Singapore launches luxury cruises to nowhere

Singapore will try to kickstart its tourism industry in November - by launching cruises to nowhere.

The pilot programme will see Genting CRUISELINES and Royal Caribbean International run itineraries that contain no ports of call and operate at half capacity, with stringent health protocols set up, the Singapore Tourism Board has revealed.

The journeys are being classed as round trips and so are only available to persons who have a home in Singapore. The ships will adhere to the waters just off metropolis state.

The plan comes as travellers in Asia have already been snapping up flights that remove and land at the same airport.

The global cruise industry has been particularly hard hit by the coronavirus pandemic. With a number of the earliest significant outbreaks occurring on cruise lines, the sector includes a major confidence crisis on its hands.

This cruise pilot is a valuable chance of cruise operators to reinvent the complete cruise experience

"This cruise pilot is a very important chance of cruise operators to reinvent the entire cruise experience to be able to regain the confidence of passengers," acknowledged Keith Tan, leader of Singapore Tourism Board.

The cruises will require guests to have mandatory Covid-19 tests ahead of boarding and refrain from close connection with others while on the ship.

Royal Caribbean will offer three- and four-night Ocean Getaways on its vessel, Quantum of the Seas, that includes a capacity of 4,180 people. While sailing the waters of the Singapore Strait and South China Sea, guests can enjoy the ship’s various amenities, such as theatres, swimming pools, 18 different dining options and the North Star glass observation capsule, which rises 300 feet above sea level. THE OCEAN Plex, meanwhile, is the largest indoor activity space at sea, with bumper cars, roller skating and a trapeze school. The trips cost from $257.

Enhanced safety measure on the ship include testing and screening; upgraded heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) systems that enhance filtration; stringent cleaning practices; reduced capacities for greater physical distancing; expert health care and onboard facilities.

However, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has warned that: “The current scientific evidence shows that cruise ships pose a greater threat of Covid-19 transmission than other settings as a result of the high population density onboard on ships, which are usually more densely populated than cities or almost every other living situations.

"While this is one contributing factor, CDC’s surveillance data show that drastically decreasing population onboard will not end transmission.”