With a quite contested future, cruise industry experts say that future test cruises could help the major cruise lines chart a quick and swift recovery.
This news comes over months of anticipation and a somewhat failed return to the seas.
While some cruise lines have canceled cruises indefinitely, others are trying to reboot the industry and return to normalcy as soon as possible.
Just months ago, SeaDream’s first return to cruising in the Caribbean resulted in seven passengers and two crew members testing positive for COVID-19 while underway.
Not only are the new test cruises are required by the Center for Disease Control (CDC), but will allow cruise lines to test new requirements such as on-board testing, social distancing, and new air filtration systems.
As expected, major cruise lines such as Royal Caribbean and Carnival are looking forward to resuming operations.
In 2019, the cruise industry alone contributed over $55 billion to the U.S. economy.
No state has a bigger stake in the cruise industry than Florida, home to the world’s three busiest cruise ports: Port Miami, Port Canaveral and Port Everglades.
While experts cannot predict an exact time when cruising will return, they do know that these test cruises will help expedite a safe return that will benefit everyone in the industry.
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