邮轮发现确诊病例，新加坡旅游业再受打击
本周三凌晨，皇家加勒比公司的一艘“无终点”邮轮上发现了新冠病毒的确诊病例，该邮轮只得提前一天结束原定四天的航程，返回了新加坡。
这艘“海洋量子号”上大约有2000名左右的乘客。当地时间凌晨2时45分许，船长通过船上的广播系统向乘客告知了当前事态：一位被确诊为新冠病毒阳性的患者已经被隔离，官员们正在追踪其密切接触者。
上午8时左右，船长再次广播称，一名感觉不适的乘客已被确诊为新冠病毒阳性感染者。所有与该乘客有接触的人已经接受核酸检测并被隔离观察，请其他乘客继续留在舱室。一旦密切接触者的追溯工作结束，乘客们将被允许上岸，但目前尚不清楚这一过程要持续多长时间。另外，乘客在下船前也必须接受核酸检测。
该邮轮在一则通知中表示：“我们知道，这不是你们计划中的旅行，为此深感抱歉。我们再次强调，这样做既是为了维护您的切身利益，也是为了保护所有旅客的健康。”船长通过广播系统宣布，会在当天中午11点继续发布最新消息。
这条新闻不啻于对新加坡的又一次打击。新加坡是一个面积狭小的岛国，经济严重依赖于旅游业的收入。就在上个月，备受期待的新加坡-香港航空旅行“快捷通道”（即互免入境隔离观察）也因香港确诊病例数的增加而被搁置了。
自疫情以来，为了振兴旅游业，让旅客有机会发泄一下旅游的欲望，皇家加勒比公司和云顶公司都开通了所谓的“无终点”航线，也就是邮轮海上航行几天，不经停任何城市，便返回出发点。而这起事件无疑是“无终点”航线的一个沉重打击，特别是“海洋量子号”上还有受邀体验该航线的媒体记者。
允许抽烟，打电话免费
与此同时，其他国家也正在艰难地推动旅游业从疫情中复苏。由于全球各热门景区相继沦陷，日本只得出台一项政策，号召国人尽量在国内旅游。而在欧洲，今年夏天的旅游消费，也被认为是引发第二波疫情的导火索。
新加坡已经为邮轮公司和旅客制定了严格的规定。工作人员和乘客必须接受核酸检测，邮轮上也强化了消毒和空气流通措施。另外，邮轮的载客量也被限制在平时的50%。
不过最终的事实证明，仅靠这些措施，尚不足以应付这种已经造成全球6800多万人感染、夺走了近160万人生命的病毒。
皇家加勒比公司在通知中向乘客表示，邮轮将向乘客提供免费电话服务，以方便大家更改旅游行程。人们也可以在舱室的洗手间里吸烟——当然，一般情况下这是绝对会被禁止的。这艘船几乎处于满员的状态，而且很多家庭都带有小孩。
据“海洋量子号”上的彭博社记者称，邮轮方面给每间客舱门外都放了5瓶1.5升的瓶装水，而且在早上8点半到9点半之间给大家送了早餐。邮轮方面呼吁乘客耐心等待最新通知。很多人都站在舱室外面的阳台上，以获得更好的网络信号。
皇家加勒比公司在通知中表示：“所有受影响的旅客都将以积分形式获得相当于一天旅程的退款。此外，我们还将为您提供相当于一天邮轮费用的积分，以便您在未来乘坐邮轮时享用。我们将致力于维护您的健康，并让接下来的几天轻松愉快。”
对于已经预订了周四出发的另一班邮轮的人，则可以取消预订，并且也可以获得退款积分。
由于跨国出行几乎成为不可能，新加坡只能想方设法刺激国内经济。当地推出了各种在高档酒店以及在樟宜国际机场宿营的“一日游”套餐，政府还推出了一项国内旅游活动，并拨出3.2亿新元（约合2.4亿美元）的贷款，鼓励国民支持本地企业。政府还向所有18岁以上的公民发放了100加元的消费抵用券，这些抵用券也可以用于住宿和观光旅游。（财富中文网）
译者：朴成奎
本周三凌晨，皇家加勒比公司的一艘“无终点”邮轮上发现了新冠病毒的确诊病例，该邮轮只得提前一天结束原定四天的航程，返回了新加坡。
