Princess Cruises Expands Singapore Homeporting With Three Ships
The program includes ten- to twenty-eight-day itineraries from Singapore to Vietnam, Malaysia and Thailand, plus longer voyages between Singapore and Japan.
Princess Cruises and the Singapore Tourism Board announced May 28 a three-year deployment partnership that will expand Princess’s seasonal homeporting in Singapore between 2027 and 2030. Diamond Princess, Sapphire Princess and Grand Princess are assigned to the program, which is expected to bring more than 150,000 passengers to Singapore and double Princess sailings from the city-state by 2030.
Singapore’s cruise traffic is already above 2 million passengers a year. In 2025, the city-state handled 375 cruise ship calls and passenger volume rose more than 9 percent year over year.
“With Asia Pacific emerging as a key growth region for cruising, Singapore is well-positioned to capture fly-cruise demand,” said Jean Ng, assistant chief executive for the Experience Development Group at the Singapore Tourism Board.
Longer itineraries and three ships
The Princess program will use extended itineraries of 10 to 28 days, including round-trip sailings to Vietnam, Malaysia and Thailand, as well as longer voyages between Singapore and Japan. The line’s 2027-28 Southeast Asia program will be operated by Diamond Princess and will connect Japan, Korea and Southeast Asia.
Regional shore excursions listed for the program include a mangrove cruise on the Kilim River in Langkawi, temple visits in Hoi An, Vietnam, and a visit to Fo Guang Shan Monastery in Kaohsiung, Taiwan. Princess and STB also expect Singapore’s tourism products to support pre- and post-cruise stays for passengers using the city-state as their trip gateway.
Matthew Rutherford, vice president Asia Pacific at Princess Cruises, said Singapore is “a cornerstone of our Asia Pacific strategy.” “We’re seeing growing demand for longer, more immersive journeys,” Rutherford said.
The program is being supported under STB’s Cruise Development Fund, which backs cruise ship deployments and other development initiatives tied to Singapore and Southeast Asia. Eligible costs under the fund can include Singapore terminal operator port charges and market or channel development expenses, with reimbursement tied to agreed milestones.
Singapore’s wider cruise push
Singapore has also been adding infrastructure and homeport volume around its cruise strategy. The Marina Bay Cruise Centre Singapore expansion completed in 2025 increased passenger capacity from 6,800 to 11,700, while the 208,100-gt Disney Adventure is expected to homeport year-round in Singapore with potential annual volume of 500,000 passengers.
Before the new partnership period begins, Diamond Princess and Sapphire Princess are scheduled to homeport in Singapore at the same time from November 2026 through February 2027. STB has also formed a task force with Thailand and is sponsoring the first Asia Cruise Investment Forum later in 2026.
