Singapore’s cruises to nowhere: Royal Caribbean International and Genting Cruise Lines launch pandemic-friendly, destination-free luxury holidays amid Covid-19

Oct 13 , 2020

Genting Cruise Lines’s Dream Cruise will be launching trips from Singapore to nowhere. Photo: @dreamcruiseline/Instagram

Going on a cruise amid Covid-19’s new normal means strict testing, on board social distancing, and journeying without a destination – but at least Singaporeans have a new travel option

From next month, two cruise ships will start sailing from Singapore into the open seas and back as the city state aims to give residents some outlet for their wanderlust amid Covid-19.

Genting Cruise Lines’ World Dream and Royal Caribbean International’s Quantum of the Seas will begin round-trip journeys from November and December respectively, according to the Singapore Tourism Board.

Stringent protocols for cruise operators and passengers to permit the pilot voyages have been established under a CruiseSafe certification program. They include Covid-19 testing of crew and passengers, increased sanitisation, fresh air circulating measures, and on-board steps to discourage close contact and intermingling. The boats will sail at a reduced capacity of 50 per cent and the journeys are only open to residents of Singapore.

Genting is offering two- and three-night packages starting from November 6. In July, the cruise operator restarted services in Taiwan. Royal Caribbean will operate three- and four-night packages from December 1.

Departing cruise line passengers wait to pass through the thermal screening system before immigration control at the Singapore Cruise Centre in Singapore in March 2020. Photo: Bloomberg

Passengers will need to get tested and submit travel and health declarations before they board. During the trip, they’ll have to wear masks at all times and keep a safe distance of one metre. Tracing tokens or apps will be mandatory outside cabins.

Crew members that are flying into the city state will be required to take a test on arrival and another at the end of a 14-day quarantine.

The tourism board said that Singapore is one of the first countries to develop and implement a mandatory audit and certification program for cruise lines. Before sailing, all cruise lines out of Singapore must obtain the CruiseSafe certification, which requires assessment by a third-party certification firm.

The Diamond Princess cruise ship with over 3,000 people on board arrives at Yokohama port in February 2020. Photo: Agence France-Presse