Royal Caribbean Receives CDC Approval For Test Cruises Aboard Two Additional Ships

(Updated 11:57 a.m. EDT) -- Royal Caribbean has received approval from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to conduct simulated test cruises aboard two additional vessels, the line revealed Thursday.

The announcement was made by President and CEO Michael Bayley on his corporate Facebook page. The test cruises will take place aboard Allure of the Seas on July 27, 2021, sailing from Port Canaveral; and onboard Symphony of the Seas from Miami on August 1.

Both simulated voyages are scheduled to be two nights in length. It is not immediately apparent if Royal Caribbean will be requiring participation from the public or media for these test cruises; a recent announcement from Bahamas Paradise Cruise Line indicated that line would use no public passengers or media onboard its simulated sailings.

"We are encouraged to see our ongoing work with the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention continue to progress on all fronts," a Royal Caribbean spokesperson told Cruise Critic. "Allure and Symphony of the Seas, two of the world’s largest cruise ships, are the latest in Royal Caribbean International’s fleet to be approved for simulation cruises. The ships will follow Freedom of the Seas and embark on their simulation sailings on July 27 and Aug. 1, respectively."

Royal Caribbean will conduct its first test cruise for the CDC later this month, with Freedom of the Seas setting sail from Miami on June 20. Other lines that have announced test cruises include Disney Cruise Line and Bahamas Paradise Cruise Line.

Simulated voyages are required by the CDC for all vessels that plan to have fewer than 95 percent of all passengers vaccinated against COVID-19.

Cruise Critic reached out to Royal Caribbean to assess if it would consider conducting simulated voyages aboard the newest member of its fleet, Odyssey of the Seas, which is currently en route to the United States after having its planned debut season in Israel cancelled due to the ongoing conflict in the region.

Cruise Critic will update this story with more information as it becomes available.