Royal Caribbean May Need Volunteers for Trial Cruises

[toad455]

Feeling like this will take longer to get going. Maybe these trials take place end of February with the hope of re-starting by April 1. Especially with the US skyrocketing with cases now.

[livingonthebeach]

 

https://www.washingtonpost.com/travel/2020/11/13/test-cruise-volunteers-royal-caribbean/

 

There is a volunteer FaceBook page.  I posted the link but it got xxxxx out. 

 

Edited November 13, 2020 by livingonthebeach

[jonbgd]

We volunteered but it has to be in a balcony or above

 

Btw do we get do we get C&A points for it😁

[bones774]

On 11/12/2020 at 12:26 PM, sandebeach said:

Yes I just signed up. But since the form asks for your C&A number, they will be able to see my age and promptly scratch me off the list!

I believe it was indicated no C&A number to enter 9999999

[yogimax]

8 hours ago, jonbgd said:

We volunteered but it has to be in a balcony or above

 

Btw do we get do we get C&A points for it😁

Don't hold your breath.

[Coralc]

We are among the not signing up people. If they had test runs on the West Coast, maybe. But we would not fly to Florida for a test. Especially after what happened with SeaDream. 

[John&LaLa]

45 minutes ago, Coralc said:

We are among the not signing up people. If they had test runs on the West Coast, maybe. But we would not fly to Florida for a test. Especially after what happened with SeaDream. 

 

20 million people live within a 4 hour drive of the two big Royal ports. Decent sized pool of potential volunteers. I doubt they want anyone to fly in or stay overnight prior to boarding

 

Just my opinion, of course 

 

[Coralc]

That's nice. Have at it.  And my post was not intended to imply that they would pay for us to fly there, or pay for a hotel. If we want to do stuff, we pay for our own transportation. 

Edited November 14, 2020 by Coralc

[SteelMagnolia9]

I believe it is just marketing/public relations to create more excitement and anticipation for cruising and their brand. No way are they going to fly in a random person to participate in a test cruise. I live in Florida and don’t believe they’ll just take random people from around the state.  The test passengers will be hand selected and vetted. 
 

Now they have the names, emails, phone numbers, C&A, etc. of people who are anxious to cruise and can begin targeting them as a group who want to immediately get on board once they can sail. That’s the real reason they are collecting this information under the guise of recruiting volunteers.

Based on the projected results of the U.S. presidential election, I don’t see cruising going forward until 2022 from the U.S. Had the election gone the other way, cruising would likely be under way by spring.

[EZ1]

1 hour ago, SteelMagnolia9 said:

I believe it is just marketing/public relations to create more excitement and anticipation for cruising and their brand. No way are they going to fly in a random person to participate in a test cruise. I live in Florida and don’t believe they’ll just take random people from around the state.  The test passengers will be hand selected and vetted. 
 

Now they have the names, emails, phone numbers, C&A, etc. of people who are anxious to cruise and can begin targeting them as a group who want to immediately get on board once they can sail. That’s the real reason they are collecting this information under the guise of recruiting volunteers.

Based on the projected results of the U.S. presidential election, I don’t see cruising going forward until 2022 from the U.S. Had the election gone the other way, cruising would likely be under way by spring.

😠😠

[yogimax]

1 hour ago, SteelMagnolia9 said:

Now they have the names, emails, phone numbers, C&A, etc. of people who are anxious to cruise and can begin targeting them as a group who want to immediately get on board once they can sail. That’s the real reason they are collecting this information under the guise of recruiting volunteers.

 

Interesting point.  It's a PR coup with minimal cost.

[Biker19]

8 hours ago, SteelMagnolia9 said:

Now they have the names, emails, phone numbers, C&A, etc. of people who are anxious to cruise and can begin targeting them as a group who want to immediately get on board once they can sail. That’s the real reason they are collecting this information under the guise of recruiting volunteers.

They probably have all of that from all the Royal Up offer folks have been filling out in the past.

 

Biker, who thinks the Volunteers of the Seas was a ploy to lessen the impact on Vicky's (and other RCI folks) inbox.

[Kbonner]

On 11/14/2020 at 8:53 PM, SteelMagnolia9 said:

Now they have the names, emails, phone numbers, C&A, etc. of people who are anxious to cruise and can begin targeting them as a group who want to immediately get on board once they can sail. That’s the real reason they are collecting this information under the guise of recruiting volunteers.

 

RCI being in a dire situation  probably generates some extra money by selling the above information to other merchants. Standby for extra emails in your inbox 🤑

[John&LaLa]

Found on the FB volunteers page

 

[Domino D]

51 minutes ago, John&LaLa said:

Found on the FB volunteers page

 

 

Only speaking for myself.  "RANDOM, VOLUNTEER, SIMULATED are three words I don't associate with vacation.  I would however be happy to volunteer to perform a simulated drawing for a random cruise. 

