Singapore sets sights on fly-cruise tourism

Cruise operator Royal Caribbean International has entered into a marketing partnership to grow Singapore’s fly-cruise segment and bring in over 26 million Singapore dollars (Bt647 billion) in tourism dollars this year.
The partnership of the region’s largest cruise brand, the Singapore Tourism Board (STB) and Changi Airport Group (CAG) will promote cruising out of Singapore on Royal Caribbean’s ships Ovation of the Seas and Voyager of the Seas. 
The ships can accommodate 4,905 guests and 4,269 guests, and are among the largest in Asia.
About 45,000 tourists will be flying in to Singapore to sail on the two ships from March-June, the cruise operator said.
This is the second partnership among the three.
The first, in place since August 2015 to market Royal Caribbean’s ship Mariner of the Seas, is projected to bring over 170,000 fly-cruise visitors and $100 million in tourism receipts to Singapore over three years.
Royal Caribbean will have its longest deployment in Singapore yet over the next three years (2017-19) and has 72 sailings lined up for its 2017-18 season, up from 64 sailings for the previous season.
Asia’s largest cruise ship, Ovation of the Seas, docked at Marina Bay Cruise Centre yesterday for its first season based in Singapore, which will comprise 10 sailings to Penang, Phuket, Bangkok and Tianjin from March-April.
Cruises on the 18-deck ship are nearly all sold out, with more than half of the bookings coming from overseas, Royal Caribbean said.
STB’s cruise director Annie Chang said Singapore’s position as an Asian cruise hub is supported by arrivals from regional markets such as India, Australia and Indonesia.
“That Royal Caribbean is increasing its homeported sailings in Singapore signals the success of our partnership in driving cruise tourism for Asia,” she said.
Singapore cruise passenger throughput grew 16 per cent to about 1.2 million last year, according to figures by the STB.
CAG’s vice president of passenger development Peh Ke-Wei said Singapore’s fly-cruise segment has huge growth potential, particularly with increased traffic from the opening of Changi Airport’s Terminal 4 later this year.
CAG is working on a long-term initiative to facilitate seamless transfer of baggage services for fly- cruise passengers, he said.
Asean has committed to developing cruise infrastructure, training staff and improving onshore activities to grow cruise tourism in the region, it was revealed in January.
Royal Caribbean Cruises’ managing director for Asia-Pacific Sean Treacy said while Singapore’s strong air connectivity and strategic location are a boon, port infrastructure in the region must be upgraded to accommodate larger ships such as Ovation of the Seas and meet cruise demand in Asia.
Ngee Ann Polytechnic’s senior tourism lecturer Michael Chiam said the partnership was a win-win proposition.