Singapore Cruises to Nowhere: How Much Does Royal Caribbean Cost?

Just as the borders across the world started to open up and we were all dreaming of finally being able to go on holiday…an European war breaks out. For the sake of safety and because of just how high air tickets prices are set to climb, your plans might have to wait a little while longer.

Cruises to nowhere might be the only way travel-starved Singaporeans can get out off the island safely and at pocket-friendly prices. Up till March this year, two operators were allowed to offer cruised to nowhere under the Singapore Tourism Board’s “safe cruises” pilot scheme – Dream Cruises (a.k.a. Genting Dream) and Royal Caribbean. With the former having ceased its operations since, you’re left with the Royal Carribean’s cruises to nowhere to sail out of the country.

So, what are the costs involved?

Royal Carribean cruises to nowhere: 2022 price list

You’re probably already familiar with Quantum of the Seas but from April 2022 onwards, Royal Carribean are adding another cruise to its itinerary, the Spectrum of the Seas. At time of writing, these were the starting prices for the two cruises to nowhere.

Cruise	Quantum of the Seas	Spectrum of the Seas
2 nights	—	—
3 nights	From $443	From $299
4 nights	From $379	From $460

 

 

 

 

 *Prices include taxes, fees and port expenses.

On top of the above mentioned prices which vary according to your choice of room, do note that you will also have to top up for WiFi. The beverage packages which range from USD12.99-89 (depending) will also have to be purchased separately.

Royal Caribbean cruises to nowhere: Quantum of the Seas

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A post shared by Royal Caribbean Singapore (@royalcaribbeansg) on Sep 11, 2018 at 10:50pm PDT

If you had never heard of Royal Caribbean prior to COVID-19, you probably have heard of it by now. If you haven’t seen it all over Instagram, you might’ve caught the headlines when the company’s cruise ship experienced a scare when a passenger was suspected of having COVID-19 (turned out to be a false positive).

Royal Caribbean’s Quantum of the Seas cruises run for 3 or 4 nights, with 3-night cruises starting from $443 and 4-night cruises starting from $379. For each package, there are departures more or less on a weekly basis.

All passengers will take a COVID-19 test prior to arriving at the cruise centre, the costs of which will be absorbed by Royal Caribbean.

As per local regulations by the Singapore Tourism Board, the cruise will be operated at half its usual capacity with about 2,000 guests on board. Passengers must wear masks on board and are required to use the Trace Together token, and safe distancing must be observed, with bookings necessary for some of the key attractions.

So, what exactly are the attractions on board? If you were impressed by Genting Dream’s amenities, Quantum of the Seas’ will blow your mind. Novel amenities include the RipCord iFly skydiving simulator, the FlowRider surf simulator and an elevation pod offering 360 degree views from 90 metres over the sea.

They’ve also an archery range, a sports complex, bumper cars, pool tables, ping pong tables, an on-deck swimming pool, an arcade, a casino, a rock climbing wall, an escape room and augmented-reality games.

And for those who just want to eat, party and socialise, there are countless bars and restaurants including hotpot, sushi and Jamie’s Italian, as well as a nightly pool party.

Royal Caribbean cruises to nowhere: Spectrum of the Seas

Get acquainted with Spectrum of the Seas, the new addition to Royal Caribbean’s roster due to set sail in April 2022. Like Quantum of the Seas, Spectrum of the Seas cruises also run for 3 or 4 nights with 3-night cruises starting from $299 and 4-night cruises starting from $460.

All passengers will comply to Royal Caribbean’s COVID-19 regulations by taking a test prior to arriving at the cruise center. You won’t have to pay for it though, the cost is absorbed by Royal Carribean.

As per local regulations by the Singapore Tourism Board, the cruise will be operated at half its usual capacity with about 2,000 guests on board. Passengers must wear masks on board and are required to use the Trace Together token, and safe distancing must be observed, with bookings necessary for some of the key attractions.

If you’re wondering in what ways Spectrum of the Seas differs from the familiar Quantum of the Seas, they mainly vary in terms of the activities onboard. Spectrum of the Seas’ bungee trampoline experience which includes elements of virtual reality will transport you beyond the seas into a whole other dimension. There’s also plenty to do for the young ones, a teen lounge, an adventure science lab, and Aquanauts where 3-5 year olds can conduct science experiments with supervision by the Adventure Ocean® Aquanaut group.

Like Quantum of the Seas, there’s no lack of bars and restaurants for foodies to get their fill onboard the cruise. You can even have teppanyaki onboard the cruise!

Karaoke enthusiasts, listen up – the brand new Ultimate Family Suite also comes outfitted with a private 3D cinema where you can sing to your heart’s content.

So, are cruises to nowhere worth the money?

Cruises to nowhere certainly cost more per day than a backpacking trip on a shoestring budget, so they’re not for cash-strapped travellers.

As you don’t exactly go anywhere or discover new cultures, these cruises are more a form of entertainment and relaxation than travel per se. So, whether they’re worth the money really depends on the value you attach to having 24/7 access to a huge dining and entertainment complex.

In more normal times, we’d say that you could probably recreate the cruise to nowhere experience for less. But right now, these cruises are the only way you can party all night, socialise freely with people outside your bubble or even leave the island.

On the other hand, if what you want is to pretend COVID-19 never existed, you might not be able get quite as big a dose of escapism as you might have hoped. You’ll still have to get tested for the virus before you board, and passengers are required to wear masks and observe safe distancing measures. And of course, the risk of catching COVID-19 is never zero.

Other than cruise promotions, how else can you save money?

Due to demand for cruises to nowhere far exceeding supply, we found that you can get the cheapest cruise fares if you:

• Book well in advance: We’re talking about departure dates well into 2021
• Be flexible with dates: Not all dates are equal. Even during the holidays, prices can vary tremendously. If you can, avoid the school holidays or you’ll end up paying through the nose.
• Check out the competition: As there are only 2 cruise operators, it doesn’t hurt to check the competitor for packages for the dates you want.

Want to save even more money? For one-off expenses like cruises and holidays, we recommend using a no-minimum-spend credit card like these for basic cashback with no hoops to jump through:

Which cruise insurance should you buy?

Though you’re only travelling to “nowhere”, travel insurance is still a good idea, as you’ll want to make sure you can get emergency evacuation if you need it and compensation for trip cancellation.

However, make sure to check with the insurer whether the policy specifically covers you for cruises to nowhere.

Most insurers are tight-lipped on their policies regarding cruises, but we found that Allianz travel insurance explicitly cover cruises.

Your cruise package may also have insurance bundled in too, but you may want to get it a la carte for more customisability and value-for-money.

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