Royal Caribbean's first cruise ship to restart operations is back in service and offering cruises again after almost a week of being idle.

Quantum of the Seas departed the Marina Bay Cruise Centre to restart operations following a false positive test that temporarily shut her back down.

Last week, a passenger on Quantum of the Seas took a covid test onboard after not feeling well, and in an abundance of caution, the ship returned to port immediately and cancelled its next scheduled sailing.

After three tests in Singapore, it turned out the original positive test onboard was incorrect and the virus was never a threat on that sailing.

The 83-year-old man's original sample was retested and came back negative on Wednesday. A second fresh sample was tested and also found to be negative.

Quantum of the Seas has resumed her short "cruises to nowhere" from Singapore, offering 3- and 4- night cruises to residents of Singapore only.

Royal Caribbean Group Chairman and CEO Richard Fain celebrated the rapid response from both the ship crew and the Singaporean government during the false alarm.

"The protocols and collaboration with the Singaporean authorities resulted in swift containment of any potential covid threat, some guest inconvenience, and a recognition that working together our cruises can operate and deliver great experiences."

Safe cruise strategy

In order to offer cruises in a safe manner, Royal Caribbean came up with sweeping changes to its ship that would facilitate all the necessary new protocols.

These multilayered health and safety measures were created based on science, data driven and developed with expert guidance from the Healthy Sail Panel, Royal Caribbean Group’s Head of Public Health and Chief Medical Officer and the Singapore Ministry of Health. 

Quantum of the Seas has a reduced capacity onboard, and has implemented mandatory universal testing during embarkation and debarkation, and enforced mask wearing, physical distancing and enhanced cleaning practices across the ship, among other required practices.

New to the cruise experience is Royal Caribbean’s Tracelet, a custom wearable required for all guests and crew on board Quantum of the Seas. The technology helps monitor physical distancing and the cruise line’s contract tracing procedures.  

For a healthier and safer adventure for all, guests and crew must wear masks on board and during signature experiences.

The holiday spirit is spreading around the world, including on Royal Caribbean's cruise ships.

Over the weekend, Santa took a minute to hang ten and try his luck out surfing on Quantum of the Seas.

Video from onboard the first Royal Caribbean cruise ship to restart operations has Santa showing off his surfing skills on the back of Quantum of the Seas, with his elves cheering him on.

Nick Weir is the Senior Vice President of Entertainment for Royal Caribbean and shared the video to give a sneek peak of the rehearsals happening onboard.

Santa was onboard #QuantumoftheSeas for rehearsals yesterday. He brought four of his Elves, and his #Flowrider Sleigh... (way to go Sports Team!) pic.twitter.com/g3Au4UqJdT

— Nick Weir (@NickWeirShowbiz) December 13, 2020

Royal Caribbean International President and CEO Michael Bayley shared the video saying, "Santa and his elves have boarded Quantum and we are ready to sail!"

The FlowRider surf simulator is one of the signature activities on Quantum of the Seas, and it is available on many cruise ships in Royal Caribbean's fleet.

Quantum of the Seas recently restarted cruises in Singapore with "cruises to nowhere" that are limited to residents of Singapore and are just 3- and 4-night sailings.

Singapore's Health Ministry of Health has confirmed the cruise passenger on Royal Caribbean's Quantum of the Seas did not actually have COVID-19, despite testing positive for it onboard.

The National Public Health Laboratory conducted three different tests on the 83-year-old passenger after he returned to Singapore and all of those tests came back negative.

In the last and final test, the sample came back negative after two Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) tests also came back negative.

"The sample taken from the individual this morning came back negative for the virus. This follows two Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) tests conducted yesterday by NPHL, one on a re-test of his original sample, and the other on a fresh sample taken yesterday, which had also come back negative," the health ministry said in its daily preliminary update of Covid-19 cases in the city-state.

"We have rescinded the Quarantine Orders of his close contacts, who had earlier been placed on quarantine as a precautionary measure while investigations were ongoing," the health ministry added in its statement.

The man was on one of the cruises to no where on Quantum of the Seas when he complained to the ship's medical staff that he was not feeling well.  He was given a PCR test onboard and it came back positive for COVID-19.

