Expediting Cruising Adventures: Faster Embarkation Coming to Singapore Cruise Center

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Frequent travelers understand that cruise terminals can struggle to manage the influx of thousands of passengers simultaneously.

In contrast to airports that have embraced contactless transactions and self-service kiosks to enhance efficiency, maritime terminals often remain slow and outdated.

However, the Singapore Cruise Center (SCC) is leveraging airport technology by partnering with SITA, a travel and transport tech company, to upgrade its Tanah Merah and HarbourFront terminals, aiming to create faster and more efficient cruise experiences.

“The maritime sector is currently about ten years behind the aviation industry regarding the digital transformation of its terminal and passenger processing systems,” stated Julian Panter, CEO of SmartSEA, a company associated with SITA.

“Collaborating with Singapore Cruise Center marks a significant step toward advancing the technology used in the maritime industry, particularly in passenger processing,” he added.

SITA plans to implement Smart Path hardware and Flex as a Service (FasS), which will enable cruise terminals to enhance passenger check-in processes and minimize wait times through state-of-the-art technology.

The Smart Path technology from SITA will incorporate biometric-ready kiosks, self-service bag drop facilities, and smart gates, which will expedite every stage of the passenger experience, making it faster and more efficient for the roughly 7 million cruise and ferry passengers visiting Singapore.

The recent updates aim to improve SCC’s capability to handle the flow of passengers at significant entry points into Singapore, particularly for travelers going to and from the Riau Islands in Indonesia and Peninsular Malaysia.

Also Read: All You Need to Know About Boarding a Cruise Ship

“Achieving seamless travel whether by air, sea, or land will be crucial for the growth of the travel and transport sector, leading transport hubs to urgently modernize their infrastructure to stay competitive,” stated Sumesh Patel, the president of SITA for the Asia Pacific region.

Lee Siew Kit, vice president of technology and IT at SCC, added, “We are excited to collaborate with SITA to integrate aviation technologies into the maritime passenger sector, enabling us to offer a similarly seamless and future-ready contactless experience for our ferry, fly-ferry, and fly-cruise travelers.”

The recent upgrades at the Singapore Cruise Center comprise 45 newly installed kiosks positioned at Tanah Merah and HarbourFront, enabling guests to check in with minimal physical contact. These kiosks are expected to reduce wait times and enhance the terminals’ capacity to accommodate a large number of passengers efficiently.

In the near future, these kiosks will also incorporate biometric technology, further bolstering security measures and simplifying the identity verification process for passengers.

Moreover, the introduction of 10 Smart Path Bag Drop units aims to alleviate congestion at baggage drop-off points, while 13 Smart Path gates will replace existing systems with automated gates that allow for swifter and more seamless boarding experiences.

The maritime company is advancing its operations with the implementation of a new Cruise and Ferry Operation System, a cloud-based Departure Control System designed to offer a unified platform for passenger management, facilitating real-time updates and enhanced coordination throughout terminal operations.

In February 2024, the cruise center revealed plans to invest $20 million for extensive renovations at the Tanah Merah Ferry Terminal. This redesign is anticipated to increase capacity by 20 percent and will include additional dining choices, new lounges, and an outdoor play area for children.

This development is excellent news for the nearly 1 million cruise travelers who utilize the terminals, including those traveling with Holland America Line, Royal Caribbean, and Celebrity Cruises.

Singapore also hosts the Marina Bay Cruise Centre (MBCCS), which is under the management of SATS Creuers Cruises Services.

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