 

FYI, he looks more like a Pinnacle, but I need to see his shoes to be certain.

 

 

[John&LaLa]

45 minutes ago, Domino D said:

 

FYI, he looks more like a Pinnacle, but I need to see his shoes to be certain.

 

No way, I don't see a name tag

[Pratique]

2 hours ago, John&LaLa said:

Found on the FB volunteers page

 

"Let It Will Be"

[SilkySal]

Hubs and I are former law enforcement👮‍♂️ and have gone through multiple emergency situation simulations. We are fairly sure of what may be required of test cruisers and have signed up for the cause! Hopefully, we volunteers will help return us all to cruising again sooner rather than later! If we are chosen, we will gladly accept donations as a thank you!😘

[Biker19]

Here's one persons' guess on what trial cruises may look like - interesting take on the booze issue:

 

https://www.cruiseindustrynews.com/cruise-news/23944-what-a-trial-cruise-for-volunteers-may-look-like.html

 

 

Here is a look at what to expect aboard a trial sailing based on the CDC’s Conditional Framework and Cruise Industry News’ own analysis, along with input from industry sources.

Trial cruises could start as soon as December, according to industry executives, and Royal Caribbean has already put out a call for volunteers.

 

Short

The CDC has made it clear cruises leaving from U.S. ports won’t be more than seven days, and with cruise lines looking to create a bubble, cruises are expected to be short, and only visiting private islands to start.

This would mean any early sailings will be in the three- to four-day range, most likely leaving from Miami, Port Everglades or Port Canaveral and featuring a single call at a private Bahamian destination.

 

Very Quiet

As the cruise industry stages a phased-in return to service, ships won’t be anywhere near full to promote health and safety protocols and new social distancing requirements.

Industry executives have targeted a 50 percent load factor, meaning ships will be eerily quiet.

 

Royal Caribbean’s Navigator and Mariner of the Seas, for instance, have roughly 3,100 berths each at 100 percent occupancy (two guests in each cabin). These ships would frequently sail at well above a 100 percent load factor with families aboard. For the return, occupancy will be slimmed down to the 1,500-guest range.

 

Free Booze?

Volunteer sailings may feature an adjusted bar program.

The CDC has said simulated sailings will need volunteers, but has not commented publicly on if a cruise line can generate revenue on a simulated sailing.

Cruise lines, however, will need to test new bar protocols for drink order and delivery. 

Will there will be an open bar? Unlikely, but that brings back the revenue question, with industry executives telling Cruise Industry News they don’t expect to be able to “accept any sort of revenue.”

A compromise would be open bar with no premium brands.

 

Slow Embark and Debark

Embarkation day will have an entirely new look with staggered arrival times, COVID-19 testing in the cruise terminal, and various zones for guests to pass through for health and safety reasons, plus an isolation area.

Disembarkation day is also expected to have a new look with potential testing requirements the day of debark, which would slow down the process significantly even at reduced load factors.

Be patient, this may take a while until the cruise lines find their way to keep the CDC happy.

 

A Very Changed Cruise Program

The cruise program of entertainment and activities is subject to CDC approval, and will most likely feature venues with strictly controlled capacity with regular cleaning intervals. 

Other cruise lines in operation are closing bars early, spacing out tables in venues and also adding duplicate entertainment programs so all guests have the opportunity to attend.

 

Limited But Excellent Dining

It’s unclear whether the full slate of alternative restaurants would be open for trial sailings, with a limited number of guests and questions regarding whether the cruise line can accept onboard revenue.

 

Police State in Buffet

The self-serve cruise ship buffet looks to be gone at least for now. Expect a one-way buffet line with crew serving guests, or food that is individually plated and handed to passengers.

“We are not taking out the buffet it; will be assisted,” said one industry executive. “There will be no touch points. It will be regulated, it’s a one-way system and it will be well policed.”

 

Sun Deck and more

Will guests be able to find a chair and sun themselves or jump in the pool?  Not likely, much less the hot tub.  What about dancing and the disco?

It may be a nice cruise experience, but perhaps going back 40 years to the way it used to be.

 

Testing – Pre, During, Post

Beyond pre-boarding testing and testing prior to disembarkation, cruise lines are expected to have a mid-sailing testing program in place. Whether all guests will be tested or if it will be based randomly is yet to be determined.

 

Past Guests First

All indications are volunteers will be selected on a basis of their past loyalty to a particular cruise line. Operators may rank volunteer candidates based on previous business and their current standing in the cruise line’s rewards program.

 

Simulated

Will there be simulated ship emergencies, medical emergencies and potential evacuations? Absolutely.

Other testing may include guests being placed into isolation zones following simulated positive tests, and proper responses from crew involving contract tracing.

 

You Are Being Watched

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