Richard Fain, chairman and CEO of Royal Caribbean Group, said on Tuesday morning his optimism level was very high in terms of the potential to sail cruises out of the United States in 2020.
Fain said during a virtual panel discussion that he was eager for his companies to get back to work and sailing, but he would not be doing it until they are fully confident its safe and healthy to do so.
And it’s not just about the United States and the CDC’s “No Sail” order, but equally important are destinations in the Caribbean being open to ships with health and safety protocols in place.
Ships offer a unique ability to control the environment onboard, said Fain, predicting the company would run a few test cruises before gradually starting up.
Royal Caribbean is said to be calling employees back to work in South Florida, and is also rumored to be planning test cruises with crew posing as passengers.
Early sailings open to guests may see the Navigator and Mariner of the Seas, two of the company’s recently-refurbished ships, sail short cruises from South Florida to the line’s private island, CocoCay.