The First Cruise Liner In The World To Resume Operations & The Lessons It Learnt From Housing Foreign Workers On Its Ships In Singapore

Best Service Cruise Line at the 2020 TTG China Travel Awards, Elite Cruise Line in Asia at the Ming Pao Weekly Elite Awards 2019and First Cruise Line to Receive DNV-GL Certification

Come Jul 26, Dream Cruises will restart cruise operations with two-and three-night island hopping cruises in Taiwan with its vessel, the Explorer Dream. This makes it the first cruise line in the world to resume operations, following the devastating blow dealt to the industry by the Covid-19 pandemic. For Dream Cruises and its parent company Genting Cruise Lines, resuming operations with its Taiwan island-hopping itineraries has taken months of planning with the local authorities as well as setting new safety and hygiene standard operating procedures.

The company has also drawn from its first-hand experience housing foreign workers in Singapore. Two Genting Cruise Lines ships, the SuperStarGemini and the SuperStarAquarius, were converted into temporary accommodation in April to house foreign workers who had recovered from the virus. Based on its experience in Singapore, the cruise line will adapt preventive measures to its fleet. This includes disinfection and sanitisation measures, training its crew with regards to protective protection equipment (PPE), pre-screening protocols, infectious disease management (including infection prevention and/or control), emergency preparedness, policies, procedures and related practices.

All these SOPs aboard the SuperStarGemini and SuperStarAquarius have been further refined within a real-world context to ensure that all Genting Cruise Lines' ships, including the Explorer Dream, will be safe for guests. Genting Cruise Lines also reveals that the Explorer Dream that will set sail in Taiwan this month is the first cruise ship to receive the Certification in Infection Prevention for the Maritime Industry (CIP-M). Of course, there will be social distancing measures implemented in dining, entertainment and public areas. All ofthe company's fleet will allow for 100 per cent external fresh air to be filtered and supplied to each passenger cabin and in public areas, so that there's a constant flow of fresh air throughout the vessels.

Dream Cruises add to its long list of accolades and honours from the most respected and prestigious tourism, media and industry authorities from around the world. Since Dream Cruises began operations with Genting Dream in 2016, the cruise line has amassed nearly 80 awards and titles including, recently, top 10 ratings for Genting Dream and World Dream in the Berlitz Cruising and Cruise Ships 2020, Best CruiseLine for Cuisine, Entertainment and Family at the Travel Weekly Asia 2019 Readers' Choice Awards and Best ship refurbishment: Explorer Dream at the 2019 Cruise Critic Australia Editors' Picks Awards among others.

(adapted from: https://www.todayonline.com/8days/liveandlearn/travel/first-cruise-liner-world-resume-operations-lessons-it-learnt-housingand https://www.dreamcruiseline.com/en-sg/media/press-release/2020/press-release-20200713-dream-cruises-wins-new-accolades/)

Based on the case scenario on Dream Cruises, answer the following questions:

1.AnalyseDream Cruises using the four distinctive characteristics of services, namely intangibility, variability, inseparability and perishability. Illustrate with one (1) example eachon how these characteristics can be better managed.