Every morning, Mr Rajagopal Sathiyavasan, 42, starts his day with yoga and scenic views of the Singapore Strait.

The Indian national is one of about 3,000 migrant workers staying on board the SuperStar Gemini and SuperStar Aquarius cruise ships serving as temporary accommodation for workers who have recovered from Covid-19.

Both vessels, docked at Marina Bay Cruise Centre, are run by Genting Cruise Lines and housing non-essential workers.

The cruise company is prepared to have these workers on board until the end of July, said Mr Michael Goh, head of international sales at Genting and president of Dream Cruises, during a media tour of SuperStar Gemini last Saturday.

But it is ready to extend the arrangement if necessary, he added.

There are about 200 crew members on each ship to support operations.

These temporary arrangements are part of the Government's plans to reduce the number of people living in foreign worker dormitories, which have become the main source of coronavirus infections in Singapore.

Mr Sathiyavasan, a safety supervisor, has been staying on SuperStar Gemini for two weeks, and while he enjoys the plush interiors of the cabin he shares with another person and the view of the sea from the ship's deck, he cannot wait to return to work and his dormitory in Toh Guan.

"It's been two months since I worked or saw my friends... I want to go outside and feel free," he said.

He tested positive for the virus in mid-March and was warded at Tan Tock Seng Hospital. He was given the all-clear on March 29, and was put up at a hotel before being moved to the ship.

The first group of workers boarded on April 29 and, since the middle of this month, about 200 have returned to their dorms, said the Singapore Tourism Board.

The workers are required to stay in their cabins most of the time, but they are allowed to use the outdoor spaces on the ship's deck for about 45 minutes each day.

The timing of these outdoor sessions, done in groups of 10, is staggered and all workers have to wear face masks and maintain a 1m distance from each other.

The workers on board are assessed to be well and no longer infectious. However, medical facilities are available and temperature checks are done twice daily.

In the past few days, they have also been dining at the ships' restaurants instead of in their rooms, with safe distancing measures in place, such as having seats spaced sufficiently apart.

Getting the two ships and hundreds of employees ready for the operation was not an easy feat, said Mr Lionel Wong, chief executive of Sats-Creuers Cruise Services, which operates the Marina Bay Cruise Centre.

He said it has been a "great learning curve" for everyone, especially since many have had no prior experience or expertise in running a dormitory.