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QUANTUM of the Seas’ Singapore season has been extended until Oct.
The ship has now welcomed aboard more than 50,000 guests safely, having resumed sailing in Dec (CW 04 Dec 2020).
Royal Caribbean International (RCI) first extended the season for three months through Jun (CW 11 Feb), and is doing so again for an additional four months, thanks to its partnership with the Government of Singapore.
“When we started pilot cruises in Singapore, our aim was to regain the confidence of guests by endorsing cruise operators with rigorous hygiene measures,” said Singapore Tourism Board Director Cruise Annie Chang.
“Singapore’s CruiseSafe standards have set a clear benchmark for our cruise partners, who have been diligent in ensuring the measures on board are adhered to.
“Thus far, we have completed more than 90 sailings with over 120,000 passengers and no reported cases of COVID-19 spreading on board.
RCI Vice President & Managing Director APAC Angie Stephen said the cruise line has seen guest satisfaction ratings jump since Quantum started sailing in Dec.
This extension of the ship’s Singapore stint does not affect her Australian season, currently scheduled to begin on 30 Oct (CW 11 Jun 2020), with Royal Caribbean saying it continues to work with govt authorities on a safe return to cruise.
Meanwhile, Royal Caribbean’s Odyssey of the Seas has officially become the 25th ship in the cruise line’s fleet, following a virtual ceremonial ship launching.
Odyssey will debut from first-time homeport Haifa in Israel in May (CW 08 Mar), which will also mark the first time the cruise line has visited the Middle Eastern nation.
Royal Caribbean Group Chairman & Chief Executive Officer Richard Fain, RCI President & Chief Executive Officer of Michael Bayley and Odyssey of the Seas Captain Per Kristoffersen received the new ship from Meyer Werft Yard’s Managing Partner Bernard Meyer & Managing Director Jan Meyer as part of the handover.
“Receiving Odyssey of the Seas into the Royal Caribbean family is a welcomed breath of fresh air,” Bayley enthused.
“The ingenuity, passion and hard work our dedicated crew, teams on land and partners at Meyer Werft put into building a new ship always deliver, and to pull it off so well during a time unlike any other is incredible”.