Singapore’s Marina Bay Cruise Centre set for a debut
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Singapore’s brand new Marina Bay Cruise Centre at Marina South is set to welcome its first ship this weekend with the arrival of the 138,000 –ton Voyager of the Seas on its maiden call.
With a capacity of 3,840 passengers and almost 1,200 crew , Royal Caribbean International’s Voyager of the Seas is the largest ever to homeport in Singapore and is expected to pave the way for the new generation of vessels to not only dock in Singapore but to also open up the rest of Asia by homeporting there.
The new Marina Bay Cruise Centre , operated by SATA-Creuers , is a 28,000 sq mtr terminal , which has effectively doubled Singapore’s berth capacity. With deep waters, a large turning basis and no height restrictions , the terminal is capable to handle ships unto 360 meters long , with a 11.5 meter draft and up to 220,000-ton in size . Currently only Allure of the Seas and Oasis of the Seas operated by Royal Caribbean International reach this size, however it continues to highlight Singapore’s ability to plan way into the future by building the facilities now to enable ships of the size of the Allure and the Oasis of the Seas to dock there in the future.
The arrival hall in the new terminal comprises 80-check in counters and up to 40 immigration counters, as well as large ground transportation area, which will enable handling up to 6800 passengers at one time. Services include bunkering, logistics, provisioning and ground handling, car parking facilities, coach bays, GST refund counters, VIP lounges waiting areas and a taxi stand.
The opening of this new sophisticated and futuristic cruise centre signals that Singapore is ready to promote itself a regional cruise hub and will add to the vibrancy of cruise tourism in Asia.
Melvin Vu, ceo of SATS-Creuers Cruise Services said his company aims to swiftly process passengers through the terminal so they can continue their holiday . He added that this will be leveraged by the respective strength of SATS and Creuers in gateway services and cruise terminal operations.
He called the opening of Marina Bay Cruise Centre’s momentous development for the cruise industry in Singapore, adding that Singapore’s strategic location coupled with the terminal’s facilities and proximity to the city and to Changi Airport will anchor the country’s position as Asia’s cruise hub.
