I went on a 2-night 'cruise to nowhere' from Singapore. Here's what it was like, from the mandatory COVID-19 test to carrying a tracking device everywhere.

Genting Cruise Lines launched its "cruises to nowhere" in November 2020 for travel-starved Singaporeans after the city-state's borders had been essentially closed for eight months due to the pandemic.

In December, Royal Caribbean started offering similar cruises.

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. Singapore's cruises currently account for about one-third of global cruise volume, according to Annie Chang, the Singapore Tourism Board's director of cruise.

"With no ports of call, the cruise lines have focused on creating on-board experiences that appeal to locals and evoke the joy of voyaging," Chang told Insider.

As a reporter who moved to Singapore for work in December, I'd been hearing about these cruises for months. This month, it was time to see what the fuss was all about.

It has 18 decks and 1,686 staterooms that can accommodate up to 3,376 passengers in non-pandemic times.

During its COVID-era cruises to nowhere, however, the ship has been operating at 50% capacity with a maximum of 1,700 guests.

The third level of the parking garage had been partitioned into three different sections: a waiting area for the COVID-19 swab, testing stations, and an area to wait for your results after you've been swabbed.

The process was highly organized. In the first waiting area, at least 100 people were waiting in socially distanced rows of white plastic chairs.

While I waited to take my COVID-19 test, a staff member showed me a QR code to scan with my phone so I could fill out a health questionnaire that I would need to show before boarding.

After about 15 minutes, my row of chairs was called to join the queue for the nasal swabs. I checked in and headed to a private cubicle for my swab, which was was quick and painless. Thirty seconds later, I was sitting at the other waiting area awaiting my results.

I was told the results could take up to an hour, but I got mine in under 30 minutes.

After I stepped inside, I passed through an airport-like security scan.

Then I scanned my passport at a kiosk, which spit out my room key. I waited in line for a few minutes to get my room key activated by a staff member at a counter.

Tracey is used for contact tracing and to monitor social distancing adherence, according to the cruise line. It does not have GPS, internet, or cellular connectivity.

I was told to carry this tracking token with me at all times while on the ship.

I paid 458 Singapore dollars, or about $343, for a Balcony Stateroom. The room was surprisingly spacious, with a sofa and a Queen-size bed.

I booked my room about a month before departure, by which time the most affordable rooms had already sold out.

It was a major asset to have an outdoor space where I could relax without a mask on, as passengers were required to wear face masks at all times on the cruise except when eating or drinking.

My room was also equipped with a coffee and tea station, complimentary water bottles, and a mini-fridge.

Wi-Fi was not included in the room rate. The cheapest internet package was 9 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.

We would cruise around the South China Sea near Malaysia for about 36 hours before returning to Singapore by 9 a.m. on Friday.

In addition to carrying the Tracey tracking device everywhere on the ship, passengers were required to tap in their room keys and get our temperatures checked at various checkpoints as we passed through the ship.

Singapore's strict COVID-19 restrictions have led to near-elimination of the virus in the community, and I've appreciated the safety I feel living in a country where the pandemic is taken so seriously.

Still, the measures made the cruising experience feel more structured, supervised, and sterile than I had expected.

Dream Dining Room is a two-level restaurant that offers a Chinese menu on the upper level and a Western menu on the lower level.

My first attempt at dinner around 7:15 p.m. was unsuccessful: The hostess told me there were no tables until 8:45 p.m. so I needed to take a number and come back later.

I had tried two other bars first — the outdoor Sun Deck Bar and the indoor Bubble Champagne Bar — but both appeared to be closed.

Alcoholic drinks were not included in the cruise price, but there were multiple drinks packages available to buy starting at SG$50, or about $37.50.

It was a set menu, so I didn't have to make any decisions. In fact, I never even saw the menu because I didn't realize it was posted outside the restaurant.

I was pleasantly surprised by the variety of food that was brought to me. There was an oxtail soup, roast duck, a Thai white fish, prawns, mung bean sprouts, and a sweet red bean soup with lotus seeds for dessert. It was all quite tasty.

For breakfast, there were pastries, oatmeal, cold cuts, eggs, nasi lemak, and beef rendang. For lunch, there were salads, noodles, and stir fries. The Western options included pizza, pasta, and french fries.

Rather than passengers taking food themselves, cruise staff served you anything you asked for.

At Prime Steakhouse, guests could order a Black Angus Rib Eye or a Filet Mignon.

While some passengers appeared to be eating in the paid restaurants, the majority of guests seemed to opt for the free Dream Dining Room.

The Western menu in particular was very popular, a staff member told me.

The centerpiece of the outdoor activities was Zouk Beach Club, which had four Jacuzzi's and a swimming pool.

But capacity was limited and time slots needed to be booked in advance — and I didn't realize just how far in advance.

On Thursday, the only full day of the cruise, I approached the pool desk at 10:30 a.m. to book a slot for later on 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 outdoor activities included a rock-climbing wall and a mini-golf course.

When the gaming areas opened in the evening, they were one of the buzziest spots on the ship.

Every other machine was blocked off for social distancing, and staff members discouraged lingering in the area if you were not playing.

Tickets sold out quickly, but I managed to reserve a seat for an evening show of Vision.

The 45-minute show was entertaining — particularly when the illusionist involved the audience — but often underwhelming when some of the tricks were unsuccessful.

The atmosphere also tended to be livelier there, in contrast with the other bars.

Housekeeping had left a disembarkation notice on my bed the afternoon prior informing me of my time slot.

I was on the 9th deck, so I was scheduled to disembark at 11:30 a.m. However, I got a knock at my door about 45 minutes ahead of schedule at 10:45.

On the way off the ship, I tapped out with my room card. In the cruise center, I turned in my Tracey device, scanned my passport at immigration, and went through another airport-style security scan.

I was in a car home a little after 11:00 a.m., well ahead of my scheduled disembarkation time.

The whole experience was, of course, heavily influenced by the COVID-19 restrictions. The safety measures are what made the experience possible in the first place — but they also made the experience so structured that it wasn't much fun. Mingling with other people was discouraged, the evenings ended early (except in the casinos), and capacity restrictions made it difficult to see shows or get a spot at the pool.

Still, as someone who only moved to Singapore four months ago, I realize I'm not necessarily the target customer for a cruise to nowhere.

Every other passenger I spoke to on the cruise said they hadn't left the city-state for over a year since before the pandemic began. They booked the cruise because it was a great deal — some people paid as little as 99 Singapore dollars, or about $75, per night — and because they were itching for even the smallest form of travel.

And for most of them, the cruise scratched that itch, even if it it did go "nowhere."