Singapore is leading the way in cruise, now accounting for one-third of all global cruise travellers, as their extremely efficient management of coronavirus reaps its rewards.
Cruise operators Royal Caribbean and Dream Cruises are offering cruises to ‘nowhere’, without any port stops and the demand is extremely high.
Royal Caribbean announced it would be extending Quantum of the Seas’ season till October.
Since last November 120,000 Singaporeans have had the pleasure of stepping aboard a cruise vessel, many doing so multiple times. Singapore Tourism Board Chief Executive Officer Keith Tan told Traveller that the ‘one-third’ statistic isn’t overly significant but he is pleased with the results.
“Let me just say this in context; one-third of global cruise throughput in a time when virtually all other cruise destinations and cruise ports have stopped or are not moving at all is nothing to crow about.”
He also sees this will change soon:“Over the next few months, I certainly believe there will be more resumption of cruise business in the Caribbean, and in the Mediterranean as well.”
So, while Singapore cruises to ‘nowhere’ aren’t about to become the hottest global cruise ticket, their safety methods and procedures should rather help in providing a framework for cruising to resume globally.
Singapore currently has a ‘CruiseSafe certification’ that spells out the standards operators must meet before setting sail. This includes regulations such as compulsory testing before boarding, social distancing practices and cleaning and sanitising requirements.
Mr Tan said many people feel even safer on a cruise than they do visiting other parts of Singapore: “Because everyone is tested before they go on the cruise. Having that framework of assurance has been a major cornerstone of our success.”
Singapore is extremely densely populated, the country could fit nearly 17 times into Sydney yet has a larger population. Such a densely populated nation finding a safe and timely way to resume cruising is a testament that with similarly thorough protocols, other countries should be able to as well.
Singapore has shown the rest of the world how it’s done, we’ll see who’s able to follow in Singapore’s footsteps.
