• Cruises to nowhere, which began on Nov 6, must abide by safety protocols
• One passenger said he faced some initial hiccups but enjoyed the trip regardless
• Another passenger said the safety measures gave him a peace of mind

SINGAPORE — Despite the mandatory mask-wearing, safe distancing and contact tracing efforts onboard the cruise ship, Mr James Seah was glad just to be able to be on holiday during an ongoing pandemic.

“Look, we are in a different time now,” he told TODAY on Sunday (Nov 29) morning at the Marina Bay Cruise Centre after disembarking from a two-night trip on the World Dream cruise liner.

“Obviously there were more procedures to follow. It’s a bit of a mild inconvenience but it’s really to safeguard our health,” said the 32-year-old who works as a public relations officer for an electric utilities company.

Two cruise lines had earlier been given approval to make these round-trips with no ports of call as part of a pilot scheme. Genting Cruise Lines’ World Dream began sailing on Nov 6 and makes three trips a week, while Royal Caribbean International’s Quantum of the Seas will start sailing from next month.

Passengers on Singapore’s cruises to nowhere must abide by stringent safety protocols, including Covid-19 testing for all passengers and crew before boarding.

Travel vlogger Stefan, who went on the Nov 6 cruise, said there was some confusion among passengers about the boarding and testing process at the cruise centre on the first day and he had to wait close to three hours to board the ship.

That confusion, however, appears to have been resolved as the passengers on later cruises whom TODAY spoke to said the boarding process was smooth.

A passenger who was onboard the same cruise had also complained in a forum letter to The Straits Times last Monday about being put off by cruise ambassadors who were “rude and arrogant” in enforcing safe distancing rules.

In response to the forum letter, Genting Cruise Lines told TODAY in an emailed statement: “The feedback gathered since the first pilot cruise on Nov 6 had enabled us to look into various areas of improvement, such as refining our processes to provide a more comfortable and seamless experience for our guests.

“In addition, our Dream Cruises ambassadors had undergone thorough training to display professional disposition while ensuring that safe management measures are adhered to at all times.”

Nonetheless Mr Stefan, who declined to give his full name, said even though some things did not go smoothly, he still enjoyed his time on the cruise. “I don’t want to sound negative, the cruise was great,” said the 35-year-old.

The cruise must also abide by safe measurement measures, which means alcohol cannot be sold and consumed after 10.30pm every night. On the World Dream, casino tables are also limited to a maximum of three passengers per table.

With the cruise capacity halved, some passengers said they enjoyed the extra space on the decks and not having to queue as long at the buffet lines.

Mr Ng Zhengrui, who was travelling with four other friends, said he got to experience many more activities this time, such as attending a jazz show, bingo gameshow and the ropes course.

He had spent the majority of his last trip on a cruise in the casino because it was too crowded everywhere else.

“It’s definitely more enjoyable,” said the 30-year-old, who works in banking. “I think it’s better than my first time.”

Isolation rooms are available for when a passenger is suspected to be infected with the coronavirus.

The medical team is also equipped to conduct a polymerase chain reaction test on board. A spokesman for Genting Cruise Lines declined to say whether any such tests have been administered so far, adding only that there have been no reported Covid-19 cases on board and upon return.

Creative director Robert Gaxiola, 50, said the safety measures gave him the peace of mind that steps are being taken to prevent a possible outbreak onboard the ship.

“I was also more confident to know that all my fellow passengers and World Dream crew members had a clean bill of health,” he said. “I only wish it was a few days longer.”