Co-incidentally Voyager of the Seas, the first ship to visit the cruise terminal five years ago, berthed in the morning. Dawn Princess also called.
The terminal also chalked up two other milestones, namely the welcoming of its two millionth passenger, and the handling of its 500th ship call.
In the last financial year which closed end March 2017, MBCCS welcomed 147 ship calls, a 33.6% increase year-on-year.
To mark the celebrations, the iconic cruise terminal, operated by SATS-Creuers Cruise Services (SCCS), opened its doors to cruise passengers, and was transformed into a carnival of colour and sound.
The festivities included activities ranging from activity booths for children that include balloon sculpting, face painting and tattoos, to a live DJ that gave away MBCCS merchandise to the guests. Around 3,800 people attendance.
‘There’s no better way for us to celebrate with MBCCS on its fifth birthday, than having our Voyager of the Seas back here like on Day One,’ said Sean Treacy, md, Asia Pacific, Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd.
‘We are very proud of how much the cruise terminal has grown with Royal Caribbean through these years, from hosting our first mega ship to even larger and newest Quantum class ships. We look forward to many more successful years ahead in working together to boost Singapore’s status as a regional cruise hub,’ he added.
Princess Cruises’ Dawn Princess also arrived at the terminal. Princess Cruises has also been homeporting its ships at MBCCS since the start of operations.
Sapphire Princess has also homeported at MBCCS previously, followed by the Japanese-themed Diamond Princess which was one of two ships to call at MBCCS for the terminal's official opening ceremony five years ago.
‘For our upcoming season, Sapphire Princess will return to homeport in Singapore. The newest ship in our fleet, Majestic Princess, will also be making her maiden call to Singapore on June 18 and we are looking forward to welcoming her to MBCCS,’ said Farriek Tawfik, director of Southeast Asia, Princess Cruises.
He noted MBCCS’ innovative design and ‘excellent berthing facilities that can accommodate large ships’, and added,, ‘it is becoming an integral part of cruising within the region.’
Since its opening, MBCCS has effectively doubled Singapore’s berth capacity.
Dream Cruises’ Genting Dream, will homeport year-round starting this November, and is expected to attract about 200,000 foreign cruise passengers and generate about S$80m in tourism receipts.
Most recently, SCCS launched duty-free concession stands within the terminal, providing cruise passengers with convenient travel retail options and specially curated exclusive mechandises.
It has also extended its CruiseFly services, the region’s first sea-to-air seamless baggage transfer service that allows cruise passengers to check-in, deposit their bags and collect their boarding passes without hassle.
‘Singapore’s cruise tourism achieved 16% year-on-year growth in terms of passenger throughout in 2016, and we are proud to be part of its growth story. We look forward to forging closer partnerships with existing cruise lines, and welcome other new cruise lines at MBCCS in the future,’ said Lionel Wong, ceo of SCCS.
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