The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has approved 13 ships for simulated voyages, also known as test cruises, using volunteers as passengers.
With ships completing a test voyage successfully, each vessel is then issued a Conditional Sailing Certificate, allowing it to sail from U.S. homeports with less than 95 per cent of guests aboard being vaccinated.
Royal Caribbean International has announced that it’s extending the Singapore season for the Quantum of the Seas through February 2022.
This marks the third season extension for the Quantum in Singapore, which first returned to cruising in December 2020. To date, on 60-plus ocean getaways, more than 82,000 guests have safely sailed with zero occurrences of COVID-19 onboard, the cruise line wrote in a press release.
“We are thrilled to have the opportunity to extend the Quantum’s ultimate ocean getaway through early next year, providing Singapore residents with more time to relax and unwind. Despite the constantly evolving circumstances, Royal Caribbean remains consistent in delivering a wonderful holiday experience. We know that with her remarkable breadth of activities, delicious meals and unparalleled views, Quantum has many fans in Singapore, and there continues to be an overwhelming demand for sailings,” said Angie Stephen, managing director, Asia-Pacific, Royal Caribbean International.
The cruise line said that it has made every effort to keep guests and crew aboard the Quantum safe through a multilayered set of health and safety measures, which include pre-departure wellness screenings using gold-standard PCR tests, contactless embarkation and debarkation, and enhanced HVAC filtration systems and sanitization.
“The health and safety of our guests remain our utmost priority, and we are continuing to be nimble as we follow the science and work closely with the Singapore government and health authorities to evaluate, update and adhere to prevailing measures. In the next few months, as more Singapore residents become fully vaccinated, we anticipate that we’ll begin sailing with the fully vaccinated crew and vaccinated guests age 12 and older alongside children who are not yet eligible for vaccines,” added Stephen.
Singapore residents can choose between Quantum’s three- and four-night ocean getaways. The ship features activities, such as the RipCord by iFly sky diving adventure and the FlowRider surf simulator, entertainment that blends art, music and technology, and dining flavours from across the world at 18 restaurants onboard.
In line with the recent government regulations, the Quantum currently sails at 50-per cent guest capacity, and holidaymakers from different households have the option of travelling in groups of five.
The Celebrity Edge’s first cruise, and the first U.S. sailing for a large modern cruise ship, operated at just over 40 per cent occupancy from Port Everglades, sailing on June 26.
Load factors are expected to increase quickly, as ships get back into a regular rhythm of sailings with new policies and procedures.
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