Following the announcement of cruises to nowhere in Singapore, two cruise lines — Royal Caribbean and Dream Cruises — unveiled its slate of packages (to nowhere).
And it seems cruises to nowhere are quite a hit among Singapore residents.
First sailing almost sold out
In response to Mothership queries, managing director for Royal Caribbean Group Asia Pacific Angie Stephen shared that customer demand has "exceeded expectations".
Photo from Royal Caribbean Cruise.
As cruises can only cater up to 50 per cent occupancy for now, Royal Caribbean's Quantum of the Seas can accommodate up to approximately 2,000 guests at one time.
Bookings have gone up 500 per cent compared to the past two weeks and as of the time of writing, the first sailing on Dec. 1 is almost sold out.
The cruise line has seen a demand for its December sailings and it isn't surprising since it coincides with the school holidays.
Stephen also shared that it has seen a "strong demand" for its balcony and suite staterooms.
Photo from Royal Caribbean Cruise.
Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, measures have been put in place to enforce safe distancing.
However, most cruise activities and common facilities will remain open.
Here are some examples of the implemented measures:
- At the pools, deck chairs and other furniture will be spread out and a pool deck monitor will be on-site to ensure that the pool and hot tub occupancy is sufficiently reduced.
- At the Adventure Ocean kids’ club, its occupancy will be reduced to 50 per cent, and close-contact games will be suspended and replaced with alternative programming.
- The buffet service will remain open but single-serve portions will be available for pick up. Crew members will also distribute food and drinks to guests.
More than 6,000 bookings for Dream Cruises
Dream Cruises have also seen a peak in bookings.
Photo from Genting Cruise Lines.
President of Dream Cruises and Head of International Sales for Genting Cruise Lines, Michael Goh, shared that they have had over 6,000 bookings to date.
At 50 per cent capacity, the World Dream can accommodate close to 1,700 passengers.
Dream Cruises has already sold 80 per cent of its first sailing on Nov. 6 while it's Nov. 13 sailing is already sold out.
Speaking to Mothership, Goh said that Dream Cruises has seen an "increasing demand" for more private space these days.
To accommodate the need for more private spaces, Dream Cruises has an all-suite accommodation called The Palace which offers amenities like an all-butler service and a private pool.
Photo from Genting Cruise Lines.
The cruise line is also implementing stricter measures amid the Covid-19 pandemic.
Here are some of the measures:
- All food and beverages will be served to guests by crew members wearing face masks and disposable gloves.
- Guests will be required to make reservations for specialty restaurants onboard the ship.
- For other restaurants, guests are advised to adhere to the social distancing practices when lining-up in the queue. Position markers will available for reference.
Can't use SingapoRediscovers vouchers
The "safe cruise" pilot follows the development of a set of safety guidelines to prevent the spread of Covid-19 on board the cruises.
The $100 SingapoRediscovers vouchers that Singaporeans will receive in December 2020 will not be redeemable for sailings.
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Top image from Royal Caribbean Cruise.