Marina Bay Cruise Centre Singapore

The Marina Bay Cruise Centre Singapore (MBCCS) is a cruise terminal in Singapore, located at Marina South. The construction of the S$500 million terminal began in October 2009 and was completed on 22 May 2012. It received its first ship, the Voyager of the Seas, on 26 May 2012.[1] The official opening ceremony of MBCCS was on 22 October that year.[2]

Marina Bay Cruise Centre Singapore
Marina Bay Cruise Centre Singapore is located in Singapore
Marina Bay Cruise Centre Singapore
Location within Singapore
General information
StatusOperating
TypeCruise, Retail
Location61 Marina Coastal Drive, Singapore 018947
Coordinates1°16′15″N 103°51′44″E / 1.2708°N 103.8622°E / 1.2708; 103.8622
Construction startedOctober 2009; 15 years ago (2009-10)
Completed22 May 2012; 12 years ago (2012-05-22)
Inaugurated22 October 2012; 12 years ago (2012-10-22)
ManagementSATS-Creuers Cruise Services
Technical details
Floor count3
Floor area60,000 m2 (650,000 sq ft)
Design and construction
Architect(s)RSP Architects Planners and EngineersBermello, Ajamil and Partners
DeveloperSingapore Tourism Board
Main contractorSato Kogyo (S) Pte LTD
Website
Official website

The terminal is operated by SATS-Creuers Cruise Services (joint venture by SATS and Creuers del Port de Barcelona). The Singapore Cruise Centre at HarbourFront is set to be consolidated with MBCCS to form a cruise hub as the leisure cruise sector continues to grow in Singapore.

History

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The impetus for construction came from difficulties many cruise operators had with the current Singapore Cruise Centre which is in a narrow channel with a dead end. The geographical limitations of the site impose height and berth limits on the cruise operators. The new location at Marina South has deep waters, a large turning basin, and no height restrictions, which enables it to accommodate the largest cruise ships being built now.[citation needed]

On 18 March 2009, the Ministry of Trade and Industry (MTI) and Singapore Tourism Board (STB) revealed the cruise terminal's design.[citation needed]

On 29 July 2011, SATS submitted a bid to manage and operate the MBCCS, in partnership with European cruise terminal operator Creuers Del Port de Barcelona SA. Singapore Cruise Centre also participated in the tender but it was won by SATS in the end.[3]

A S$7 million upgrade was completed in 2014. A fourth passenger bridge was built to expedite boarding and disembarking. The taxi pick-up area was also redesigned to allow simultaneous boarding.[4]

In 2017, amidst growing demand in the cruise tourism industry, 20 more check-in counters were added, making a total of 120 check-in counters available.[citation needed]

Pier and terminal design

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Up to 360 m (1,180 ft) in length with a draft of up to 11.5 m (38 ft) (including mooring dolphins of 60 m) and spanning over 120 m, it has the ability to berth ships of up to 220,000 GT. With the terminal's footprint of 120 m by 335 m and terminal space of 28,000 m2 (300,000 sq ft), it also houses a car park and coach bay area of about 32,000 m2 (340,000 sq ft) with design load of 6,800 passengers.[5]

Transport connections

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Rail

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The nearest MRT station is Marina South Pier MRT station, located about 500m from MBCCS.[6] The upcoming Marina South MRT station is due to open in the future.[7] Both stations will serve the cruise centre and its vicinity.

There is a bus stop in the MBCCS that caters to bus service 400.[8]

References

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  1. ^ "Marina Bay Cruise Centre Singapore celebrates fifth anniversary". CruiseandFerry.net. Retrieved 4 January 2022.
  2. ^ "Marina Bay Cruise Centre opens officially". www.asiaone.com. Retrieved 4 January 2022.
  3. ^ "SATS ventures into the cruise business". Channel NewsAsia. Retrieved 6 October 2011.
  4. ^ "S$7m upgrade for cruise centre after April bottleneck". Today. Retrieved 23 October 2019.
  5. ^ "Berth Facts". Retrieved 23 October 2019.
  6. ^ "Getting to the City/Airport". Retrieved 23 October 2012.
  7. ^ "TSL System Map & Station Footprints". Facebook.
  8. ^ "Getting Here".