GEORGE TOWN – Penang Port Sdn Bhd is working to revive the domestic cruise industry since Malaysian borders are still closed.
The idea came about after Taiwan started to offer domestic island-hopping cruises.
Penang Port CEO Sasedharan Vasudevan said he is in talks with two to three key players about this plan but admitted that the public may not be in favour of the idea.
Concerning foreign workers, he said they have not returned to their home countries for a long time as they only stayed on the ship.
“We are looking to start domestic cruises with more stringent SOPs, with the possibility of reducing the capacity to half because we don’t want to take the risk of Covid-19 infection.”
Malaysian Association of Hotels national board vice-president Khoo Boo Lim said domestic cruises will be an added tourism product.
“I’m sure the operators are still suffering financially, but there are a few things to consider. Many of the crew members are foreigners. Are they available and are they in good health?
“Can the operator offer attractive promotions to make it worth their while? It is because operation costs are high and spending power of domestic tourists are lower than international passengers.”
The Vibes reached out to Genting Cruise Lines, a division of Genting Hong Kong, comprising three cruise brands – Star Cruises, Dream Cruises and Crystal Cruises.
The company instead highlighted their Taiwan cruise that was held in July. In November, the company will offer a series of “seacation” to Singapore residents.
“We understand the concerns of consumers and expectations have evolved when it comes to leisure and travel. As such, Genting Cruise Lines has been actively educating consumers on its enhanced and preventive measures that are readily in place across its fleet.”
It said there are stringent and enhanced preventive measures in place, such as constant flow of fresh air with no recirculation onboard, mandatory temperature screening and pre-boarding health declarations for embarkation/disembarkation, higher frequency and increased levels of sanitisation and disinfection in cabins, and public areas with hospital-grade disinfectants.
It added selected onboard venues will be operating at reduced capacity to provide ample space for physical distancing between guests.
“Also, our preventive measures are also tailored to the requirements of local authorities. For instance in Singapore, all embarking guests will have to undergo mandatory Covid-19 testing at the cruise terminal and it is also mandatory for cruise lines to attain and maintain the CruiseSafe certification, which is benchmarked against the latest global health and safety standards.” – The Vibes, October 22, 2020
