Singapore (2010-11-01)

GENTING Hong Kong-owned Star Cruises has secured priority berthing rights at Singapore Cruise Centre's International Passenger Terminal at HarbourFront for 10 years, in a deal that looks set to boost the city's cruise hub status.

The agreement offers the cruise operator the incentive to expand its presence in Singapore at a time when its affiliated company, Resorts World Sentosa, one of two integrated resorts in the city, is helping to draw tourists in large numbers.

The new partnership is also expected to give the Genting Group greater flexibility in cross-marketing its offerings to cruise and resort customers, due to the close proximity of the cruise terminal to the resort.

Singapore is already the home port for Star Cruises' Asian flagship, SuperStar Virgo, and from November 6, the SuperStar Libra will join it for a seasonal deployment. 

In 2009, Singapore Cruise Centre saw a record 900 ship calls and 1.14 million passenger throughput.

According to UK-based independent consultancy Ocean Shipping Consultants, the Asia-Pacific cruise industry is poised to grow to two million by 2015, a three-fold increase from 2005.