‘Simulated’ cruise departs from Seattle, marking the return of lucrative industry

Cruises generate nearly a billion dollars in economic impact annually. But are pandemic-shy travelers ready to set sail again?

SEATTLE – After sitting empty for more than a year during the pandemic, cruise lines are preparing to set sail from US ports.

On Wednesday, Royal Caribbean’s “simulated” cruise departed Seattle – a test case for the company’s COVID-19 security protocols.

“We are excited to be back in Seattle after such a long hiatus and to be the very first cruise ship and brand to sail from our home port of Seattle to Alaska,” said Mark Tamis, senior vice president of hotel operations, Operations Royal Caribbean.

Approximately 300 vaccinated employees will take on the role of paying passengers on the Serenade of the Seas, which will visit Ketchikan and return to Seattle on Sunday.

“And they help us bring our protocols, which we have been working on for a long time, almost a year and a half, to life and make small adjustments,” said Tamis.

That’s under the gaze of observers from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), who placed and maintained “no sailing” orders for cruise lines through 2020 after cruise lines experienced some of the worst coronavirus outbreaks earlier this year.

Now the CDC is demanding high vaccination rates for staff and passengers, but gave its blessing for the first US ship with customers to leave Miami at the end of June.

Royal Caribbean will even simulate the detection, quarantine and evacuation of a COVID-positive guest on board, Tamis said.

He said many of the new precautions taken by travelers may not be immediately apparent – from improved air circulation and filtration to expanded medical facilities. What is more noticeable, however, is that travelers owe COVID-19 the move away from self-service buffets.

Travelers old enough to qualify for vaccines will need to show proof that they received the vaccination, Tamis said. Children who are too young to receive the vaccines are allowed to travel.

This is the second test run for Royal Caribbean after the first recently in Miami.

The future of the Alaska cruise season was jeopardized after Canadian restrictions on passenger ships in its waters and U.S. law that banned foreign-flagged ships from sailing directly between U.S. ports without international stops was threatened.

The return of the cruise industry means big bucks for Seattle and Washington. Seattle Port officials said cruises pumped $ 900 million into the economy annually prior to COVID-19, with each visiting ship causing about $ 4.2 million in economic impact. Cruises also support 5,500 jobs in the area, Port of Seattle said.

“We’re very much looking forward to it,” said Peter McGraw, spokesman for the Port of Seattle’s maritime division. “This simulated cruise will give you a lot of information. The same goes for the Port of Seattle, and we’re looking forward to it. “

The first paying cruise from Seattle is scheduled for July 19th. Still, time will tell if the passengers are ready to set sail again.

“The most important thing is that our guests feel safe because that will really give them the comfort to relax and have a great vacation the way they really want it,” said Tamis.