As a result, the ship turned around and ended its cruise a day early.

Once back on land, the man was transported to a local hospital where his first two tests came back negative.  Today's final test confirmed the news.

Royal Caribbean issued a statement thanking the Singaporean government for their swift action:

"We welcome this news and we wish our guest a speedy return to health."

"We appreciate the guidance of the government and we will continue to work with them to refine our protocols, which are designed to protect the health and safety of our guests, crew and the Singapore community."

Even before Singapore conducted its tests, Royal Caribbean cancelled the next scheduled sailing in order to give the entire crew a new PCR test, as well as deep clean the ship.

Quantum of the Seas will resume cruises will continue as planned with the next scheduled sailing.

The passenger who tested positive for COVID-19 on Royal Caribbean's Quantum of the Seas has had two follow-up tests in Singapore and both tests have come back negative.

UPDATE: The passenger has tested negative in three different tests

Singapore's Ministry of Health said in two different tests, the results have been negative for COVID-19.  A third test is planned.

Quantum of the Seas had her cruise cut short once a 83-year-old passenger reported not feeling well to ship medical staff and a mandatory polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test came back as positive for COVID-19.

The ministry said the laboratory will conduct another test on Thursday to confirm if the passenger does indeed have COVID-19.

"An 83 year-old male Singaporean on board Royal Caribbean International’s Quantum of the Seas tested positive for COVID-19 infection this morning, and was immediately isolated. He had reported to the medical centre with diarrhoea, and as part of the protocols was tested for COVID-19 using the Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) test equipment on board the ship. His original sample has since been re-tested at the National Public Health Laboratory (NPHL), and has come back negative for COVID-19 infection. A second fresh sample tested by NPHL has also come back negative. NPHL will conduct another test tomorrow to confirm his COVID-19 status."

Once Quantum of the Seas returned to Singapore, Singapore Tourism Board Director of Cruise confirmed the passenger was evacuated off the ship and taken to a hospital for further testing. 

As a precautionary measure, all the identified close contacts of the case have been isolated.

As part of the routine post-arrival protocols, all passengers will undergo mandatory COVID-19 testing before they are allowed to leave the terminal at Marina Bay Cruise Centre. 

Royal Caribbean has already cancelled its next sailing of Quantum of the Seas, which was scheduled to depart on Thursday.

Rapid tests are notorious for false positives. Earlier this summer, 12 TUI Cruise crew members tested positive for COVID-19, but follow-up tests showed those same crew tested negative.

New health protocols working as intended

While the suspected case of coronavirus may end up being a false positive, nonetheless, Royal Caribbean's new protocols have demonstrated it can work well.

In coordination with the Singaporean government, a "robust, tiered response plan" went into effect to not only isolate any one who may have come in contact with the patient, but also provide a means to get guests off the ship safely and quickly.

In a statement, Royal Caribbean emphasized the importance of these new rules, "That we were able to quickly identify this single case and take immediate action is a sign that the system is working as it was designed to do."

Royal Caribbean's Quantum of the Seas returned to Singapore after one passenger onboard tested positive for COVID-19.

UPDATE: The passenger has tested negative in three different tests

An 83-year-old passenger has been identified as the passenger that reported not feeling well to the ship's medical staff.

Singapore Tourism Board Director Annie Chang told the Associated Press that the passenger complained of diarrhea.

In addition, that passenger had been tested prior to boarding Quantum of the Seas.

Royal Caribbean said in a statement that the passenger was isolated, and other crew members and guests who had close contact were isolated and tested.

Quantum of the Seas returned to the Marina Bay Cruise Centre in Singapore, and was eventually cleared to disembark passengers after 7:30pm local time.

Our friends at Singapore Cruise Society shared photos of Quantum of the Seas arriving back in Singapore.

Guests began disembarking off Quantum of the Seas in groups, and all will undergo an Antigen Rapid Test before returning home.

According to the Singapore Cruise Society, Royal Caribbean will cancel the next scheduled sailing of Quantum of the Seas, which is a 4-night sailing departing on December 10.

Once the positive test onboard had been reported, the ship's captain asked passengers to remain in their staterooms "in an abundance of caution".

