By
Rebecca Gibson |
The Marina Bay Cruise Centre Singapore (MBCCS) at Marina South officially opened on 22 October during a ceremony held with event partner, Sembawang Shipyard.
The 28,000 square-metre terminal, which saw its first ship dock on 22 May 2012, has doubled Singapore’s berth capacity to four and is expected to welcome more vessels as Singapore reinforces its position as a regional cruise centre.
The ceremony began with speeches by Edmund Cheng, chairman of SATS and Deputy Prime Minister Teo Chee Hean, who opened the terminal by launching a visual display illustrating how MBCCS will help Singapore become a gateway for the cruise industry.
Cheng highlighted the potential for growth in the Asian cruise industry, remarking: “MBCCS is expecting over 70 calls, including Azamara, Celebrity, Costa, Cunard, Princess, Royal Caribbean and Silversea. This will translate into a passenger traffic of more than 200,000 from now until March 2013. With inter-Asian travel increasing and the cruise industry being one of the fastest growing segments of the travel and leisure sector, more ships are expected to call at the terminal going forward.”
The terminal is operated by SATS-Creurs Cruise Services (SCCS), a joint venture between SATS and Creuers del Port de Barcelona (Creuers), which have been appointed for a ten-year term and have an option to extend their contract for another five years.
Melvin Vu, chief executive officer of SCCS said, “The official opening of MBCCS marks a significant development for both the cruise landscape in Singapore and the ASEAN region. Not only does it deliver an enhanced and seamless travel experience for cruise passengers, the terminal also serves to further anchor Singapore’s position as an attractive homeport for cruise lines with its state-of-the-art facilities and proximity to the new Marina Bay precinct and Singapore Changi Airport”