We recently posted about a delay in the start of the Maine windjammer schooner passenger season due to the pandemic and concerns that it may not start at all. The good news is that the State of Maine, working with the Maine Windjammer Association and others, has agreed on a set of rules and guidelines to allow overnight windjammer cruises to start in July. 

Cruise Critic reports that Maine has been one of the most cautious states in allowing non-residents to enter for tourism. The regulations surrounding windjammer cruising reflect that. All out-of-state visitors must have a negative COVID-19 test result within 72 hours of travel. While the state exempts fellow New England states Vermont and New Hampshire, the MWA said some captains might require all passengers to prove they tested negative for COVID-19, regardless of the state.

Maine recommends non-residents take the test and get the results in their home state. If tourists cannot take the test before they leave their state, they must quarantine in Maine for 14 days before staying in a hotel or boarding a windjammer. Maine is also adding 20 “swab and send” testing sites, where anyone can get a test without a doctor note throughout Maine by July 1. Visitors are required to pay for testing, with results received within 24 to 48 hours.

If travelers can’t get tested before they arrive in Maine, they need to quarantine at a friend’s house or private property until the results are received and they can board the windjammer. The MWA has partnered with a hotel where guests can stay during their quarantine; however, people waiting for test results will not be able to leave their rooms and must eat via room service and takeout.

Once passengers receive the negative result, they will fill out a Certificate of Compliance for Maine Visitors. These documents are required to be kept onboard for 30 days. While your actual test result is not viewed, you might need to show it to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) or other health authorities in case of an outbreak. If you don’t have it, you’ll face a fine or possible jail time.

Once aboard, a new set of rules kick in. 

• Masks must be worn in common areas below deck when social distancing is not possible. Guests may also need to wear masks when riding in small boats ashore, in the galleys when not eating and when gathering with other passengers on the dock. Crews and captains will also wear masks when social distancing can’t be maintained.
• Cleaning protocols have been stepped up throughout the ships — in the cabins, in shared spaces and in galleys.
• Each boat has developed a plan if a crew or a passenger shows symptoms of COVID-19 while onboard. That person will be immediately quarantined in a cabin set aside for that purpose, and then immediately transported to land for medical care.
• Dining will take place on deck more often to encourage social distancing. Served meals will be the norm, rather than passing dishes family-style. Sharing utensils and condiments will be discouraged.
• Captains might shy away from coastal towns, and go more often to uninhabited islands to hike and walk around. The line will still hold the traditional lobster bakes.

Now, the real question is whether passengers will be willing to return given concerns about the virus and having to cope with the new rules and guidelines.