The ship's return and ability to disembark passengers without a lengthy quarantine onboard is a testament to both Royal Caribbean's onboard protocols, as well as its agreement with the Singaporean government.

"That we were able to quickly identify this single case and take immediate action is a sign that the system is working as it was designed to do," the cruise line said in a statement.

A positive case of Coronavirus has been identified and isolated aboard the only Royal Caribbean cruise ship in operation.

UPDATE: The passenger has tested negative in three different tests

Cruise Critic is reporting a positive case of COVID-19 has been identified on Quantum of the Seas and as a result, the ship is headed back to Singapore as part of the government's protocols.

In addition, Royal Caribbean has isolated and quarantined the guests and crew that had close contact with the guest, per the cruise line's protocols.

Royal Caribbean confirmed the case and issued a statement regarding what is happening.

One guest aboard Quantum of the Seas tested positive for coronavirus after checking in with our medical team.

We identified and isolated all guests and crew who had close contact with this guest, and each of those individuals have subsequently tested negative for the virus.

The ship is returning to port today in accordance with government protocols, and will debark guests after a review of contact tracing is completed.

We are in communication with the Singapore government, and appreciate their guidance as we work together to protect the health and safety of our guests and crew.

We worked closely with the government to develop a thorough system that tests and monitors all guests and crew and follows public health best practices. That we were able to quickly identify this single case and take immediate action is a sign that the system is working as it was designed to do.

Quantum of the Seas resumed cruises last week, offering short cruises from Singapore and only to residents of Singapore.

Quantum of the Seas is equipped  with upgraded medical facilities where rapid SARS-CoV-2 tests can be conducted onboard to provide rapid, accurate onsite RT-PCR testing with results in under an hour, alongside a multitude of other evaluative tests. 

In addition, every guest on the ship is wearing either a contact tracing token or utilizing a contact tracing app to identify exactly who may have come in contact with someone that tests positive.

Multi-tiered plan to mitigate risks

Early on, Royal Caribbean said its plans had to accept risk and acknowledge there are no guarantees.

One of the co-chairmen of the Healthy Sail Panel's co-chairmen, Governor Mike Leavitt, talked about the realities of planning new policies and procedures with realistic expectations.

When Royal Caribbean Group and Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings created the Healthy Sail Panel, they had to recognize nothing in society is every completely safe, and you have to accept that risk before crafting a response for it.

"We put together this combination not just because of their subject matter expertise, but because they have had long experience in evaluating ideas and being able to come to an understanding that there's no place in our society that you can say is absolutely 100 percent safe."

"We all manage risks every day, whether we're walking across the street or opening a package of food. There's some kind of risk involved in all of that."

"The idea isn't that we can eliminate all of that. The idea is we can manage it and understanding that perspective and recognizing that it requires judgment to do this well."

Response plan

Royal Caribbean developed a plan to respond to a scenario such as this, and coordinated these plans with the Singaporean government.

According to Royal Caribbean's health protocols, in the event a guest tests positive for COVID-19, a "robust, tiered response plan" goes into effect.

The tiers increase protocols and vigilance onboard while providing transparent updates to guests the whole way.

In partnership with local authorities, Royal Caribbean has developed transport protocols to ensure we can get guests home safely. 

In fact, Royal Caribbean identified early that being "stuck" in quarantine on a cruise ship was not something any guest wanted, and a result, Royal Caribbean has developed transport agreements with local authorities in a situation like this to get everyone home safely.

Royal Caribbean completed its first cruise in Singapore, and announced its first health protocol change.

Guests booked on upcoming Quantum of the Seas sailings have been informed the minimum age for wearing a mask on a cruise ship has been lowered to 6 years old.

Emails sent to guests explained the change, "To prepare for our return to service, we are continuously working closely with the Singapore Authorities to ensure that our health and safety measures are equal or better to those on land. It is now required for guests 6 years of age and older to wear masks on board."

The rule had been guests 7 years old or younger were exempted from the rule.

Masks are required to be worn by guests and crew onboard and even during signature experiences like skydiving in the RipCord by iFLY simulator and riding the North Star glass observation capsule.

Royal Caribbean successfully restarted cruises with one ship this week, having gotten the go-ahead to cruise in Singapore with Quantum of the Seas.

