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SINGAPORE – After a confirmed case of Covid-19 was discovered aboard Royal Caribbean’s Quantum of the Seas cruise ship, the ship had to return to Singapore, arriving on Wednesday (December 9) on the third day of a cruise from four days to nowhere.
The ship, which is the second to sail from Singapore as part of a safe cruise pilot scheme by the Singapore Tourism Board, has isolated all guests and crew who had close contact with the guest. They all tested negative for the coronavirus.
Genting Cruise Lines launched Singapore’s first pandemic cruise to nowhere on November 6, with 1,400 passengers on the mega ship World Dream.
Here’s a look at the Quantum of the Seas protocol and security regimes.
CruiseSafe Standards
All ships leaving Singapore will be required to receive CruiseSafe certification and adhere to its safety and hygiene guidelines to detect and prevent the spread of Covid-19.
These standards include:
– Implement infection control measures at every stage of a passenger’s journey, including a mandatory Covid-19 test prior to boarding
– Strict and frequent cleaning and disinfection protocols on ships
– Safe management measures aligned with the national policy in force at the time of navigation, such as the use of masks and a safe distance of 1 m between groups of passengers.
– Guarantee 100% fresh air throughout the boat.
– Reduce the capacity of the boat to allow sufficient safe clearance. Quantum of the Seas can serve approximately 2,000 guests at full capacity during the pandemic, half of the usual for more than 4,000 passengers.
– Measures to discourage close contact and intermixing between groups of passengers
– Emergency response plans for incidents related to Covid-19
Periodic inspections will be carried out on board during the pilots’ departures. Cruise lines that fail to comply will face penalties including fines, travel suspension and revocation of their CruiseSafe certifications.
Test for foreign crew
The cruises are open only to Singapore residents, while the crew of pilot cruises will be subject to strict measures beyond Singapore’s current requirements for cross-border travel.
Those who need to enter Singapore to serve on ships must first undergo 14 days of isolation in their home country and test negative for Covid-19 prior to their departure.
Testing will be done upon arrival and a 14-day stay-at-home notice will be sent to them, after which they will be retested. Once sailing begins, all crew members will also be routinely tested.
Quantum of the Seas is manned by approximately 1,200 crew members who are tested for Covid-19 every seven days. This is 70 percent of your usual crew capacity.
Measurements on board Royal Caribbean ships
Royal Caribbean has installed improved air filters on its ships. This allows the incoming air to be filtered twice to remove salt and other particles, making it cleaner than the outside air. They also allow the continuous entry of fresh air from the outside, replacing the existing “used” air.
Air changes in large public spaces on Royal Caribbean ships between 15 and 20 times per hour, compared to the recommended three to four times per hour for public land spaces such as supermarkets, movie theaters and hotel lobbies.
Fan coil units in guest cabins and public places also continuously clean the air of pathogens with a high-quality filter.
Quantum of the Seas has a hospital on board, with a polymerase chain reaction (PCR) testing laboratory and intensive care units equipped with ventilators, where Covid-19 cases can be isolated and treated.
The PCR test has been described as the “gold standard” of detecting Covid-19 during the pandemic.
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