ALL You Need to Know about Spectrum of the Seas Pre-Cruise Testing & Health Protocols

UPDATE (FEBRUARY 2023): With the lowering of Singapore’s Disease Outbreak Response System Condition (DORSCON) to GREEN LEVEL as of February 2023, the preventive measures and/or testing requirements mentioned within this article are no longer in effect. Guests are advised to enquire with the respective cruise lines for updated Testing, Vaccination Requirements and Preventive Measures.

The information is only meant for guests sailing on Spectrum of the Seas from Singapore.

We are inching closer towards the inaugural sailing of Spectrum of the Seas Ocean Getaway in Singapore!

Words were on the streets for months that Royal Caribbean was planning to change up their testing protocols for the new season ahead, and as rumoured, they did. The cruise line recently sent out revised health protocols for guests sailing on Spectrum of the Seas April 11, 2022 onwards. Let’s break it down.

An Update to Your Healthy Sailing Protocols

In the email sent to guests earlier this week, Royal Caribbean outlined the details for the revised Healthy Sail Protocols for Spectrum of the Seas.

Vaccination & Testing Requirements

Vaccination

All guests above 12 years of age (13 years & older) will need to present proof of full vaccination at the terminal in order to sail. Full vaccination requires that guests have all doses of their COVID-19 vaccine completed no less than 14 days prior to sailing. There are no mandates for booster shots as of now.

For guests residing in Singapore, TraceTogether Application or HealthHub Proof of Vaccination should suffice. If you wish, you may also obtain the full vaccination certificate designed for travel via the Notarise Platform, accessible via your SingPass.

For international guests, you should already have the proof of vaccination you used to enter Singapore (preferably one with the QR code). You may use the exact same one to board Spectrum.

Testing

Sailing from Singapore will require a slightly stricter time requirement for testing. All guests embarking on Spectrum will be required to undergo a professionally supervised rapid antigen test (ART), regardless of age or vaccination status. You must receive a negative result in order to board. Royal Caribbean suggested the following options for testing:

OPTION 1: Fullerton Health Testing Centre at Raffles City: You can schedule an ART with Fullerton Health (Royal Caribbean designated health provider) by calling +65 6333 3636 (select option 4). No Walk-ins accepted. We understand that the cost of this test is $35 Singapore Dollars.

OPTION 2: Quick Test Centres (QTCs) or Combined Test Centres (CTCs): These test centres are officially designated by the Ministry of Health, and are located all around Singapore You may book the ART tests here. These costs $15.

OPTION 3: A supervised COVID-19 antigen rapid test (ART): Take your ART test over video consultation with an approved private healthcare provider (Tele-ART), such as Raffles Medical, Doctors Anywhere (DA). Costs of the test starts at $12.

You should also be able to undergo testing at clinics around your neighborhood authorised by the Ministry of Health to conduct Pre-Event or Pre-Departure Testing.

IMPORTANT NOTES: You can now undergo your COVID test from 5:30pm the day before embarkation.

Our Suggestion & Review: Testing

Firstly, let’s start with why we do NOT RECOMMEND Option 2 - visiting a QTC/CTC. You are going on a vacation, and you want to stay healthy throughout to enjoy your well-deserved time off! However, QTCs and CTCs are also accepting patients with respiratory (ARI) symptoms that are heading for their confirmatory tests for their infection.

Visiting a QTC/CTC right before a cruise just creates another point of contact and increases your chances of catching the virus, one that you could avoid by selecting one of the other two options.

FULLERTON HEALTH PHOTO: THE STRAITS TIMES

RECOMMENDED Option 1 - Fullerton Health at Raffles City. With testing being so readily available all around and most at reasonable prices in Singapore, we certainly do not prefer carrying all your luggage to Raffles City morning of boarding day and paying $35 for a single ART test in Singapore.

There are cheaper and more convincing options that are available. The only reason why we would recommend this would be if you have many family members, and want the ease of having everyone tested together conveniently at the same time.

RECOMMENDED + PREFERRED: Option 3: Professionally Supervised ART (Tele-ART). If you are not travelling in large groups, this is the method of testing we recommend the most. With 11 authorised Tele-ART providers, and costs ranging from $12 to $48.

Do note that you do need to provide your own APPROVED test kits for these tests, so that adds on to the cost. (ART kits sold on shelves in Singapore can all be used for this test).

We personally tested the Tele-ART method when we travelled earlier in March. In our experience with Doctors Anywhere (DA), we simply created an account, scheduled for our ART in advance for departure day, prepared our test kits, and we were ready to go.

The testing supervisor came online and simply watched complete the test. Your camera would have to be pointed at the ART kit at all times. The call took around 15 minutes, and once he confirmed the negative results, we got our results within 30 minutes and TraceTogether App updated.

Do note that if you are travelling with someone, each of you will have to create and make individual appointments and undergo the testing separately. Each call is for one individual only. Hence, the reason why we did not recommend this for families and large groups.

Testing Providers, sorted by costs.

We went around and managed to collate the ART providers in Singapore and sorted them by prices. You may use this as reference for your testing arrangements.

Can I use a discharge memo/recovery certificate in lieu of a COVID test?

A SAMPLE OF A DISCHARGE MEMO **PHOTO: MOH**

Short Answer: No. Royal Caribbean has recently started accepting recovery certificates for some of their sailings from other ports, but not in Singapore yet. As per their FAQ, even though you may have a Pre-Event Testing exception by MOH because of a past infection, you will still need to undergo a COVID test and obtain a negative result in order to board.

If you test positive even after you’ve recovered, you will be denied boarding.

Side Notes

Royal Caribbean emphasised that you should arrive at the terminal at your selected check-in time, only when everyone in your travel party has received your negative test results. Online Check-in now opens 30 days before sail date.

For international guests, you may refer to this link by the Safe Travel Office (STO), for entry procedures into Singapore. Depending on your country of origin, you may be required to undergo a COVID test (meant for Pre-Departure Testing) before returning home. This will be at your own expense and arranged by yourself, when you disembark the ship.

TraceTogether: Everyone above the age of 7 will be required to bring a TraceTogether token, or have the mobile application active when onboard. This applies to both residents and international guests. This still applies after the lifting of safe management measures on 26 April 2022

Mask Mandates: As per Royal Caribbean, masks are required at all times except during eating/drinking or doing strenuous activities. Any time you remove your mask, please maintain a physical distance of at least 1 meter (3 feet) between your travel party and others. Click here to learn more.

Closing: A Cruising Checklist

To close off, we are sharing a checklist Royal Caribbean kindly prepared for guests sailing on Spectrum. This is especially useful if you’ve never sailed with Royal Caribbean before. You can find it here, or at this link.

Questions?

Curious about something related to Spectrum? Let us know and we will find out the answer for you! In the meantime, happy sailing and we look forward to meeting some of you onboard Spectrum of the Seas, sailing from April from Singapore!

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