Berthing soon: SG’s newest hub for cruise ships

The world’s largest cruise ship, the Royal Caribbean’s Oasis of the Sea, will be able to dock at the International Cruise Terminal once it opens this year.

The S$500m terminal, whose construction started in October 2009, will double berth capacity and allow Singapore to cater to the world’s largest ships. By 2015, Singapore hopes the new terminal can host the world's largest Oasis-class cruise ships and attract 1.6m cruise passengers.

The 28,000-square-metre terminal, equivalent to about three football fields, is one of the biggest in Asia. It will be able to berth ships of up to 220,000 GRT and measuring up to 360m (1,181 feet) in length with a draft of up to 11.5m (37.73 feet).

In a statement released after the recently concluded ASEAN Tourism Ministers’ Meeting(ATM-M) in Manado, Indonesia, the Ministry of Trade and Industry said the ICT will help Singapore multiply its roster of international itineraries, which in turn is seen to increase the country’s passenger throughput.

Singapore’s cruise passenger, which has been steadily growing at a rate of 4.3% annually from 2006 to 2010, has already surpassed the 1 million mark.

Officials at the ATM-M noted that a key enabler in advancing cruise tourism in ASEAN is to develop adequate port infrastructure in the region to accommodate more cruise ships.

Tourism ministers also suggested cooperation between ASEAN countries in developing regional cruise itineraries and sharing experience in enhancing shore-side attractions and amenities at the various destinations. 

The world cruise industry is one of the fastest growing and most resilient segments of the travel and leisure industry. The worldwide cruise market achieved a year-on-year growth of 9.5% to hit US$29b as of 2011.