SINGAPORE: Starting November this year, cruises with enhanced safety protocols will be piloted for two cruise lines that are home ported in Singapore.
The Singapore Tourism Board (STB) is also developing a mandatory certification programme – Cruise Safe – that sets out stringent hygiene and safety measures throughout the passenger journey, from before boarding to after disembarkation.
The pilot cruises will be round trips with no ports of call, and are only open to Singapore residents. They will also sail at a reduced capacity of up to 50 per cent, STB said in a statement on Thursday. Kicking off the pilots is Genting Cruise Lines’ World Dream, from Nov 6. This will be followed by Royal Caribbean International’s Quantum of the Seas, which will begin sailing on Dec 1.
Genting, which already resumed operations in Taiwan in July, on Thursday, announced two and three-night experiences for Singapore residents during the year-end holidays.
All guests aged 13 and above must take a Covid-19 test before boarding the ship, Genting said. Guests aged seven and up are also required to present their TraceTogether token or app at the time of check-in.
Royal Caribbean, meanwhile, is offering three and four-night cruises. Guests who book before Nov 30 can change or cancel up to 48 hours before the cruise begins, the company said in a statement. Also included are a 100 per cent credit towards a future cruise should a guest or any member of their travel party test positive for Covid-19 in the three weeks prior to their booked cruise, or a full refund if a guest tests positive during their voyage, Royal Caribbean added.
STB said the Singapore government will monitor the outcomes of these pilot sailings in the coming months before deciding on the next step for cruises.
Singapore had ceased port calls for all cruise ships since March 13.
Once the CruiseSafe certification is available, all cruise lines sailing out of Singapore must obtain it prior to sailing. An independent assessment by a third-party certification firm will be required. Among the CruiseSafe standards are infection-control measures at every stage of a passenger’s journey, including a mandatory Covid-19 test before boarding, strict and frequent cleaning protocols onboard, and 100 per cent fresh air throughout the ship. The ship capacity should also be reduced to enable sufficient safe-distancing, and the cruise lines must have emergency response plans for incidents relating to Covid-19. Genting and Royal Caribbean are in the process of getting certified. STB said both operators were approved for the pilot as they “demonstrated the ability to put in place stringent protocols and precautionary measures as part of their CruiseSafe certification”. –Agencies
