7 things I wish I'd known before taking a cruise to nowhere during the pandemic

Two cruise lines launched these "cruises to nowhere" in late 2020 for travel-starved Singaporeans after the city-state's borders had been essentially closed for eight months due to the pandemic.

The cruises have been wildly popular among Singapore residents — as of April 1, 2021, more than 150,000 people had taken a cruise to nowhere from Singapore, according to press releases from the two cruise lines.

I found the cruise to nowhere to be a highly structured and rather boring experience. During my cruise, I found myself wishing there had been things I'd known in advance that could've made the journey more enjoyable.

Here are some things I wish I knew before taking my cruise to nowhere.

Before the cruise, I had taken four COVID-19 PCR swab tests — three in the US and one in Singapore. The first test I got when I moved to Singapore in December was highly uncomfortable, so I was dreading the required pre-boarding test.

But I needn't have worried: The rapid antigen test was quick and easy. I heard other passengers expressing relief after their tests as well.

So if you're worried about a painful COVID-19 swab, don't let that stop you from taking a cruise to nowhere.

The boarding process, which started with the COVID-19 test in the cruise center's parking garage, took about 1.5 hours.

After I got my test results, I spent more than 30 minutes passing through various checkpoints inside the cruise center. I had to go through an airport-like security scan, pick up my stateroom key at a kiosk, get the key activated by a staff member, and pick up the tracking device that I'd need to carry at all times while on board.

Throughout this process, my shoulders ached from carrying my weekend bag over my shoulder and I found myself wishing I'd either packed lighter or brought my small rolling suitcase instead.

If you want to be able to swim in the pool, for example, make sure to book a slot as soon as you board the ship.

I boarded the ship around 6:30 p.m. on Wednesday. On Thursday morning, the only full day of the cruise, I approached the pool desk at about 10:30 to book a slot for later in the day.

But the pool was already fully booked for the remainder of the cruise. This meant I didn't get into the pool once during the entirety of the cruise.

Other onboard activities, like a dance performance I'd been interested in seeing, were also fully booked very early on.

Of course, the safety measures were what made the cruise to nowhere possible in the first place.

But they made the whole experience feel very sterile and unspontaneous. Mingling with other passengers was discouraged, the evenings ended early, and capacity restrictions made it difficult to see shows or get a spot at the pool.

I was glad that the ship was operating at reduced capacity for safety reasons, but I didn't expect it to feel so empty. Some of the bars were completely empty or nearly empty whenever I passed by.

I had expected Wi-Fi to be included in the room rate, but you had to purchase an internet package separately through the Dream Cruises app.

The cheapest package was nine Singapore dollars, or $6.75, per night.

I opted for the "premium" package, which was SG$14, or $10.50, per night and allowed one device to use email, chat, social media, and "light media streaming." The Wi-Fi was slow and spotty and I wasn't able to effectively stream videos, even on my phone.

With mingling between groups discouraged because of COVID-19, the cruise to nowhere was not the type of cruise where it was easy to make friends.

During my cruise, I didn't bother trying certain activities — like rock climbing and or water slides — because I didn't feel like they would be very fun by myself. Most of the cruisers appeared to be young couples, small groups of friends, or families with children.

If I went on another cruise to nowhere, I'd make sure to bring along some company.