The Singapore Tourism Board is currently looking into an alleged breach of safe management measures on board a Royal Caribbean cruise.

Over 10 gathered in photo

According to screenshots of Instagram posts shared with Mothership, over 10 persons were seen gathering to take a photo on board the cruise.

They were seen sitting next to each other without masks on.

At least two photos were posted to the Instagram account, which is currently private.

The hashtags #cruisetonowhere suggests that the trip might have been recent.

Phase 3 in Singapore officially kicked in only from Dec. 28, 2020, where social gatherings of up to eight persons is allowed. The photos uploaded to Instagram were posted on Dec. 21.

On the ship, all Covid-19 prevention measures in Singapore, such as mask-wearing and safe distancing measures, similarly applies.

The cruise's capacity has also been reduced to facilitate safe distancing.

STB & Royal Caribbean aware

STB's director of cruise Annie Chang told Mothership that STB is aware of the alleged incident.

They also take a "serious view of any breach in safe management measures on cruises departing from Singapore" and is currently looking into the matter.

Regular on-board inspections are conducted during sailings to ensure compliance with safe management measures. These include ensuring that the maximum prevailing group size is not exceeded and there is no intermingling between different groups.

Any cruise line that does not comply with STB's CruiseSafe penalty framework will be subject to penalties including fines or suspension of sailings.

A Royal Caribbean spokesperson told Mothership that they are "currently investigating" the alleged incident.

They said that guests have to adhere to the health and safety regulations on the ship. Failure to comply will lead to enforcement action, which includes being denied boarding or even removal from the ship.

The spokesperson said:

"Onboard Royal Caribbean’s Ocean Getaways, we have incorporated the same principles and safety measures that have been implemented by the local health authorities in Singapore for public places like malls and restaurants on land. This includes the limit to the number of people that can be gathered in a group."

Top photo via Instagram account.