Royal Caribbean taking applications for Test Sailing Volunteers!

Good luck to those who apply!

Excellent idea. Are the volunteers sailing at no charge or do they have to pay for being the guniea pig ....

No announcement as to that, but the scuttlebutt is Cruise will be free of charge, with no loyalty points earned, and no drink package available, with reduced drink prices

I wouldn't go even if they paid me!! How about mebbe 500 or more TA's....they can give us all a "professional" review..when they come back...IF they come back....

Thank you to all that volunteer. They are helping clear the way for the rest of us. I personally will not get on a ship until after I have a vaccine and it shows I have antibodies.

No thanks.

30,000 have volunteered so they have their pool to choose from.

I’m not sure they expected that big of a response.

I have a feeling at least 25% are either people new to cruising, or that have never sailed with RCI. Another 25% are over 65, and/or have underlying medical issues that doctors won’t sign the medical release for. Another 15% are possibly not US Residents. And another 10% are expecting to bring their kids under 18. Leaving around 25%.

IMO, once they sort through the applications and organize them by Crown and Anchor Loyalty Status, they will be sending out a secondary Questionnaire, to try to find people who have real life experiences with the day to day fight with the pandemic. First Responders, hospital staff, code enforcement, etc. People who can use their real life experience to help the cruise line mould their policies and procedures to make an enjoyable and safe experience.

I like your response OPUS,...thoughtful good stuff..except your "feeling" about the percentages is just that...a feeling...I haven't got a clue how they're going to winnow that sample down...and whats the point anyway if you can't demonstrate and try out your safety procedures on anyone who wants to get onboard???...not just "cooperative, loyal types".. your categories are fine...except it isn't going to salvage anything for the cruise lines, ..just another dog n pony demo so they can try to start sailing again...they're desperate...there's no more $$ to borrow...want to buy a cruise line...cheap??? VERY cheap?? AND, fwiw, you just know that no matter how they manipulate the so-called "sample",, there's going to be an outbreak onboard..you can take THAT to the bank.....AND no matter how prepared they claim to be, or how efficiently they handle it, the negativity surrounding it will do more harm than good...so...get your vaccination eventually, and a "shot card" to prove it....the rest is eye candy....

AND btw, i've read that "doctors note"...any MD who signs off on that is nuts. They're being put in the position of trytng to predict the future....so your MD in a fit of charity, signs it so you can cruise,,you get the bug, its critical, you're never quite the same...or you die...and theyre you are (or your family is) waving that MD note around in a malpractice suit...looks like the cruise lines are doing what any good corporation does...shift the blame and protect themselves...

Well, I probably should have mentioned how I came to my estimates. Royal Caribbean has formed a Facebook group I mentioned in the first post. I based my estimate on this group, and those posting in it. I didnt just pull the numbers out of thin air.

Mr Bayley posted yesterday that over 100,000 people had applied. I'm not sure if that is 100,000 applications received, or if it is based on each applicant's application (ie: My cousin applied with 4 persons in a room, whereas I only applied for 2)

At this point, it is a waiting game, with both Pfizer and Moderna announcing vaccines in the 90-95% efficacy rate, with plans to apply for emergency approval by the end of the month. The end may be coming fast!

https://www.pfizer.com/news/press-release/press-release-detail/pfizer-and-biontech-announce-vaccine-candidate-against

https://apnews.com/article/2nd-virus-vaccine-success-us-tests-5575a8a8ca3825a9bf39a5d234aba07b