The city-state that does everything at full intensity — soaring Supertrees, a rooftop infinity pool, jungle conservatories, the world's first night zoo, and the planet's greatest street food, all linked by a gleaming, cashless metro.
⚓ Docked (MBCCS or HarbourFront)🕒 Typical call: 8–12 hrs (often overnight)💵 Singapore Dollar (SGD) — near-cashless city🗣️ English · Malay · Mandarin · Tamil
Docking
Marina Bay Cruise Centre (MBCCS) or Singapore Cruise Centre (HarbourFront) — check your documents
Walk to center
MBCCS: 600 m sheltered walk to MRT; HarbourFront: directly inside terminal
Best For
Gardens · Hawker food · Multicultural districts · Night Safari
Don't Miss
Gardens by the Bay Cloud Forest + Supertree Grove at night
📄 Take this port with you
A printable port guide — key info, things to do & tips. Includes an editable “My Day in Port” box for your ship times & booked excursions.
Singapore has two cruise terminals in different parts of the city — check your itinerary to confirm which one your ship uses, as they're not interchangeable by taxi in rush hour.
Two world-class terminals, one seamless metro
1
Marina Bay Cruise Centre (MBCCS) — near Gardens by the BayThe primary terminal for mega-ships (Royal Caribbean, Celebrity, Princess, Disney, Holland America, Norwegian). Recently upgraded with S million in improvements — expanded check-in, larger lounges, and capacity for two large ships simultaneously. A 600-metre fully sheltered, air-conditioned walkway connects to Marina South Pier MRT (North-South Line). From there, Raffles Place and City Hall are 2–3 stops. Some ships also offer complimentary shuttles to Suntec City and Orchard Road.
2
Singapore Cruise Centre (HarbourFront) — gateway to SentosaThe older terminal, integrated directly into VivoCity shopping mall and HarbourFront MRT station (Circle/North-East lines) — you're connected to the metro without stepping outside. Note: Around July 2026 HarbourFront operations move to a new interim terminal next door during redevelopment — facilities are equivalent. Costa, Silversea, Regent, and regional lines commonly use this terminal. Walk to Sentosa Island via the boardwalk is about 15 minutes, shaded and flat.
3
Getting around: tap your credit cardSingapore's MRT is the easiest in Asia. No special transit card required — simply tap any contactless Visa or Mastercard (or Apple Pay/Google Pay) at the turnstiles. Fares are auto-calculated and very cheap. A Singapore Tourist Pass (1/2/3-day unlimited, ~SGD 10–22) is an option but rarely worth it for a one-day call. Grab and Gojek (ride-hail apps) are also widely used — download before you arrive.
4
On foot and in the heatSingapore is walkable but equatorial — 31 °C and high humidity year-round with daily afternoon downpours. Start early, carry a small umbrella, and use covered walkways and MRT tunnels to stay cool. Midday walking between major sights is genuinely exhausting.
💡 Pro move: Singapore is the easiest DIY port in Asia. English is official, signage is clear, and the metro goes everywhere. No guide needed unless you want a specialty deep-dive.
Piers & Tendering by Cruise Line
Singapore's two terminals are in different city zones — MBCCS near Marina Bay and HarbourFront near Sentosa. The MBCCS completed a major S million upgrade in late 2025; HarbourFront moves to a new interim facility around July 2026.
Singapore packs an extraordinary range into a tiny island — iconic skyline, multicultural street life, world-class nature, legendary food, and the world's first night zoo. Here's how to spend your day.
Iconic
Gardens by the Bay & Cloud Forest
Singapore's defining attraction: the alien Supertree Grove lights up nightly for the Garden Rhapsody show, while the Cloud Forest conservatory hides a 35-metre indoor waterfall inside a cool, misty mountain of tropical plants. The Flower Dome holds the world's largest glass greenhouse. Budget 3–4 hours minimum.
