Princess Cruises' Sapphire Princess will cruise from Singapore in 2014-2015

Princess Cruises, British-American owned cruise line based in Santa Clarita, will position Sapphire Princess cruise liner in Singapore between November 2014 and February 2015. 2,670-passenger cruise ship will homeport in Singapore Marina Bay Cruise Centre and offer 15 round-trip departures. Sapphire Princess will offer cruises as short as a three-day trip from Singapore to Malaysia and as long as 11-day voyages from Singapore to Vietnam and back with stops in Brunei and Bangkok. It will also offer itineraries such as a 10-day Indonesia trip and five-day tours of Thailand. All itineraries will include shore excursions.

“Princess Cruises will be the first premium cruise line to have ships based in Singapore for an extended period,” said Alan Buckelew, the line’s president and CEO. “Our new Singapore-based deployment features superior itineraries specifically designed for the regional market which we believe will prove extremely popular and will help to introduce cruise vacations to a growing number of Southeast Asia vacationers.”

Explaining why Singapore was chosen, Jan Swartz, executive vice president for sales, marketing & customer service, Princess Cruises, said: “We see the growing awareness of cruise tourism in Singapore, which gives us an opportunity to grow.” She added that the cruises from Singapore were also expected to draw strong interest from neighbouring countries like Malaysia, India and Indonesia.

Sapphire Princess currently sails alternating Northbound & Southbound Voyage of the Glacier cruises in the summer and in the winter sails Mexico, Hawaii & California Coastal cruises. Sapphire Princess is fitted with over 700 balconies from which passengers can step out and enjoy the refreshing ocean breeze and offers   amenities such as spa, fitness centre, casino and several dining and night life locations.

Sapphire Princess will homeport in Singapore Marina Bay Cruise Centre and offer cruises to
Malaysia, Thailand, Brunei, Vietnam and Indonesia.

Princess Cruises' parent company,  Carnival Cruises, already has a presence in China through its Costa Cruises brand, while Princess Cruises is setting up shop in Japan this month. "As cruise lines are being deployed into the market, the market starts to develop. Slowly at first, but then they reach a critical mass," Alan Buckelew, chief executive and president of Princess Cruises.

"Our ships move to where we believe the demand is strongest." Singapore, a regional aviation hub, has also taken steps to gain a bigger slice of the growing cruise travel market. In October, it opened a new cruise terminal capable of berthing the world's biggest luxury liners.

Royal Caribbean International's two Asian-based cruise ships Voyager of the Seas and Legend of the Seas both arrived at Marina Bay Cruise Centre Singapore

Royal Caribbean International whose two Asian-based cruise ships Voyager of the Seas and Legend of the Seas were both at brand new Marina Bay Cruise Centre Singapore in the morning of March 23rd 2013. Voyager of the Seas which can be seen on the left in the photo below is the largest cruise ship based in Asia. It was starting on her 8-night cruise from Singapore to Shanghai. Her sister ship Legend of the Seas was leaving for a 2-night Malacca weekend cruise as part of her Singapore season.

Voyager of the Seas has arrived in Singapore for the first time on May 26th 2012 to start its maiden Asian season. 37,276-gross registered ton Voyager of the Seas also became the first cruise ship to call at the new Marina Bay Cruise Centre Singapore, as well as the largest to homeport in Asia. Marina Bay Cruise Centre Singapore can accommodate the new generation of larger cruise ships, such as Royal Caribbean International’s Oasis-class ships. It will be a key enabler towards realizing Singapore’s potential as a gateway to cruising in Southeast Asia and beyond.

Royal Caribbean's Voyager of the Seas (left)  and Legend of the Seas (right)
at Marina Bay Cruise Centre Singapore.

About Voyager of the Seas 

Known as a "Floating hotel" due to the range of facilities that it offers, along with some world firsts for cruise ships when the ship was launched, Voyager of the Seas can handle up to 3114 guests, and, along with its sisters in the Voyager class, is one of the largest passenger ships in the world.  Voyager features the world's first rock climbing wall (mounted on the funnel) and ice-skating rink at sea.

Crystal Getaways 2013 by Crystal Cruises

 Japanese luxury cruise line Crystal Cruises' 2013 “Crystal Getaways”, 5- to 11-day segments that pack a tremendous amount of luxurious value into convenient, shorter itineraries, provides big savings. Ten voyages aboard the award-winning Crystal Symphony offer shorter versions of published cruises from January through May.  Due to the enormous success of the “Crystal Getaways” launched for fall 2012 Europe sailings, the ultra-luxury line is expanding its offerings to cruises worldwide, including options in Australia, New Zealand, China, Japan, Korea, Vietnam, Singapore, Thailand, Canada, Alaska and New England, USA.  Each shorter segment features at least one overnight stay in some of the regions’ most beloved ports, and fares start as low as $1,365 per guest if booked by December 28.

