It's on sail... Royal Caribbean got the first green light from the CDC to start "test cruises," after being landbound for over a year. Cruise companies like RC and Carnival haven't been allowed to operate in the US — their biggest profit puppy — since March 2020. The test cruises are expected to start sailing from Miami in late June.
Will there be "test buffets"?... Test cruises are required for ships that aren't guaranteeing that at least 95% of passengers have been vaxed. The simulated cruises will carry "Volunteers of the Seas." In case you're interested: you have to be 18+ and agree to be Covid-tested. If Covid cases hit a certain level, RC will have to end the cruise.
Cruise companies have "slingshot" potential... but they may not be able to milk it yet. "Slingshots" are companies whose performance could surpass pre-pandemic levels, thanks to pent-up demand from their pandemic absence. Carnival already has more cruise bookings for 2022 than it did in 2019. But even though half of US adults are fully vaxed, half aren't. Test cruises are a step forward — but CDC restrictions mean cruise companies may not be able to fulfill their slingshot potential for a while.