⏱ 3–4 hrs🌿 Nature + architecture📷 Most photographed spot in Singapore
Ride the elevator to the SkyPark observation deck atop the three MBS towers for sweeping harbour views — you may even spot your ship. Then walk the bay promenade to Merlion Park, past the Esplanade Theatres and ArtScience Museum. The whole waterfront loop is flat, largely covered, and one of the world's great urban walks.
Three of Singapore's most vibrant heritage districts: Sri Mariamman Temple and hawker stalls in Chinatown, the riot of marigolds and spices in Little India, and the golden-domed Sultan Mosque and Haji Lane boutiques of Kampong Glam. All connected by the North-East MRT line.
Singapore's dedicated resort island — walk or cable car from HarbourFront. Universal Studios Singapore for theme park thrills, or head to Palawan or Siloso Beach for a swim. Resorts World Sentosa adds restaurants, a casino, and the S.E.A. Aquarium. Easiest from the HarbourFront terminal.
⏱ 4–6 hrs🎢 Theme park or 🏖 Beach🚶 15-min walk from HarbourFront pier
One of the world's finest zoo complexes: open-concept enclosures, giant pandas at River Wonders, and the Night Safari — the world's first nocturnal zoo, with a tram through tiger, leopard, and fishing cat territories after dark. If your ship stays overnight, the Night Safari is unmissable.
⏱ 3–5 hrs (day) · 2 hrs (Night Safari)🦁 World-class wildlife🌙 Night Safari for overnight calls
Singapore's street food culture rivals any restaurant on earth. Maxwell Food Centre (chicken rice), Lau Pa Sat (satay street after 7 PM), and Chinatown Complex are the top hawker picks. Try char kway teow, laksa, kaya toast, and chilli crab. Full meals run SGD 4–8.
Singapore rewards walkers in the cooler morning hours — the Marina Bay waterfront loop and the Chinatown-to-Kampong Glam heritage walk are both flat, well-signposted, and largely covered.
Marina Bay Waterfront Loop
~4 km · 2 hrs · easy (mostly covered walkways)
Singapore's showpiece walk: Merlion Park, the Esplanade Theatres on the Bay, the ArtScience Museum, Marina Bay Sands boardwalk, and the entrance to Gardens by the Bay. Best in the morning to beat the heat — by noon it's brutal.
From the colourful shophouses of Chinatown (Sri Mariamman Temple, Maxwell Food Centre) north through the CBD and into Kampong Glam's Arab Street and the Sultan Mosque. Three cultures, one walk — best done in the morning before the heat peaks.
From the Singapore Cruise Centre at HarbourFront, walk the pedestrian boardwalk straight onto Sentosa Island — no shuttle or cable car needed. Follow signs through VivoCity and onto the Sentosa Boardwalk. Beaches and Universal Studios are another 15–20 min walk once on the island.
Climate normals for Singapore, Singapore (2014–2023 averages). Pack for the month you sail — highs, lows, and how many rainy days to expect.
Month
Avg High
Avg Low
Rainy Days
Sunrise
Sunset
Jan
83°F / 28°C
76°F / 24°C
21
7:12 AM
7:15 PM
Feb
85°F / 29°C
76°F / 24°C
15
7:16 AM
7:20 PM
Mar
85°F / 29°C
77°F / 25°C
22
7:10 AM
7:16 PM
Apr
85°F / 29°C
78°F / 26°C
26
7:00 AM
7:08 PM
May
85°F / 29°C
79°F / 26°C
29
6:55 AM
7:06 PM
Jun
84°F / 29°C
79°F / 26°C
26
6:59 AM
7:10 PM
Jul
84°F / 29°C
79°F / 26°C
23
7:05 AM
7:16 PM
Aug
84°F / 29°C
79°F / 26°C
25
7:04 AM
7:13 PM
Sep
84°F / 29°C
78°F / 26°C
22
6:56 AM
7:03 PM
Oct
84°F / 29°C
78°F / 26°C
26
6:48 AM
6:52 PM
Nov
84°F / 29°C
77°F / 25°C
28
6:47 AM
6:50 PM
Dec
83°F / 28°C
77°F / 25°C
28
6:58 AM
7:01 PM
Source: Open-Meteo ERA5 (10-yr daily averages)
Insider Tips
🚇
Tap your credit card on the MRT. No transit card needed — any contactless Visa or Mastercard works directly at the turnstiles. Apple Pay and Google Pay too. The MRT is cheap, fast, and air-conditioned. It goes everywhere you want to go.
