Volunteer Of The Sea Passengers Needed Before Cruise Ships Can Resume Operations
Royal Caribbean is the first cruise line to put out a link and criteria for becoming what it calls a Volunteer of the Seas. This is someone who is willing to go on a trial cruise as mandated by the CDC in order for cruise lines to begin operating again in this COVID-19 era.
For free.
It has put out a list of guidelines as well as a link to apply to be a passenger. While the cruise line has not announced dates, departures, destinations or ships, it is anticipated to begin in December out of Florida or Puerto Rico. It will be up to the volunteers to get to and from the departure point and pay for any hotels before and after the cruise.
Now, with all that behind us,
Here is the link to apply: Royal Caribbean test cruise application
Below are the rules and regulations for passengers and cruise lines from Royal Caribbean and the CDC.
Royal Caribbean Guidelines
- Volunteer passengers are to be told in writing of the “inherently risky activity” of their test sailing with untested health and safety protocols.
- All volunteer passengers must be at least eighteen years old or older.
- All volunteer passengers must have a written certification from a healthcare provider that they have no pre-existing medical conditions .
- Royal Caribbean must conduct any simulation on a consensual basis and not as a condition of employment or in exchange for consideration or future reward.
- Royal Caribbean must embark additional crew members beyond safe minimum manning levels only as determined through CDC technical instructions or orders.
- The cruise ship operator must design and conduct a simulated voyage insofar as practicable to test the efficacy of the cruise ship operator’s ability to mitigate the risks of COVID-19 onboard its cruise ship.
- The cruise ship operator must conduct a monitored observation period and laboratory testing of volunteer passengers, as directed in CDC technical instructions or orders, prior to embarking volunteer passengers on a simulated voyage.
CDC Guidelines
• All volunteer passengers and crew members must follow testing protocols, which include rapid testing prior to both embarkation and disembarkation.
• Simulated sailings will need to meet CDC expectations for certification, which includes passengers wearing masks, wash and sanitize hands, and practice social distancing.
• The following activities must be simulated:
– embarkation and disembarkation procedures, including terminal check-in
– on board activities, including at dining and entertainment venues,
– private island shore excursions (if a port is visited)
– evacuation procedures
– transfer of symptomatic passengers or crew, or those who test positive for SARSCoV-2, from cabins to isolation rooms
– quarantine of all remaining passengers and non-essential crew
– other activities as may be listed in CDC technical instructions and orders
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• PubClub.com’s Travel Blogger Would Go On A Test Cruise. Would You?
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