Royal Caribbean has received the thumbs up from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to do a test cruise. If all goes well, the ships could be seen coming and going from Cape Liberty in Bayonne as early as this summer.

Royal Caribbean will start them out of South Florida. There are many guidelines the cruise lines will have to follow.

Guidance is calling for the simulated cruises to be at least three days and two nights, and at least 10% of the cruise ship's normal capacity.

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The CDC also requires passengers either show proof of full vaccination or not be at high risk for a severe COVID-19 infection.

Lyan Sierra-Caro, a spokesperson for Royal Caribbean International, told News 12 in a statement, "After 15 months of hard work and collaboration, today's approval of our simulated cruises is the latest promising step in our path to return to sailing in the U.S. We look forward to welcoming our crew, loyal guests and supporters from around the world this summer."

Cruise ships haven’t been seen leaving the port, or any other ports in the U.S., since March 2020.