Cruise ships look to ‘cruises to nowhere’ after Qantas success

A Qantas “flight to nowhere” sold out in minutes, and now the cruise industry is looking at how to get people sailing despite border shutdowns.

It could be a while before cruises are back to normal, but if you miss the open seas, a “cruise to nowhere” might be just what you’re looking for.

On the back of Qantas’ enormously successful “flight to nowhere” — a borderless scenic flight that sold out within 10 minutes — the Singapore Tourism Board is reportedly working on protocols for “cruises to nowhere” to begin operating in Singapore.

The Straits Times reported the board hired a risk management company to help develop a plan for cruise companies to follow.

“Cruises to nowhere” are short sailing trips into international waters that typically last one or two nights, but then return to the same port from where the ship left. They’re not so easy to just launch: The Times noted that United States law actually prohibited cruises to nowhere from US ports as of 2016.

Singapore is looking at introducing ‘cruises to nowhere’ amid the pandemic.

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According to a report from The Washington Post, cruise operators would need to pass safety certifications and would likely have to operate at 50 per cent capacity.

Full details of the safety protocols will be announced later, Rachel Loh, the tourism board’s regional director of the Americas, told The Post.

It is unclear when these Singapore cruises will set sail or what cruise lines will participate.

Norwegian and Celebrity cruise lines – which both operate in Singapore – have announced they won’t run cruises until at least the end of the month.

Meanwhile, Princess Cruises, which also operates in Singapore, has said it won’t operate until mid-December.

P&O's Pacific Explorer at Cairns before departing for Singapore in February. Picture: Brendan Radke

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Australian holiday-makers are unlikely to be able to return to international cruise holidays this year, although an Australian tourism industry task force has predicted a possible return of domestic cruise journeys by November.

News of Singapore’s possible “cruises to nowhere” comes soon after Singapore Airlines announced that it would not offer “flights to nowhere” and would instead turn one of its planes into a pop-up restaurant.

Though the airline had previously considered running short plane rides that take off and land at the same airport, it changed its mind after the plan was criticised for the environmental impact it would have.

Qantas’ flight to nowhere takes off this week.

Meanwhile Qantas’ flight to nowhere on October 10 will take passengers on a low-level fly-by journey from Sydney Airport to some of the country’s most iconic landmarks, including Uluru, Kata Tjuta, the Whitsundays, Gold Coast, Byron Bay and Sydney Harbour.

Tickets for the flight on a Boeing 787 Dreamliner didn’t come cheap — there were 150 seats listed for $787 for an economy seat, $1787 for premium economy and a few business class seats for $3787, and they all sold out in a flash.

“We knew this flight would be popular, but we didn’t expect it to sell out in 10 minutes,” a spokesperson told news.com.au.

“It’s probably the fastest selling flight in Qantas history.”

This article originally appeared on Fox News and was reproduced with permission