这艘“海洋量子号”上大约有2000名左右的乘客。当地时间凌晨2时45分许，船长通过船上的广播系统向乘客告知了当前事态：一位被确诊为新冠病毒阳性的患者已经被隔离，官员们正在追踪其密切接触者。
上午8时左右，船长再次广播称，一名感觉不适的乘客已被确诊为新冠病毒阳性感染者。所有与该乘客有接触的人已经接受核酸检测并被隔离观察，请其他乘客继续留在舱室。一旦密切接触者的追溯工作结束，乘客们将被允许上岸，但目前尚不清楚这一过程要持续多长时间。另外，乘客在下船前也必须接受核酸检测。
该邮轮在一则通知中表示：“我们知道，这不是你们计划中的旅行，为此深感抱歉。我们再次强调，这样做既是为了维护您的切身利益，也是为了保护所有旅客的健康。”船长通过广播系统宣布，会在当天中午11点继续发布最新消息。
这条新闻不啻于对新加坡的又一次打击。新加坡是一个面积狭小的岛国，经济严重依赖于旅游业的收入。就在上个月，备受期待的新加坡-香港航空旅行“快捷通道”（即互免入境隔离观察）也因香港确诊病例数的增加而被搁置了。
自疫情以来，为了振兴旅游业，让旅客有机会发泄一下旅游的欲望，皇家加勒比公司和云顶公司都开通了所谓的“无终点”航线，也就是邮轮海上航行几天，不经停任何城市，便返回出发点。而这起事件无疑是“无终点”航线的一个沉重打击，特别是“海洋量子号”上还有受邀体验该航线的媒体记者。
允许抽烟，打电话免费
与此同时，其他国家也正在艰难地推动旅游业从疫情中复苏。由于全球各热门景区相继沦陷，日本只得出台一项政策，号召国人尽量在国内旅游。而在欧洲，今年夏天的旅游消费，也被认为是引发第二波疫情的导火索。
新加坡已经为邮轮公司和旅客制定了严格的规定。工作人员和乘客必须接受核酸检测，邮轮上也强化了消毒和空气流通措施。另外，邮轮的载客量也被限制在平时的50%。
不过最终的事实证明，仅靠这些措施，尚不足以应付这种已经造成全球6800多万人感染、夺走了近160万人生命的病毒。
皇家加勒比公司在通知中向乘客表示，邮轮将向乘客提供免费电话服务，以方便大家更改旅游行程。人们也可以在舱室的洗手间里吸烟——当然，一般情况下这是绝对会被禁止的。这艘船几乎处于满员的状态，而且很多家庭都带有小孩。
据“海洋量子号”上的彭博社记者称，邮轮方面给每间客舱门外都放了5瓶1.5升的瓶装水，而且在早上8点半到9点半之间给大家送了早餐。邮轮方面呼吁乘客耐心等待最新通知。很多人都站在舱室外面的阳台上，以获得更好的网络信号。
皇家加勒比公司在通知中表示：“所有受影响的旅客都将以积分形式获得相当于一天旅程的退款。此外，我们还将为您提供相当于一天邮轮费用的积分，以便您在未来乘坐邮轮时享用。我们将致力于维护您的健康，并让接下来的几天轻松愉快。”
对于已经预订了周四出发的另一班邮轮的人，则可以取消预订，并且也可以获得退款积分。
由于跨国出行几乎成为不可能，新加坡只能想方设法刺激国内经济。当地推出了各种在高档酒店以及在樟宜国际机场宿营的“一日游”套餐，政府还推出了一项国内旅游活动，并拨出3.2亿新元（约合2.4亿美元）的贷款，鼓励国民支持本地企业。政府还向所有18岁以上的公民发放了100加元的消费抵用券，这些抵用券也可以用于住宿和观光旅游。（财富中文网）
译者：朴成奎
A Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. ship is back in Singapore on what was meant to be day three of a four-day cruise to nowhere after a positive COVID-19 case was identified on board early Wednesday.