Quantum of the Seas is the first ship in Royal Caribbean's fleet to restart operations in almost nine months and offers 3- and 4-night cruises with no port stops to only residents of Singapore.

The rules and health protocols on Quantum of the Seas were developed with expert guidance from the Healthy Sail Panel, Royal Caribbean Group’s Head of Public Health and Chief Medical Officer and the Singapore Ministry of Health. 

Rule changes to Royal Caribbean's comprehensive health protocols are not unexpected, as the cruise line has said the policies would be adjusted.

Royal Caribbean Group Chairman and CEO Richard Fain has talked about the importance of continuously learning from these early sailings to improve overall, "We will proceed cautiously and we will learn from our experiences."

"And unquestionably, we will invest in all these areas more than most of our guests will ever fully see or know."

The first Royal Caribbean cruise ship to return to service just wrapped up its first sailing in Singapore, marking a major achievement for the cruise line that has worked for months to get to this point.

Royal Caribbean announced on Thursday that Quantum of the Seas completed its first revenue sailing after careful planning with Singapore's health and tourism authorities.

This is the first cruise ship to be able to resume operations, and it is limited to residents of Singapore. Quantum sails 3- and 4-night cruises with no port stops, which Royal Caribbean calls "ocean getaways".

Angie Stephen, Royal Caribbean's Managing Director of Asia Pacific told the press the cruise line is incredibly proud of this momentous day, "We are thrilled to once again welcome guests aboard Quantum of the Seas and offer Singapore residents the opportunity to get away, relax, and start enjoying the travel experiences they’ve been missing for so many months."

"We are grateful to the Singapore Government for their partnership in making these pilot cruises a reality and pledge our commitment to providing our guests with the safest possible cruise experience."

Cruising safely

How can a cruise ship sail during the middle of a pandemic?

Royal Caribbean implemented a series of comprehensive, multilayered health and safety measures that were derived from science, data driven and developed with expert guidance from the Healthy Sail Panel, Royal Caribbean Group’s Head of Public Health and Chief Medical Officer and the Singapore Ministry of Health. 

Before a guest boards the ship, the new protocols begin with pre-departure health screenings, and meet all regional requirements and guidelines, including the CruiseSafe Certification standards jointly developed by the Singapore Tourism Board (STB) and DNV GL.

Quantum of the Seas has a reduced capacity onboard, and has implemented mandatory universal testing during embarkation and debarkation, and enforced mask wearing, physical distancing and enhanced cleaning practices across the ship, among other required practices. 

In addition, all guests will need to scan their SafeEntry QR code required by Singapore upon embarkation and debarkation and have the Singapore Trace Together Bluetooth app or Token at all times during the cruise.

In addition, Royal Caribbean cruise ships have a new HVAC system that continuously supplies 100% fresh, filtered air from outdoors to all indoor spaces. There are also upgraded medical centers to handle any situation.

Read more: Easy guide to Quantum of the Seas new health protocols

New changes to cruise favorites

Royal Caribbean has made sweeping changes to Quantum of the Seas so that it could be ready for the new health challenges of the public.

The cruise line calls its collection of new health protocols, "The Royal Promise", and it encompasses all the new changes onboard to protect guests from the current health crisis.

New to the cruise experience is Royal Caribbean’s Tracelet, a custom wearable required for all guests and crew on board Quantum of the Seas. The technology helps monitor physical distancing and the cruise line’s contract tracing procedures.  

Quantum of the Seas 18 restaurants, bars and lounges have been thoughtfully transformed for healthier and safer dining. At Windjammer Marketplace, previously a self-service experience, dedicated crew now serve guests and offer a greater variety of grab-and-go items.

 For a healthier and safer adventure for all, guests and crew must wear masks on board and during signature experiences like skydiving in the RipCord by iFLY simulator and riding the North Star glass observation capsule.

 Royal Caribbean believes this combination of safety and a fun cruise create vacation getaways that are very appealing for residents of Singapore.

See the changes for yourself

Quantum of the Seas completed its first cruise back, and you can see all of these changes in action with our photo updates.

I posted a new update for each day of the first sailing to share a look at what going on a crusie in 2020 looks like.

