Pilot cruises to nowhere for Singapore residents from Nov

Singapore

FROM November, cruises with enhanced safety protocols will be piloted for two cruise lines home-ported in Singapore. The pilot cruises will be "cruises to nowhere", that is, round trips with no ports of call.

The Singapore Tourism Board (STB) is also developing a mandatory certification programme called CruiseSafe, which sets out stringent hygiene and safety measures that will be in force from before passengers board till after they disembark.

The cruises will be open only to Singapore residents, and will sail at half their usual capacity, STB said in a statement on Thursday.

Kicking off the pilots is Genting Cruise Lines' ship, World Dream, from Nov 6. Then on Dec 1, Royal Caribbean International's vessel, Quantum of the Seas, will set sail.

Genting on Thursday announced two- and three-night experiences for Singapore residents. All guests aged 13 and above must take a Covid-19 test before boarding. Guests aged seven and up are also required to present their TraceTogether token or app at the time of check-in.

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Royal Caribbean is offering three- and four-night cruises. Guests who book before Nov 30 will be allowed to change or cancel their booking up to 48 hours before the cruise. They will also be given a full refund if they test positive during the voyage, Royal Caribbean said.

Its website shows three-night cruises start at S$374 excluding taxes and fees, while four-night cruises start at S$509. A two-night opening cruise on Dec 1 starts at S$334.

Any guest that tests positive for Covid-19 during the three weeks prior to their cruise will receive full credit towards a future sailing, while those that test positive during the voyage will be entitled to a full refund.

Royal Caribbean will cover up to S$25,000 per person for Covid-19-related costs, including on-board medical costs, any required quarantine and travel home, the cruise line said.

The Singapore government will monitor the outcomes of these pilot sailings before deciding on the next step. Singapore ceased port calls for all cruise ships on March 13.

Once the CruiseSafe certification is available, all cruise lines sailing out of Singapore must obtain it before they set sail. An independent assessment by a third-party certification firm will be required for CruiseSafe.

CruiseSafe standards will require infection-control measures at every stage of a passenger's journey. These include a mandatory Covid-19 test before boarding, strict and frequent cleaning protocols, and 100 per cent fresh air throughout the ship.

Genting and Royal Caribbean are in the process of getting certified.

The pilot cruises will have to comply with prevailing safe-management measures such as mask wearing and one-metre safe-distancing. Regular inspections will be carried out.

The tourism board said the crew on these cruises will be subject to stringent measures beyond Singapore's prevailing requirements for cross-border travel.

Singapore is one of the first countries to develop and implement a mandatory audit and certification programme for cruise lines before they can commence sailing.

Keith Tan, STB chief executive officer, said on Thursday: "As Asean's lead coordinator for cruise development, Singapore remains committed to supporting and growing cruise tourism in the region. We will continue to work with cruise lines and our industry stakeholders to chart a new course for safe cruising."

To prepare for the industry's recovery, STB has partnered Cruise Lines International Association and Travel Weekly Asia to run a series of training webinars this month for regional travel agents under the ambit of CruiseWorld Asia 2020.

Meanwhile, Genting has signed a memorandum of understanding with Singapore's five polytechnics and the Institute of Technical Education to provide joint activities, learning projects and internships to students and graduates keen to explore a career in the cruise- and tourism-linked sector.