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SINGAPORE – Two cruise lines received the green light to offer “cruises to nowhere” from Singapore starting in November, following the development of a set of safety guidelines to prevent the spread of the coronavirus on board.
These will be roundtrip cruises with no ports of call.
Genting Cruise Lines and Royal Caribbean International, which are based in Singapore, will be part of a “safe cruise” pilot serving only Singaporean residents at 50 percent reduced capacity, said the Singapore Tourism Board. (STB) in a statement on Thursday (October 8).
Genting Cruise Lines’ World Dream will begin sailing on November 6, while Royal Caribbean’s Quantum of the Seas will begin sailing in December.
All passengers will be required to undergo Covid-19 testing prior to boarding as part of STB’s CruiseSafe program, jointly developed by global rating body DNV GL.
They will also need to comply with safe management measures, such as the use of masks and a safe distance of 1 m between groups of passengers.
The Straits Times reported last Wednesday (September 30) that the STB had appointed DNV GL to create a certification program for cruise lines wishing to offer “cruises to nowhere” departing from Singapore.
Cruise ships have not been able to call here since March 13, when the Republic joined several countries in closing their ports to these ships for fear that they could carry infected passengers. The Diamond Princess, which was quarantined off the coast of Japan in February, served as a warning about the rapid spread of the coronavirus, with more than 700 passengers and crew members ill.
But with Thursday’s announcement, strict security measures from cruise operators will be required here to prevent a similar incident from happening again.
All cruise lines must be audited and receive CruiseSafe certification to sail outside of Singapore, the STB said. He added that the program is compared to global health and safety standards, including those of the World Health Organization, the International Association of Cruise Lines and Singapore’s SG Clean national clean-up initiative.
CruiseSafe standards include:
– 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 sanitation protocols on ships.
– Safe management measures aligned with the national policy in force at the time of navigation.
– Guarantee 100% fresh air throughout the boat, so there is no air recirculation.
– Reduce the capacity of the boat to allow sufficient safe clearance.
– Establish measures on board to discourage close contact and intermingling between groups of passengers.
– Emergency response plans for incidents related to Covid-19.
Periodic onboard inspections will be carried out during the pilots’ trips, STB said. Cruise lines that fail to comply will face penalties including fines, travel suspension and revocation of their CruiseSafe certifications.
However, the $ 100 SingapoRediscovers coupons, which will be issued to all Singaporeans in December, will not be redeemable for travel.
The government will carefully monitor the results of the pilot trips in the coming months before deciding the next steps for the cruise ships, STB said.
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