Spirit of Philadelphia to set sail again with safety changes

PHILADELPHIA (WPVI) -- The Spirit of Philadelphia is getting ready to set sail once again.

Grounded because of COVID-19, they're coming back with safety changes but still promising customers the same experience cruising our local waters.

It will leave its berth in Penn's Landing Friday for the first time in four months.

Those dinner cruises on the Delaware are back, with social distancing and sanitizing in mind.

"We have mandatory daily crew and health screenings," says Ryan O'Connor, the general manager of the Spirit of Philadelphia.

"They are required to wear the appropriate PPE. We've also completely revamped our boarding and ticketing process to allow for social distancing, as well as touchless entry."

Masks are mandatory, except while dining at the tables, which have been spaced six feet apart.

They are also reducing capacity and adding more sanitizing stations.

The ship claims to boast the city's largest, wide-open rooftop deck, and they are so happy to get back out on the water.

"I'm absolutely thrilled," O'Connor says. "It's amazing to see our crew working again and I can't wait to invite our guests onboard for dinner tomorrow evening."