Next cruise to nowhere to proceed as scheduled as authorities put in measures to prevent exposure to infected ship

SINGAPORE — The next cruise to nowhere onboard Genting Cruise Lines’ World Dream liner is set to proceed as scheduled, a spokesperson from the company confirmed with TODAY on Wednesday (Dec 9).

This came after the Singapore Tourism Board (STB) said that the remaining passengers of the Royal Caribbean International ship where a passenger tested positive for Covid-19 have to remain onboard until the embarkation for the next cruise has been completed.

It was reported on Wednesday morning that an 83-year-old male Singaporean passenger who was on the Royal Caribbean’s Quantum of the Seas cruise liner had contracted Covid-19.

All 1,680 passengers and 1,148 crew, who had tested negative for Covid-19 when the ship departed on Dec 7, will remain on the ship until Genting’s World Dream completes embarking all passengers for its next sailing, which is estimated to be around 6pm.

This is to prevent any intermingling between any passengers or crew from both ships, Ms Annie Chang, director of cruises at STB, said.

“As part of existing infection control protocols, the remaining passengers and crew on board will remain on the ship until contact tracing is completed.

“Passengers on board Quantum of the Seas will continue to be given regular updates and amenities to make their stay more comfortable,” Ms Chang said.

STB said that as with regular post-arrival protocols, all passengers will undergo mandatory Covid-19 testing before leaving the terminal.

As a precautionary measure, they are also required to monitor their health for 14 days from the date of disembarkation and undergo a swab test at a designated government swabbing facility at the end of the monitoring period.

STB added that close contacts of the positive case who are identified and tested negative for Covid-19 will be taken to a designated government quarantine facility.

The 83-year-old male passenger has been taken to hospital for further testing and contact tracing is still ongoing.

In a statement, Dream Cruises, the brand that operates Genting Cruise Lines’ World Dream, said that its safety measures includes conducting Covid-19 tests for all passengers on the departure day at the terminal before embarkation. This is to ensure that all guests test negative and to minimise the window for infection before boarding.

"Dream Cruises will comply with any and all additional guidelines from the Singapore authorities that may arise from this incident in order to maintain the health and well-being of guests and crew on World Dream and in the city," it added.