leisure worker who has visited 50 countries on six continents and 47 US states. She loves historical memorial plaques, strolls through new streets and walks on beaches. Find her on Facebook and Instagram.
