The president of cruise giant Royal Caribbean announced Sunday that 100,000 people have already volunteered to sail free-of-charge on their government-mandated test voyages.
“And just like that…100,000 people have volunteered. We can’t wait to start this next phase with you all!” Michael Bayley wrote on Facebook.
Just three days earlier, the company set up a “Volunteers of the Seas” Facebook page to attract those eager enough for a free ride aboard a cruise ship during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The test sailings are among the cruise ship industry protocols instituted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Cruise lines must launch the simulated voyages to test their coronavirus safety measures before being given the opportunity to resume operating from US ports, Cruise Industry News reported.
Royal Caribbean’s volunteers will reportedly begin cruising in 2021. The maiden voyage is most likely to CocoCay, the company’s private island in the Bahamas 55 miles north of Nassau.