“The ‘Crystal Getaways’ have proven to be a great way to welcome new Crystal cruisers to the luxury nuances, extraordinary service and value of the Crystal vacation,” says Jack Anderson, senior vice president of sales and marketing.   “The new Crystal cruisers were either travelers with busy schedules who couldn’t take longer vacations, travelers who moved up to luxury to celebrate a meaningful occasion, or travelers who wanted to combine Getaways with their own land programs.  What has been gratifying and consistent is the high level of re-booking from these new Crystal converts.  We know that travelers who try a Crystal cruise are strongly inclined to come back for more.”

Here is the lists of “Crystal Getaways” for 2013 itineraries:


5-day sailings:
January 29, $1,725 – Auckland, Tauranga, Napier, Wellington
March 7, $2,365 – Singapore, Bangkok
April 24, $1,470 – Seward, Glacier Bay, Ketchikan, Vancouver
May 23, $1,630 – New York City, Newport, Boston, Bar Harbor, Halifax

6-day sailings:
January 5, $1,365 – Melbourne, Adelaide, Hobart
January 11, $1,365 – Hobart, Sydney, Brisbane

Crystal Cruises

7-day sailings:
March 23, $3,235 – Hong Kong, Xiamen, Shanghai
April 5, $3,080 – Shanghai, Pusan, Nagasaki, Kōbe

8- and 11-day sailings:
February 3, (8 days) $2,755 – Wellington, Picton, Christchurch, Dunedin, Sydney
March 12, (11 days) $5,200 – Bangkok, Ho Chi Minh City, Chan May, Hanoi, Hong Kong

Celebrity Cruises Maiden Asian Season from Singapore

Celebrity Cruises started her maiden Asian season with Celebrity Millennium on 9 December 2012. Celebrity Solstice has docked at the Marina Bay Cruise Centre Singapore  (MBCCS)  on November 23rd 2012, the first stop in her maiden  voyage to Asia. Named by the world renowned Frommer’s travel guide book as ‘the most flagrantly beautiful megaship ever built’, this sleek, contemporary marvel of modern engineering was the first of the Celebrity cruise ships to visit Asia.

Following closely behind  Celebrity Solstice was Celebrity Millennium, which home-ported at MBCCS from 8 December 2012, using Singapore and MBCCS as its hub for its Asian voyages in the coming year.

Both world-class ships are operated by Royal Caribbean Cruises Limited, which has chosen Singapore and MBCCS as the springboard to cruise destinations within the region. This significantly underscores the cruise company’s confidence that Singapore and MBCCS have the resources and facilities to accommodate its cruise liners’ foray into Asia, and ultimately be the catalyst to grow the cruise industry within the region.

Melvin Vu, Chief Executive Officer of SATS-Creuers Cruise Services (SCCS) says, “MBCCS was built to
dock bigger cruise ships and enhance cruise passengers’ experience, and  Celebrity Solstice and Celebrity Millennium will definitely enjoy their stays. Our facilities and proximity to the  city centre have been the key reasons for Celebrity Cruises’ decision to use our terminal, providing passengers with a seamless transition from the luxury vessels to the vibrancy and unique appeal of Singapore. We look forward to welcoming more premium cruise ships to MBCCS and giving Singaporeans a rich variety of travel options and reaffirming our status as a world-class cruise hub.”

The four year old Celebrity Solstice features a wide range of premium dining and activity choices in keeping with the legendary  Celebrity cruising experience. The 122,000 tonne ship ensures a premium experience for all its 2,850 passengers by effortlessly combining elegance and elements of modern art in a plethora of open, public spaces, including a freshly manicured natural grass lawn on the top deck.

With luxurious accommodations and intuitive service for its 2,138 passengers, the 91,000 tonne Celebrity Millennium is top of the rankings among large cruise ships. Passengers can enjoy a myriad of Solstice Class features such as the Celebrity iLounge SM, an ice-topped Martini Bar, Café al Bacio & Gelateria, a Cellar Masters Wine Bar, and the uniquely unordinary SM Qsine specialty restaurant.

Celebrity Millennium

The 2,158-guest Celebrity Millennium which was launched in 2000, underwent a major renovation earlier this year and now features the Solstice Class features, including the spa-inspired AquaClass staterooms, Blu the ‘spa’ restaurant, ‘uniquely unordinary’ Qsine restaurant, stylish creperie Bistro on Five and Cellar Masters with a bold collection of wines from around the world.

For her maiden Asian season from now till next April, Celebrity Millennium will visit nine countries new to the brand, including Vietnam, Thailand and China, among others. She will feature a series of 14-night one-way cruises between Singapore and Hong Kong, with overnight stays in ports like Singapore, Bangkok, Ho Chi Minh, Halong Bay and Hong Kong.

The season also will include two 14-night round trip sailings from Singapore with overnight stays in Bali in January 2013. This ship will also be returning for the second consecutive Asia season in 2013/2014.

In conjunction with the arrival of Celebrity Solstice, a new DriveCruise service has been introduced at MBCCS, giving cruise passengers special parking rates and a valet service to ensure an uninterrupted passage from car to cruise ship. Upon their return to MBCCS, the valet service will move passengers’ cars to the pick-up area, expediting processing time and promising the perfect end to any cruise holiday.

