As more cruise ships sail into the region and get bigger than ever before, how are ports across South-east Asia stepping up to handle growth?
INDONESIA
BENOA, BALI
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Indonesia’s most popular cruise port of call received 68 calls in 2017, up from 53 in 2016. It welcomed 98,208 passengers last year, 30 per cent higher than 62,859 in 2016. Seabourn Encore, Europa 2, Costa Luminosa, Queen Mary 2, Seven Seas Voyager and Golden Princess were among the ships which called at Benoa in 2017.
Need to know
Benoa port has a 3.2km long access channel and offers two berths. The port has a tourist information centre, batik shop, massage corner and a mini market. Popular tourist areas like Nusa Dua, Sanur, Kuta and Denpasar lie within easy access via taxis.
Incentives
For maiden calls at the port, the Ministry of Tourism will offer welcome receptions. Welcome receptions are available upon request.
Port development
When the Benoa port completes its overhaul by end-2018, a new cruise terminal added will be able to accommodate two ships carrying up to 5,000 passengers, at a berth 12m deep and 200m wide.
Supporting facilities such as hotels, shopping centres, restaurants and convention facilities are expected to be added to turn the terminal complex into a lifestyle spot in future.
TANJUNG EMAS, SEMARANG
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In 2017, Tanjung Emas received 16 cruise ships carrying a total of 11,673 passengers, down from 16,936 passengers from 16 cruise calls in 2016.
Among the cruise ships calling Tanjung Emas last year were Sea Princess, Seabourn Encore, Silver Shadow, Bremen, Aurora, Albatros, Star Clipper, Artania and Insignia.
Need to know
Most cruise ships can anchor and dock at Tanjung Emas Seaport, which has a 10m channel and a 575m wharf, with pilotage and tug service available. The terminal can accommodate up to 3,500 passengers, and has free Wi-Fi, souvenir shops, currency exchange, tourist information centre and a taxi information desk.
The gateway to the Borobudur Temple in Central Java, the port is located five km from the city centre.
Incentives
Semarang City Government will provide a welcome reception with traditional dances at the terminal arrival hall upon request.
Port development
Pelindo III plans to develop a reclamation area of 22ha on the east side of the port, but no further details are available at press time.
MALAYSIA
BOUSTEAD CRUISE CENTRE, SELANGOR
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This dedicated cruise terminal in Port Klang received 166 cruise calls in 2017, versus 146 cruise calls in 2016. The total volume of cruise passengers received in 2017 was 262,383, up from 182,088 in 2016.
Cruise lines calling at Port Klang include AIDA Cruises, Royal Caribbean Cruises, Star Clippers, TUI Cruises, Norwegian Cruise Line, Silversea Cruises, P&O-Orient Lines, Celebrity Cruises, among others.
Need to know
As a docked port, Boustead Cruise Centre can comfortably handle one mega cruise ship and two mid-sized cruise ships at a time. Facilities at the terminal include free Wi-Fi, foreign exchange counters, restaurants, a travel agency and souvenir shops. It is about an hour’s drive to Selangor and 1.5 to two hours to Kuala Lumpur, depending on traffic.
Incentives
On request, Tourism Selangor will provide a 30-minute welcome reception at the terminal arrival hall.
Port development
There are proposed plans to expand the centre to berth two mega cruise liners at a time. Details are still being ironed out at press time.
SWETTENHAM PIER CRUISE TERMINAL, PENANG
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Swettenham Pier Cruise Terminal (SPCT) in 2017 received 270 cruise calls and 438,369 passengers, a leap from 182,277 passengers from 117 cruise calls in 2016, and overtook Port Klang as the leading port in Malaysia for the first time.
Among the cruise lines SPCT welcomed in 2017 are Princess Cruises, Royal Caribbean Cruises, Star Clippers, Norwegian Cruise Line, Hapag-Lloyd Cruises, Cunard Cruise Line, Seven Seas Cruises, Celebrity Cruises and Regent Seven Seas Cruises.
Need to know
As a docked port located within the Penang’s UNESCO Heritage Zone, SPCT is located near Penang’s key attractions. The terminal is equipped with free Wi-Fi, an aero-bridge for embarkation and disembarkation of passengers, foreign exchange counters, retail outlets and restaurants.
Incentives
Cruise ships that call in Penang with a minimum of 1,500 passengers are entitled to a special welcome ceremony at the cruise terminal, courtesy of Penang Global Tourism.
Port development
Penang Port is collaborating with Royal Caribbean Cruises in a joint venture to improve SPCT’s facilities, including the extension of the berths from 480m to 688m, to enable the terminal to berth two mega cruise liners carrying over 4,900 passengers.
PHILIPPINES
PORT OF MANILA
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2017 was a bumper year for Manila in terms of port calls and cruise passengers. The port reported 52 cruise calls, double the 26 cruise calls in 2016. These cruise ships brought in 195,751 passengers last year, 157 per cent greater than the 76,068 passengers recorded in 2016.
Among the cruise companies that sent ships to Manila in 2017 were Royal Caribbean Cruise Line, P&O Cruises, Hapag Lloyd, Celebrity Cruises, Ponant Cruises, Costa Cruises, Azamara Club Cruises, Oceania Cruises and Seabourn Luxury Cruise.
Incentives
Welcome and send-off reception. As the Philippine Department of Tourism is a member of the Asia Cruise Cooperation (ACC), the destination benefits from ACC’s marketing support such as itinerary planning and research incentives to cruise lines.
