HONG KONG: Dream Cruises has celebrated the re-start of its services with a ceremony in Taiwan. The brand will offer new cruises calling into the popular ports and islands of Peng Hu, Matsu Island and Kinmen as well as Hualien, where Taiwanese guests will again be able to enjoy short getaways.
“It is a great honour for Genting Cruise Lines to continue its long and fruitful partnership with Taiwan which began over 20 years ago, as we begin on the road to recovery together due to the Covid-19 pandemic and which will bring hope to the global cruise industry as well,” said Kent Zhu, president of Genting Cruise Lines.
Dream Cruises’ island-hopping cruises on board Explorer Dream will highlight the physical and geographic beauty of Taiwan.
In preparation for welcoming its first passengers on board, over the past months, Genting Cruise Lines has completely re-examined and enhanced all of its health, hygiene and operating protocols.
In accordance with Taiwan’s regulations prior to resuming sailing, Explorer Dream observed strict quarantine procedures with the crew has completing a total of 21 days of isolation and passing all Covid-19 testing.
In preparation for her inaugural sailing, the ship also underwent a thorough deep cleaning in accordance with EU standard.
“The restarting of the cruise industry is a remarkable achievement which was made possible by the Taiwan authorities’ swift and effective handling of the Covid-19 crisis and their foresight in resuming the tourism industry to benefit all the ports, the economy and the lifestyle of the people of Taiwan,” added Zhu.
“Looking forward, we believe the development of cruise bubbles between Taiwan and neighbouring regions that also have their pandemic situation under control, such as the outlying islands of Japan, can further initiate the next phase in the re-establishment of international tourism and spur the economic recovery for a post Covid-19 world.”