About 2,000 passengers aboard the Quantum of the Seas vessel were informed of the development by the ship’s captain over the public announcement system at about 2:45 a.m. local time. The passenger who tested positive was isolated while officials traced their contacts.
Around 8 a.m., the captain told passengers that one passenger felt unwell and tested positive for COVID. All those found to have contact with the person have been tested and quarantined. Other passengers were told to stay in their staterooms. Once contact tracing has been completed, they will be allowed to disembark, but it’s unclear how long that will take. Passengers will also have to take a rapid COVID test to leave the ship.
“We know this isn’t exactly how you planned to spend your cruise, and we are terribly sorry,” a note sent to passengers on Wednesday read. “Again, this is for your benefit and to ensure all guests remain healthy and well.” The captain, in an announcement over the ship’s loudspeaker, said an update would be provided at 11 a.m.
The news is another set back for Singapore, a tiny island nation whose economy relies heavily on the tourist dollar. Just last month a highly anticipated air travel bubble between Singapore and Hong Kong that would have replaced quarantine with COVID testing was scrapped due to rising case numbers in Hong Kong.
Royal Caribbean International and Genting Cruise Lines have been running cruises to nowhere -- voyages that depart and arrive back in the same destination after a stint sailing around offshore -- as the city state aims to bolster its tourism sector and give residents an outlet for their wanderlust. The positive case is a blow to that push, with reporters invited on board the Quantum of the Seas to experience the new initiative.
Smoking, Free Phone Calls
It comes as other countries struggle to revive and reinvent their tourism sectors for the COVID era. Japan has had to rein in an initiative that encouraged residents to travel domestically after tourist areas saw an uptick in virus infections. In Europe, the resumption of vacation travel in summer is thought to have fanned the current second wave.
Stringent protocols for cruise operators and passengers to permit the Singapore pilot voyages were established. These included testing of crew and passengers, increased sanitization and fresh air circulation measures. Cruises were also required to sail at a reduced passenger capacity of 50%.
Ultimately, those proved insufficient to combat a virus that’s now infected more than 68 million people globally and taken the lives of almost 1.6 million.
Royal Caribbean in its note to passengers said that free phone service would be provided in order to help people adjust their travel plans. People are also being allowed to smoke in their bathrooms, even though this is normally prohibited. The cruise, almost at full capacity, has a large number of families on board with small children.
Five 1.5 liter bottles of water have been left outside staterooms and breakfast was delivered between 8:30 a.m. and 9:30 a.m., according to a Bloomberg reporter who is on board. Passengers are being urged to be patient and wait for updates. Some that have rooms with balconies are standing outside to try to get better internet access.
“All impacted guests will receive a refund in the form of an onboard credit for the day missed,” Royal Caribbean said in its note to guests. “Additionally, we will provide you with a future cruise credit for the value of one day’s worth of cruise fare paid to be used on a future sailing. We are dedicated to maintaining your well-being and making the next few days relaxing and enjoyable.”
Those who had booked on another cruise that was to depart Thursday can cancel and will receive a refund credit.
With international travel all but off limits, Singapore has been trying to come up with ways to stimulate its domestic economy. On offer are daycations at hotels plus luxury overnight camping at Changi Airport, and the government has launched a domestic tourism campaign, with S$320 million ($240 million) in credits set aside to encourage residents to support local businesses. The S$100 vouchers, which have been sent to all Singaporeans aged 18 and above, can be used for attractions, hotel stays and tours.
