Oasis of the Seas Approved for First Test Cruise Out Of New Jersey

Royal Caribbean's Oasis of the Seas was just approved to operate a test sailing out of Bayonne, New Jersey, this August. This will mark the first cruise to leave from New Jersey since the COVID-19 pandemic brought the industry to a halt.

Per guidelines from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control (CDC) cruise lines can resume after testing their COVID-19 safety protocols. This has occurred at other US ports including Florida and Texas where some cruising has already resumed.

The test cruise for the Oasis of the Seas will depart from the port on August 22, and it will arrive back on August 28. Volunteers will be on board, and all crew members will be fully vaccinated. A majority of guests will be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 as well. A small percentage of guests will be unvaccinated, per CDC guidelines for a test cruise.

If the cruise goes well, they'll receive a Conditional Sailing Certificate, which will allow Royal Caribbean to resume cruising. It's not clear how quickly the cruise ship could resume voyages for paid guests out of NJ, but it would likely happen in September.

The ship, which is one of the largest cruise ships in the world, has a capacity of 5,606 guests, and 2,181 crew members.