VIDEO: Royal Caribbean’s Allure of the Seas Departs Port Canaveral for First Cruise Since COVID-19 Shutdown

Royal Caribbean will resume regular operation from Port Canaveral to the Caribbean in August

Simulated cruise will visit Perfect Day at CocoCay before returning to Port Canaveral on Thursday

BREVARD COUNTY • PORT CANAVERAL, FLORIDA – Royal Caribbean’s Allure of the Seas departed from Port Canaveral for a simulated cruise on Tuesday night.

This marked the first time Royal Caribbean welcomed guests from Port Canaveral since the COVID-19 shutdown. The simulated cruise will visit Perfect Day at CocoCay before returning to Port Canaveral on Thursday.

The 225,000 ton, nearly 1,200-foot long Oasis-class cruise ship set sail for the test before Royal Caribbean resumes operation with paying customers from Port Canaveral to destinations in the Caribbean in August.

To prepare for the test sailing, the Allure underwent preparation in Port Canaveral last week.

Royal Caribbean’s simulated cruise is a part of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s phased approach to cruise ships restarting in the United States.

The state of Florida won the lawsuit against the CDC, making test cruises no longer required, but Royal Caribbean will continue to follow CDC’s recommendations.

Upon her launch in November 2009, the Allure of the Seas became the world’s largest passenger ship.

ABOVE VIDEO: Passengers board Royal Caribbean’s 225,000 ton, nearly 1,200-foot Allure of the Seas in preparation to depart for the company’s first cruise from Port Canaveral since the COVID-19 shutdown. (Port Canaveral Video)

When given the choice to participate in a test cruise or not Royal Caribbean International’s senior vice president of Hotel Operations, Mark Tamis, called the decision “obvious.”

“A good 20 to 25 percent of our guests are kids,” said Tamis.

The purpose of this test cruise is to demonstrate that the onboard health protocols can work, and keep crew members and passengers safe.

CDC officials will be onboard to observe the new changes and health protocols. In order to pass the test, Royal Caribbean will have a list of activities to complete.

All onboard passengers are volunteers with a mix of travel agents, cruise line employees, and exclusive members of Royal Caribbean’s reward program.

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