Artist's rendering of Singapore's International Cruise Terminal
In 2011 Singapore was the port for 942,000 cruise passengers, which was a huge 20% increase from the passengers that passed through Singapore in 2009. Both the increase in economic growth in Southeast Asia and the popular tourist attractions that Singapore offers have lead to this increase. But now the popular port is getting a face-lift; a facelift to the tune of almost half a billion dollars.
Most people don’t realize that Singapore is one of the 5 busiest ports in the world. This is due mainly to industrial shipments and transportation vessels, but with more US dollar millionaires per capita than any other country, the cruise industry has seen a big boost from Singapore’s tourism and business friendly atmosphere.
The new International Cruise Terminal will allow for larger ships, which will also mean more cruise passengers to pass through the port. Cruise ships like the Royal Caribbean Voyager of the Seas, the Costa Deliziosa, and a few other Celebrity ships will be sailing to the port following its completion.
Currently, some of the ships that use the port are the following:
- Seabourn Pride
- Silver Shadow
- Rhapsody of the Seas (Royal Caribbean)
- Costa Classica
- Ocean Princess
- Diamond Princess
- Azamara Quest
The $400 million dollar project is expected to be completed before the end of 2012 and will be used alongside the existing Singapore Cruise Center, which is also undergoing a renovation.
The port officials are hoping that the new port will help to allure some of the larger cruise vessels and help boost the economic impact of the tourist industry which is already on the rise. The new location of the International Cruise Terminal is situated between the resort island of Sentosa and downtown Singapore.
The Singapore airport is about a 30 minute drive away from the new port, and passengers getting off the cruise ships will be able to use the city’s highly regarded public transportation.
Southeast Asia has a lot of great sites to see and Singapore’s new port should attract some new cruisers to the area. What do you think about a cruise to Singapore? Let us know in the comment section below.