• Embarkation 
• Day one
• Day two
• Disembarkation

Royal Caribbean's first cruise back since the global health crisis began has wrapped up and by all accounts seems to have been a success.

Quantum of the Seas set sail on a 2-night cruise with no port stops from Singapore, and completed the first sailing back.

Photos from onboard Quantum of the Seas are provided by our friends at the Singapore Cruise Society, who sailed on Quantum to check out all of the changes and new protocols the cruise line has made to the cruise experience.

Quantum of the Seas arrived in the early morning hours back in Singapore.

She arrived back at the Marina Bay Cruise Centre to begin her disembarkation.

Just like every Royal Caribbean cruise, the Windjammer is open for guests to enjoy one last meal before disembarkation.

Departure Process

Guests on Quantum of the Seas are required to get a swab test in the terminal before completing the cruise.

Because of social distancing, Royal Caribbean asks guests to wait in their staterooms to be called for disembarkation.  Traditionally, guests would congregate in public venues to await departing the ship.

Once called for departure, lines and social distancing markers are set up for easy and safe departure off the ship.

As you depart, your temperature will be taken and you are required to have your SeaPass card and tracelet with you. You can then deposit your tracelet as you leave.

Cruise terminal disembarkation

Back in the Marina Bay Cruise Centre, the disembarkation process continues.

The arrival hall is where guests will have a swab test conducted.

Afterwards, it's off to collect your luggage.

After you get your luggage, that's it and you are on your way.

Big thanks to the Singapore Cruise Society for their partnership in sharing what Royal Caribbean's first cruise back in service was like.  Be sure to follow them on Facebook and Instagram.

I hope you enjoyed this look at what the first cruise back was like, and be sure to check out the photo updates from the entire cruise:

• Embarkation 
• Day one
• Day two

Royal Caribbean's Quantum of the Seas has begun sailing with her first official cruise kicking off yesterday from Singapore.

This is the first Royal Caribbean International cruise since the company shut down operations in March, and we have an inside look at what it is like to go on a cruise during the global health crisis.

Our friends at the Singapore Cruise Society have been sharing photos with RoyalCaribbeanBlog of what it is like onboard this first sailing, which is only open to residents of Singapore.

The second day onboard is a sea day, and a good opportunity to see what is happening around the ship, as well as get a sense of how the new health protocols are working.

Be sure to check out the photos from embarkation and day one on Quantum of the Seas as well.

North Star observational pod only allows 4 or 5 guests (and one crew member) at a time to ride.  In Asia, North Star costs extra (which is not the case in North America or Europe).

Like North Star, other onboard activities and things to do have been altered to meet social distancing needs.

Laser tag has been dramatically changed from a close quarter shoot 'em up, to a game where each team stands in the middle of the SeaPlex and shoot targets for 45 seconds to see who has the highest score.

Pool deck on Quantum of the Seas with some seats marked as unavailable due to social distancing.

Water fountains are not available due to health and safety concerns.

Fitness center also has some equipment unavailable.

In Two70, you need to reserve a seat ahead of time via Royal Caribbean's app. There are only about 250 seats available. If you are a family of five, you can sit together. Any groups larger than that will have to be separated. Crew members will guide you to your seats.

The Two70 venue is split up into five zones. After the show, you will leave Two70 according to the zone you are seated in.

Movies being shown in Music Hall, with social distancing in the seats.

Entrances to many venues that commonly have a line are marked where to stand to promote social distancing.

Due to Singapore law, Royal Caribbean stops selling alcoholic beverages at 10pm each night, and no more drinking allowed after 10:30pm.

Meal service combines social distancing with a contactless experience. QR codes to view menus.

Quantum of the Seas ship models for sale, including a ship model key chain.

Royal Caribbean has also altered other traditional cruise activities to foster social distancing.

Bumper cars available for use in the SeaPlex.

Outdoor signature activities available for use.

Breakfast menu to order from on Quantum of the Seas.

Just like yesterday, the Windjammer is full service with crew members serving guests.

That's a wrap for day two on Quantum of the Seas. Many thanks to the Singapore Cruise Society for helping us share what it is like to be on the first Royal Caribbean cruise ship back in service.