Inside Singapore's first 'cruise to nowhere,' where vacation-starved guests took turns using the pool and carried contact tracing devices everywhere they went
- Dream Cruises just had its first "cruise to nowhere," a voyage that started and ended in Singapore, with no stops in between.
- It was the first cruise ship voyage in the country since the no-sail order in March and part of a "safe cruise" pilot program.
- Three and four-day cruises to nowhere will be offered regularly, going forward.
- Each passenger is tested for COVID-19 before being allowed to board. There's an on-board lab that can produce virus test results in an hour.
- These cruises are for Singapore residents only. Singapore is mostly closed to short-term visitors due to the coronavirus pandemic.
The coronavirus pandemic has hit the travel industry hard and left people around the world starved for a getaway.
From flights to nowhere to fake plane trips complete with boarding, some companies are coming up with innovative ways to give people a taste of going on vacation.
"Cruises to nowhere" are the latest such effort. These are trips on cruise ships that start and end in the same destination, with no stops in between.
On November 6, hundreds of passengers set sail on one such trip, dubbed the "Super Seacation" on the World Dream ship. It was part of a "safe cruise" pilot program, which stipulates that ships can only set sail at half capacity, and are open only to Singapore residents, according to the Straits Times.
Going forward, three and four-day cruises to nowhere on the World Dream will be offered regularly, according to a press release by Dream Cruises.
Representatives for Dream Cruises did not respond to Insider's request for further information about the trip and any new safety protocols.
Keep reading to see what the two-night voyage was like.
"Super Seacation" on the World Dream ship set sail from Singapore on November 6. It made no stops and returned to port two days later.
The World Dream can typically sleep 3,400 passengers, but sailed at half capacity for its first "cruise to nowhere."
Passengers were assigned time slots for boarding to avoid overcrowding at check-in.
But before they could board the ship, passengers were first required to take a mandatory COVID-19 test.
According to the Straights Times, passengers had their results in as little as 20 minutes.
Onboard, the ship also has a clinic that's equipped to produce virus test results in an hour, according to the South China Morning Post.
In addition, the ship is outfitted with an intensive care unit in case someone does contract the coronavirus.
After their COVID-19 tests, guests were able to board the ship, but were required to socially distance and wear masks.
In addition to wearing masks and staying away from other guests, passengers also carried an electronic contact tracing device.
There were capacity limits on all activities. The pool, for example, only allowed 26 people at a time.
Still, the ship didn't skimp on entertainment. There was a laser show called the "Vitamin Sea & Dream," which is the only laser show at sea in Asia, according to Dream Cruises.
The cruise was Christmas themed, with Santa and his helpers making appearances as well as a "Verry Christmas" musical production.
Crew members had to take a series of COVID-19 tests before the arrival of passengers and quarantined for 14 days on the ship before the voyage.
While there were no reports of COVID-19 outbreaks onboard the "Super Seacation," other cruises have not been so lucky.
Cruise ships see infectious disease outbreaks relatively often due to their isolated environment and prolonged close contact between travelers and crew, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
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