Royal Caribbean unveils 2022 Caribbean schedule, launches trial cruises
Largest cruise line steps up the game amid losses due to pandemic
Major cruise line Royal Caribbean International has announced its official schedule of Caribbean cruises for summer 2022.
The three Oasis-class ships–Symphony, Harmony and Oasis of the Seas–will be dispatched as part of the program, sailing from Florida and the Northeast in 2022 along with the brand’s other ships such as the Liberty, Explorer and amplified Mariner of the Seas, according to a press release.
The 2022 summer Caribbean itineraries for sale are five nights and longer. The cruise line will announce its remaining Caribbean summer 2022 deployment early next year.
Two of the world’s largest cruise ships, Symphony and Harmony of the Seas, will travel the Eastern and Western Caribbean for seven nights. Symphony offers something new for 2022: it will double the number of Eastern Caribbean sailings and tout evening stays in Puerto Rico on select cruises throughout the summer.
Meanwhile, Royal Caribbean’s Harmony will dock at St. Thomas, St. Kitts & Nevis, and Falmouth, Jamaica, as well as Perfect Day at CocoCay, Royal Caribbean’s private destination in The Bahamas.
Their sister ship Oasis is slated to offer a seven-night cruise vacations to Florida and The Bahamas from Cape Liberty in Bayonne, New Jersey.
Volunteers sign up for trial cruise
The Royal Caribbean has also began its call for volunteers as it launches its trial cruise, in line with the new regulations released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
The CDC issued guidelines to cruise liners last month that requires them to carry out trial voyages to ensure they can mitigate the spread of COVID-19 onboard.
Companies are required to meet the necessary safety restrictions in keeping passengers safe before sailing again. The project was first announced in a trade webinar at the start of November.
In a Facebook post, Royal Caribbean CEO Michael Bayley announced that as of November 16, there have been 100,000 volunteer guests who have signed up for the trial cruises.
“We will be operating trial sailings with volunteer guests. It has been so gratifying to receive literally thousands of emails and calls offering to volunteer,” Bayley said.
The cruise line has created a “Volunteers of the Seas” group on Facebook, which will be the “one-stop-shop for updates and next steps about joining… a simulated cruise.” As of writing, the group has almost 50,000 members.