Cruise passenger traffic in Singapore down 52% since COVID-19 outbreak; STB to give industry more support

, carrying 3,700 passengers and crew, was quarantined at a Japanese port on Feb 4 after a guest, who didn’t have symptoms while on board, tested positive for COVID-19 after returning to Hong Kong.More than 700 passengers and crew on the ship eventually tested positive for the virus, and at least seven have died. Japan and other countries have evacuated their citizens from the ship. Five Singaporean passengers stayed in Japan for 14 days before returning home.

As the number of imported cases swelled, Singapore authorities said on Mar 13 that the country would stop cruise visits with immediate effect.With countries implementing travel and port restrictions to curb the outbreak, cruise operators around the world have been forced to cancel or change their itineraries.

The US-based Royal Caribbean, one of the world’s largest cruise operators, has cancelled all cruises departing Singapore until May and recently announced it would suspend US cruises for 30 days. FILE PHOTO: The Royal Caribbean cruise ship Anthem of the Seas is docked after passengers were removed with possible coronavirus symptoms at the port of Bayonne, New Jersey, U.S., February 7, 2020. REUTERS/Bryan R Smith

Carnival declined comment, stating that it currently does not have ships sailing from Singapore or the region. Genting Cruises, which runs the Star, Dream and Crystal cruise lines, did not respond to requests for comment.Chan Brothers Travel, which books cruises from Singapore and abroad, said it expects business to drop by at least 30 per cent for the next three months, including the busy travel season in June.

“Singapore’s decision to stop cruise calls will contribute to a loss in tourism arrival numbers and receipts,” senior manager at Nanyang Polytechnic’s School of Business Management Shirley Tee said.HELP ON THE WAY

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