🌡️
Start early — the heat is serious. Singapore sits on the equator: 31–33 °C with punishing humidity year-round. Begin walking by 8–9 AM, retreat to the MRT and malls by noon, and re-emerge in the late afternoon.
🍜
Eat at hawker centres — do not skip this. Maxwell Food Centre, Lau Pa Sat, and Chinatown Complex serve extraordinary local food for SGD 4–8 a dish. In the evening, Lau Pa Sat's Satay Street sets up rows of charcoal grills outside — one of Singapore's great street scenes.
🚭
Vaping is strictly illegal. E-cigarettes and vapes cannot be imported or used in Singapore — customs will confiscate them and you can be fined heavily. Also: no littering, no jaywalking, and no gum spat on the street. The rules are enforced.
💳
Singapore is virtually cashless. Most hawker stalls now accept PayNow/QR or contactless cards. Carry just SGD 10–20 in cash for the rare stall that insists on it. Tipping is not expected — a 10% service charge is added at sit-down restaurants.
🌙
Overnight call? Night Safari is mandatory. The Singapore Zoo's Night Safari is the world's first nocturnal zoo — tram through tiger and leopard territories after dark. Nothing else like it in Asia. Book ahead online, especially at weekends.
Getting Around
Transport options from the pier — taxis, shuttles, transit passes, and whether ride-share apps work here.
🚗 Ride-share: ✅ Grab, Gojek, TADA, Ryde
🚍 Big Bus Tours / FunVee
🚕 Taxi
S$6–10 (US$4–8)
From Marina Bay Cruise Centre, metered taxis reach City Hall in ~5 min for S$6–8. HarbourFront is ~S$10 to the city. Note: MBCC taxis carry a S$3–5 port surcharge.
📱 Grab / Gojek
S$8–15 (US$6–11)
Grab is Singapore's dominant ride-hailing app; Gojek, TADA, and Ryde are also licensed. Prices are upfront and slightly higher than taxis but no surprise surcharges.
🚇 MRT (Subway)
S$1–2 (US$0.75–1.50)
Marina Bay CC connects to the Circle Line for City Hall MRT in 10–22 min. HarbourFront MRT (North-East/Circle Line) is steps from that terminal. The cheapest way into town.
🚗 Private Transfer
From S$76 (US$56)
Pre-booked private transfers offer meet-and-greet at the pier with fixed pricing. Useful for groups or late-night arrivals when surcharges on taxis add up.
Cruises Calling Here
Upcoming cruises that call at Singapore, Singapore. Dates, prices, and ports of call change — always confirm with the cruise line before booking.
Royal Princess
Princess Cruises
Seattle → Singapore
⚓ Calls 16 Oct 05:00 dep 05:00 202627 nights12 portsDeparts 2026-09-19
View itinerary · 11 ports
27 days, one-way from Seattle to Singapore
19 Sep 15:00Seattle, Washington
21 Sep 13:00 - 21:15Juneau, Alaska
22 Sep 12:00 - 17:00Hubbard Glacier, Alaska
24 Sep 00:30 - 17:00Whittier, Alaska
04 Oct 05:30 - 19:00Tokyo, Japan
05 Oct 07:00 - 14:00Shimizu, Japan Shizuoka
06 Oct 09:00 - 21:00Kobe-Osaka, Kyoto, Japan
09 Oct 07:00 - 18:00Keelung, Taipei City, Taiwan China
Itineraries and prices change — always confirm with the cruise line before booking. Some links are affiliate links that may earn us a commission at no extra cost to you.
