Royal Caribbean’s Freedom of the Seas has received a Conditional Sailing Certificate from the CDC to restart cruises with passengers from Miami on July 2.
Freedom of the Seas is Royal Caribbean’s first cruise ship to receive approval from the CDC. The cruise ship sailed a simulated sailing last week from the Cruise Capital of the World, PortMiami. Freedom will sail three and four night cruises to the Bahamas and all cruises will stop at the cruise line’s private island in the Bahamas, Perfect Day at CocoCay.
Royal Caribbean currently has six other cruise ships scheduled to sail test cruises. The ships and dates for these sailings are:
- Allure of the Seas – July 27 from Port Canaveral
- Symphony of the Seas – August 1 from PortMiami
- Independence of the Seas – August 1 from Port of Galveston
- Mariner of the Seas – August 11 from Port Canaveral
- Serenade of the Seas – July 7 from Port of Seattle
- Oasis of the Seas – August 22 from Cape Liberty
Sailing simulated cruises is one of two pathways laid out by the CDC for cruise lines to resume sailings. Simulated cruises are required by the CDC if a ship will sail with less than 95% fully vaccinated passengers and crew members.
Since Royal Caribbean is a family cruise line, they typically see that children under the age of 12 make up 10% of their guests on board, and today, they are ineligible for the vaccine.
Royal Caribbean said they are committed to continuing to deliver memorable family vacations, and it is why we they conducting simulation sailings so families can sail this summer and fall on their cruise ships.
Royal Caribbean’s crew members will be 100% vaccinated on all ships that resume cruises.