The upgrade was carried out to help the cruise terminal meet growing demand for cruise travel. - Photo: ST
SINGAPORE: As the cruise season begins, passengers can look forward to new amenities at the upgraded Marina Bay Cruise Centre Singapore (MBCCS), including a new check-in hall with 70 counters and a ground transport area with dedicated lanes for coaches, taxis and ride-hailing services.
A S$40 million facelift of the facility was completed in October, boosting the cruise centre’s capacity from 6,800 to 11,700 passengers.
The upgrade was carried out to help the cruise terminal meet growing demand for cruise travel, said operator Sats-Creuers Cruise Services and the Singapore Tourism Board (STB) on Wednesday (Oct 29).
MBCCS has reorganised passenger flows to efficiently manage simultaneous dual mega ship calls, they added.
At a media tour on Oct 23, operations manager Christopher Benedict Charlie said that with the upgrade, the 36,000 sq m terminal – the size of five football fields – can handle bigger ships with more passengers.
Passengers queueing inside the new check-in hall on level 1 of Marina Bay Cruise Centre. - Photo: ST
“Ships are getting bigger,” said Charlie, with some carrying over 5,000 people.
The additional check-in hall has eased congestion and streamlined processes, especially when two ships arrive together, he added.
The new check-in hall on level 1 serving Pier 2 features 70 counters and over 500 seats, plus a VIP lounge.
The existing Level 2 check-in hall serving Pier 1 has 135 check-in counters and about 2,000 seats.
The new ground transport area (GTA) improves accessibility to the terminal, with widened roadways leading to MBCCS.
It also has 29 coach bays and an early baggage drop-off point, allowing bags to go directly to the ship. This helps travellers move through the terminal more quickly, Charlie said.
A buggy service is on standby to help passengers with reduced mobility get from the GTA to the check-in halls.
Baggage manager Muhammad Dzulkifli Muhammad Anwar said that previously, passengers had to queue at the counters inside the check-in hall to drop off their bags.
At peak times, passengers would have to queue for 30 minutes to 45 minutes, he said. “With the new early baggage drop-off system, in less than 15 minutes, we can take the bags and send them to the loading area,” said Dzulkifli.
Ride-hailing waiting spaces have also more than doubled to 36, said Sats-Creuers Cruise Services and STB, and there are now 14 minibus parking spaces and 24 taxi waiting spaces.
Passengers travelling by train can take advantage of a looped shuttle service that links Marina South Pier MRT station to the terminal on selected cruise days.
For those who drive, an online carpark reservation system lets passengers reserve parking spots up to 60 days in advance.
In a speech at the opening ceremony, Gregory Tan, chief executive of Sats-Creuers Cruise Services, said MBCCS will increase its weekly ship calls from three to five, including dual mega ship berthings, from March 2026.
“With these enhancements, Singapore is not just keeping pace, we are setting the pace for cruising in Asia,” he said.
The number of cruise passengers globally is forecast to grow 19 per cent to 41.9 million by 2028, said Minister of State for Trade and Industry Alvin Tan in a speech at the official opening.
“Singapore is ready to ride this wave. Last year, we welcomed 1.8 million cruise passengers... from 340 ship calls,” he added.
Half of these passengers were international visitors.
The terminal has also introduced new passenger services in partnership with third-party providers, including baggage transfers to hotels and Changi Airport, and shuttle services to popular attractions such as Gardens by the Bay and Chinatown.
There is also a Cruise-Fly Service for international travellers who wish to check in their baggage for same-day connecting flights while exploring the city, said Sats-Creuers Cruise Services and STB.
Behind the scenes, an automated vehicle slot management system now coordinates deliveries of essential supplies to ships in real time, ensuring they are efficiently resupplied and can depart on schedule.
The system lets delivery trucks book 30 minute to one-hour windows to complete their deliveries, which streamlines provision handling and minimises congestion along Marina Coastal Drive.
The new VIP lounge inside the dedicated check-in hall on level 1 of Marina Bay Cruise Centre. - Photo: ST
Some 260 new PortDecks convert baggage areas into seating for over 1,500 passengers whenever required.
PortDecks are deployed when ships arrive, extending into baggage tables to efficiently manage high passenger volumes. Once passengers have picked up their bags, PortDecks are reconfigured into benches to provide seating while passengers wait to embark.
Tan, who is also Minister of State for National Development, said a key feature of MBCCS is its adaptable design.
“An arrival hall used in the morning can transform into a departure hall that very afternoon, ensuring we put every space to good use,” he said.
The terminal also has automated immigration lanes, which allow passengers to clear immigration without showing their passports.
The clearance process has been enhanced with bidirectional capabilities, Tan said, meaning the lanes can process both departing and arriving passengers.
The Asia-Pacific region is expected to account for 16 per cent of the global market share in 2030, up from 13 per cent in 2024, according to a study commissioned by STB.
“As a leading cruise hub in Asia-Pacific with excellent air connectivity, a robust maritime ecosystem and attractive in-destination experiences, Singapore is well-positioned to capture growth in the expanding cruise market,” said Jean Ng, assistant chief executive of STB’s experience development group.
She noted that beyond tourism, the cruise industry also contributes to the overall economy. In 2024, the industry contributed $1.4 billion in economic output – the value of services a company provides – and $540 million to Singapore’s gross domestic product (GDP). GDP is the total value of all goods and services a country produces in a given time.
This is the centre’s most extensive upgrade since it opened in 2012. The centre has handled more than eight million passengers from over 2,000 ship calls since then.
STB has extended Sats-Creuers’ operator agreement for the centre for eight years, with the option to extend it for another two years. The extension could run from May 2027 to March 2037. - The Straits Times/ANN
