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Thursday, October 8, 2020 – 12:17 pm
Beginning in November this year, cruises with enhanced security protocols will be piloted for two cruise lines based in Singapore.
The Singapore Tourism Board (STB) is also developing a mandatory certification program, CruiseSafe, which establishes strict hygiene and safety measures throughout the passenger’s journey, from before boarding to after disembarking.
The pilot cruises will be roundtrips with no ports of call and are only open to Singapore residents.
They will also sail at reduced capacity of up to 50 percent, STB said in a statement Thursday.
The launch of the pilots is Genting Cruise Lines’ World dream, as of November 6. This will be followed by Royal Caribbean International Quantum of the Seas, which will begin sailing on December 1.
Genting, which already resumed operations in Taiwan in July, announced on Thursday two- and three-night experiences for Singapore residents during the year-end holidays.
All passengers 13 and older must take a Covid-19 test before boarding the ship, Genting said. Guests seven and older must also present their TraceTogether app or token at check-in.
Meanwhile, Royal Caribbean offers three and four night cruises. Guests who book before November 30 can change or cancel up to 48 hours before the cruise begins, the company said in a statement.
Also included is a 100 percent credit towards a future cruise in the event that a guest or any member of your travel group tests positive for Covid-19 in the three weeks prior to your booked cruise, or a full refund if a guest tests positive during his trip, added Royal Caribbean.
STB said that the Singapore government will monitor the results of these pilot trips in the coming months before deciding the next step for cruises.
Singapore had ceased port calls for all cruise ships since March 13.
Once CruiseSafe certification is available, all cruise lines departing from Singapore must obtain it prior to sailing. An independent evaluation by an external certification company will be required.
CruiseSafe’s standards include infection control measures at every stage of a passenger’s journey, including a mandatory Covid-19 test before boarding, frequent and strict cleaning protocols on board, and 100% clean air throughout. boat.
Ship capacity must also be reduced to allow for sufficient safe distancing, and cruise lines must have emergency response plans for Covid-19-related incidents.
Genting and Royal Caribbean are in the process of obtaining certification.
STB said both operators were approved for the pilot as they “demonstrated the ability to implement strict protocols and precautionary measures as part of their CruiseSafe certification.”
Pilot cruises must comply with the prevailing safe management measures, such as the use of masks and a safe distance of one meter. Periodic inspections will be carried out on board.
The tourism board added that the crew of the pilot cruises will be subject to strict measures beyond Singapore’s current requirements for cross-border travel.
Singapore is one of the first countries to develop and implement a mandatory audit and certification program for cruise lines before they can start sailing.
CruiseSafe certification is compared to global health and safety standards and is jointly created by STB and the DNV GL classification body. Cruise lines that fail to comply will be penalized, such as fines, travel suspension, and revocation of certification.
The Business Times (BT) reported last week that STB had awarded a tender, valued at S $ 145,000, to DNV GL Singapore to create the program. The tender documents also indicated that STB was seeking to resume “cruise to nowhere” trips outside of Singapore, with each trip lasting two to four nights.
Keith Tan, CEO of STB, said on Thursday: “As Asean’s lead coordinator for cruise development, Singapore remains committed to supporting and growing cruise ship tourism in the region.”
Given the strong fundamentals in the city-state cruise industry, Singapore expects cruise performance to pick up when international travel picks up, STB noted.
To prepare for the industry recovery, STB has partnered with the Cruise Lines International Association and Travel Weekly Asia to host a series of regional travel agent training webinars as part of the CruiseWorld Asia 2020 event.
These training sessions will be held in October and will focus on building consumer confidence to return to sailing, raising awareness of improved sanitation measures on board and rebuilding demand.
Meanwhile, Genting said in its statement that it has signed a memorandum of understanding with Singapore’s five polytechnic schools and the Institute of Technical Education to provide joint activities, learning projects and internships to students and graduates who wish to explore a career in cruise ships and related to tourism. sector.
The pandemic has dealt a severe blow to the world’s cruise industry, with ports closed to cruise ships earlier this year after coronavirus cases rapidly multiplied aboard the Diamond Princess cruise ship, which was quarantined in the Yokohama port.
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