The Singapore Tourism Board has given the green light for pilot “cruise to nowhere” sailings to resume from early November.
According to a statement issued on Thursday, two cruise lines have been granted permission to operate with Genting Cruise Lines’ World Dream to launch pilot sailings from Friday 6 November and Royal Caribbean’s Quantum of the Seas from an unspecified date in December.
The sailings will take place under the STB’s new CruiseSafe certification program, which sets out stringent hygiene and safety measures from prior to boarding to after disembarkation. All cruise lines sailing out of Singapore must obtain the CruiseSafe certification, the STB said, with Genting Cruise Lines and Royal Caribbean currently in the process of attaining the certification.
Measures include infection control throughout the journey starting with a mandatory COVID-19 test, 100% fresh air throughout the ship, onboard measures to discourage close contact between passengers, reduced capacity and emergency response plans for incidents relating to COVID-19.
The STB said it aims to set a benchmark for the future of cruising in the region with the development of its CruiseSafe standards.
“This cruise pilot is a valuable opportunity for cruise operators to reinvent the entire cruise experience in order to regain the confidence of passengers,” said STB CEO Keith Tan.
“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.”
Genting Cruise Lines became the first cruise ship company in the world to relaunch cruise ship operations out of Taiwan in July.