Silversea’s ultra-luxurious Silver Shadow in Singapore

Silver Shadow, Silversea’s ultra-luxurious Millennium Class ship made its inaugural call-to-port at the newly-opened Marina Bay Cruise Centre in Singapore on November 2012. The 382-guest ship is on the first leg of its nine-day voyage to Hong Kong, with stops at various ports in Vietnam including Ho Chi Minh, Nha Trang, Chan May, Ha Long Bay and Cai Lan before arriving in Hong Kong on 23 November.

To mark the special occasion, a plaque exchange ceremony was held at the cruise ship. Steve Odell, Silversea’s President for Europe and Asia Pacific and Melvin Vu, CEO of SATS-Creuers Cruise Services took part in the ceremony. “We’re excited to be here at the Marina Bay Cruise Centre, and we congratulate SATS-Creuers on this new facility. Its location with the Singapore skyline backdrop is truly stunning” said Mr. Odell.

The newly opened Marina Bay Cruise Centre Singapore (MBCCS) is received its first ship, the "Voyager of the Seas", on 26 May 2012 (officially opened in October 22nd 2012). MBCCS effectively doubles Singapore’s berth capacity and allows for more cruise ships to call on and homeport in Singapore. MBCCS can also accommodate the new generation of larger cruise ships, such as Royal Caribbean International’s Oasis-class ships. It will be a key enabler towards realizing Singapore’s potential as a gateway to cruising in Southeast Asia and beyond.

Silversea’s Millennium Class ship Silver Shadow

Silversea Cruises is a luxury cruise line that operates six luxury, all-suite cruise ships that sail itineraries all around the world throughout the year. The line maintains branch offices in the United States, United Kingdom, Australia and Singapore. The company's headquarters are based in Monaco and is owned by the Lefebvre Family of Rome, Italy.  Millennium Class ship Silver Shadow is the third in the Silversea fleet and provides Silversea’s award-winning, all-suite luxury and trademark intimate ambience to its guests.

Marina Bay Cruise Centre Singapore

Southeast Asia is an emerging as a cruising playground because of many natural attributes that make it an ideal cruising playground. The region offers more than 25,000 islands, year around warm climate and calm waters, with diverse and attractive destinations to be enjoyed within short sailing distance.

Presently, Asia constitutes only nine per cent of the total global cruise market share by revenue, thus holding much potential for development. Singapore, with its prime location amidst major international maritime routes and excellent land, air and sea connectivity to destinations worldwide, is poised to tap into this  potential by equipping itself with critical infrastructure like the Marina Bay Cruise Centre Singapore (MBCCS).

Singapore’s cruise industry performance has been on an uptrend.  In the last ten years, from 2002 to 2011, cruise passenger throughput grew at a compounded annual growth rate of 3.6%, reaching close to one million passengers in 2011. Based on a study commissioned by STB, the cruise industry in Singapore generated some $520 million in direct spending, which included spending by cruise lines, passengers and crew, in 2010. During the same period, 3,365 persons were employed directly or indirectly in the cruise industry in Singapore.

Located at Marina Bay, the new The Marina Bay Cruise Centre Singapore features a striking waves and
nautical-inspired design.  MBCCS effectively doubles Singapore’s berth capacity and allows for more cruise ships to call on and homeport in Singapore. With deep waters, a large turning basin and no height restrictions, MBCCS can accommodate the new generation of larger cruise ships, such as Royal Caribbean International’s Oasis-class ships. It will be a key enabler towards realizing Singapore’s potential as a gateway to cruising in Southeast Asia and beyond.

The MBCCS will also complement the existing cruise terminal at HarbourFront which will soon complete its very own S$14 million rejuvenation programme.

Marina Bay Cruise Centre Singapore is designed to accommodate Oasis class ships
which are world's largest passanger ships.  Here in the photo, MS Oasis of the Seas

In June 2012, Royal Caribbean International’s Voyager of the Seas arrived in Singapore for the first time on 26 May 2012 (Sat) and was welcomed by more than 100 government officials, company executives, as well as local and regional travel agents and media. Arriving to start her maiden Asian season, the 37,276-gross registered ton Voyager of the Seas also became the first cruise ship to call at the new Marina Bay Cruise Centre Singapore, as well as the largest to homeport in Asia.

Singapore can expect new and varied product offerings for cruise passengers. Celebrity Millennium, operated by Celebrity Cruises, will homeport out of Singapore for the first time later this year and is expected to make 10 ship calls during the 2012/2013 season. This will be the first time that Celebrity Cruises is homeporting a ship out of Singapore. Costa Cruises will also be deploying a second ship, Costa Atlantica, to join Costa Victoria  in Singapore from May 2013. Other cruise lines like Holland American Line’s Zaandam and Seabourn Cruises’ Seabourn Quest are also making maiden calls to Singapore. This year alone, Singapore expects 9 maiden calls in total, which is almost double the number of new sailings in 2011.

Source : Fact sheet on Marina Bay Cruise Centre Singapore