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WhenRoyalCaribbeanInternationalannouncedit waslooking
forvolunteerstohelptestitspost-pandemichealthandsafety
protocols,MelodyWigginswasamongthefirsttosignup.
“Nomatterwhere[they]wantmetobe,I’mthere,”says
Wiggins,58,a lifecoachfromSouthernCaliforniawhocalls
the4,180-passengerAnthemoftheSeasher“homeawayfrom
home.”Aftershefellinlovewithcruisingin2018,she’sbeen
on16 voyages—severalofthemontheAnthem. Herobsession
is a straightforwardromancewithoceanviews,sunrisesat
sea,andthesmellofsaltbreezes.“Imissallofthat,”shesays.
SinceFebruary2020,whenanoutbreakontheDiamond
Princessledtoat least 700 positiveCovid-19casesand
12 deathsamongpassengersandcrew,thecruiseindustry
hasbeenunabletoprovethatit cankeepitscustomerssafe.
(Allthemajorlines—Royal,CarnivalCorp.,NorwegianCruise
LineHoldingsLtd.,andtheirmanysubsidiaries—havebeen
sittingidleintheU.S.sinceMarch.)
BentMartini,chairmanandchiefoperatingofficerof
HurtigrutenLtd.,a Europeancruiseline,steppeddown
inAugustafteranoutbreakononeofitsshipsinNorway.
Fourmonthslater,a shipinSeaDreamYachtClub’sfleetleft
Barbadosona tripmeanttovalidateitsincreasedsafety GETTYIMAGESTRAVEL Bloomberg Pursuits February 8, 2021protocols, including regular testing, but had to turn back
after seven out of 53 passengers tested positive.
Nevertheless, Royal Caribbean’s call for volunteers in
November received 100,000 signatures in the first week. An
additional 150,000 have jumped on board since then, all of
them willing and eager to stare down the coronavirus for the
chance to get back out on the water.
These so-called test cruises are one in a series of require-
ments from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention before lines can resume commercial operations,
an activity the agency has designated a “very high level
of Covid-19” risk. Companies that succeed can get back to
making money—Royal Caribbean’s most recent earnings call
showed a $1.3 billion loss in the third quarter of 2020. So far,
it’s the only one that’s asked for volunteers.
Before the CDC approves any test cruises, the agency
needs buy-in from ports and local health authorities. It also
must publish technical instructions for the ships to follow.
After that, cruise lines will need to give 30-day written notice
of their plans. Royal Caribbean and its competitors have so far
suspended sailings through April—an indication of how long
this process might take. A CDC spokesperson said the criteriaThousands of cruising enthusiasts are volunteering to be
the first ones back on the boat. By Fran GoldenLet Me Be Your Guinea Pig