Need to know
The Port of Manila is for alongside docking, with Pier 15 in the Manila South Harbor used for cruise ships. It is mere minutes away from Manila’s key attractions like the Walled City of Intramuros and Rizal Park, and is about an hour to the business and shopping centres in Makati.
Port development
Manila South Harbor Pier 15’s passenger terminal is undergoing refurbishment, a project by Asian Terminal Inc (ATI) and Star Cruises. Ongoing enhancement of the bollards in Pier 15, a joint project between ATI and Royal Caribbean Cruise Line, is targeted for completion end-2018. There are also plans to build a dedicated cruise port along Roxas Boulevard, not far from South Harbor.
BORACAY
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Boracay is a rising star in cruise tourism, welcoming 24 port calls from 17 ships last year, more than double the 2016 record of 11 port calls from 10 ships. The number of cruise passengers surged 145 per cent to 185,631 last year from only 75,818 in 2016.
Cruise companies that favoured Boracay last year included Celebrity Cruises, Costa Cruises, Dream Cruises, Seabourn Luxury Cruise, Royal Caribbean Cruise Line, Crystal Cruises, Princess Cruises, and Regent Seven Seas Cruises among others.
Incentives
Welcome and send-off reception, plus ACC benefits similar to the Port of Manila.
Need to know
This tender port in Caticlan can accommodate only small ships. Boracay is a small island which can be explored on foot from end to end in just several hours.
Port development
There are plans to develop a cruise terminal in the reclamation area of the Caticlan Jetty Port.
SINGAPORE
SINGAPORE CRUISE CENTRE
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Singapore Cruise Centre (SCC) received 253 ship calls in 2017, comprising cruise companies such as Azamara Club Cruises, Costa Cruises, Oceania Cruises and Silversea Cruises, to bring more than half a million cruise passengers last year.
Incentives
The port’s “efficient, fast turnaround services and operations” draw cruise lines, said Christina Siaw, CEO, SCC.
Need to know
SCC is a docked port connected to VivoCity shopping mall and the Regional Ferry Terminal, withSentosa Island and Universal Studios Singapore just minutes away. For fly-cruise transfers, Changi International Airport is a 30-minute drive away.
Port development
Infrastructure and service improvement opportunities will be explored, Siaw said.
MARINA BAY CRUISE CENTRE
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Marina Bay Cruise Centre (MBCC) handled 168 ship calls and 876,753 passengers in 2017, from all cruise lines calling in South-east Asia. These include Royal Caribbean International, Celebrity Cruises, Princess Cruises, Costa Crociere, Dream Cruises and Azamara Cruises.
Incentives
MBCC offers welcome ceremonies for maiden calls and marketing collaborations with cruise companies.
Need to know
MBCC is a docked port with two berths, and is located 450m from the Marina South Pier train station.
Port development
The port has enhanced its infrastructure in recent years, including adding retail spaces such as duty free shops and an expanded F&B area.
THAILAND
LAEM CHABANG PORT, CHONBURI
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The passenger terminals received 59 cruise calls in 2017, versus 56 cruise calls in 2016. Both terminals in 2017 received 243,525 cruise passengers, up from 228,888 in 2016.
International cruise ships that called last year include Norwegian Star, Aidabella, Seabourn Sojourn, Costa Victoria, Crystal Symphony, Mariner Of The Seas, Queen Mary 2, Pacific Eden, Mein Schiff 1, Superstar Gemini, among others.
Incentives
Welcome ceremonies for cruise lines making inaugural calls.
Need to know
Laem Chabang is a docked port. Terminals A1 and C0 are passenger terminals, with the former mainly used to berth passenger ships of up to 70,000 DWT. The cruise terminal boasts souvenirs and massage shops, a shopping centre and a supermarket. It is two hours south of Bangkok and an hour’s drive from Pattaya.
Port development
Plans to build a second passenger terminal and upgrading the existing terminal are being studied.
PHUKET
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Phuket port received 186 cruise calls in 2017, surging from 89 cruise calls in 2016. The total volume of cruise passengers last year soared to 286,156 from 162,818 the year before.
Cruise lines that called last year include Aegean Odyssey, Albatros, Celebrity Constellation, Costa Luminosa, Legend Of The Seas, Lirica, SuperStar Libra, Ocean Dream, Sapphire Princess, Seven Seas Navigator and Silver Discoverer, among others.
Incentives
None.
Need to know
Phuket Deep Sea Port was designed to receive cargo ships but it currently also serves cruise ships. It is a docked and tendered port, with a few souvenir shops and restaurants. It takes 45 minutes to Patong beach.
Port development
Phuket Deep Sea Port announced its expansion plans last year to widen the port from 360m to 420m in order to handle big cargo ships and passenger ships at the same time. However, the starting date of the expansion is yet to be revealed.
VIETNAM
PHU MY PORT
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Cruise companies calling include Princess Cruises, Norwegian Cruise Line, Regent Seven Seas, Celebrity Cruises and Royal Caribbean.
Need to know
Phu My Port, referred to as the gateway to Ho Chi Minh City, sits about 130km, or 1.5 hours, from the city. It is a commercial port where cruise ships dock at container terminal piers. The port has a depth of 9.3m, with the maximum vessel size accepted 60,000 DWT.
Port development
While there are currently few tourist attractions located within the industrial area, plans are being discussed to create Vung Tau Marina City nearby, which will house a tourism complex and amusement park.
