SingaporeCruise Port Guide
Two terminals, one compact city. Find out which dock is yours, what fits before all-aboard, and how far you can get on foot or by MRT.
Welcome to Singapore
Pro Picks
Observation deck · day ticketMarina Bay Sands SkyPark Observation Deck
Ride up to the 56th-floor deck on top of Marina Bay Sands for a view over Marina Bay, the Gardens by the Bay Supertrees and the city skyline. It's about 1.2 miles from Marina Bay Cruise Centre, and the deck can close for a while in heavy rain or thunderstorms.
From $27.33/ person
Book Now →
Gardens · day ticketGardens by the Bay Conservatories
Walk through the glass Flower Dome and the misty Cloud Forest with its indoor waterfall, or pick a Supertree option. Gardens by the Bay is about a mile from Marina Bay Cruise Centre, and the cheapest ticket option covers less, so check what yours includes.
From $7.78/ person
Book Now →
Amphibious ride · 1 hrDUCKtours Land-and-Water Ride
An hour-long sightseeing ride in a converted amphibious military vehicle: half on Marina Bay's streets, half splashing into the bay past the landmarks. It leaves from Suntec City, near Marina Bay, and you need to check in 30 minutes before departure or lose the ticket.
From $38.30/ person
Book Now →Your time ashore
Count from leaving the ship to being back aboard.
Singapore in 2 hours
River cruise
Singapore River Bumboat Cruise
A 40-minute ride in a wooden bumboat from Clarke Quay down the river to Marina Bay, with commentary on the old trading quays. Tickets can't be cancelled or refunded, so book it once your port day is certain.
From$19.89
Time required40 minutes
Observation wheel
Singapore Flyer Observation Wheel
A 30-minute turn in an air-conditioned capsule on the giant wheel beside Marina Bay. On clear days the view reaches Malaysia and Indonesia. Tickets are non-refundable, and food and drink aren't allowed aboard.
From$35.94
Time required30 minutes
Singapore in 4 hours
Cooking class
Hands-on Singapore Cooking Class
A small, hands-on class in a Chinatown shophouse studio where you learn and cook local dishes. It runs about 3 hours, next to the Buddha Tooth Relic Temple, up a flight of stairs with no lift.
From$93.80
Time required3 hours
Sidecar tour
Kampong Glam Vespa Sidecar Ride
Ride in a Vespa sidecar through Kampong Glam's Haji Lane and past the Sultan Mosque, then on to the Esplanade and the National Gallery. It starts at the Esplanade taxi stand; one passenger per sidecar, ages 10 and up.
From$154.78
Time required1 - 3 hours
Street food tour
Night Street Food Tour with 9 Tastings
Nine fixed tastings of hawker dishes such as chicken rice, satay and roti prata, walking around Clarke Quay and Boat Quay. It's an evening tour, so it only works if your ship stays late; bring some cash and rain gear.
From$85.10
Time required3.5 hours
Singapore in 7 hours
Bike tour
Lion City Highlights Bike Tour
A guided 4-hour ride through back streets and landmarks with history stops along the way. It starts at 9 AM at Nicoll Highway MRT station and runs rain or shine, so leave time to get there from the terminal.
From$66.12
Time required4 hours
Private guided tour
Customized Private Singapore Tour
A private guide plans a 4- to 8-hour day with you after booking, by car or on public transport, and picks you up where you choose. Tell them your all-aboard time so the plan ends with room to spare.
From$107.81
Time required4 - 8 hours
Within a stroll of the boat
Five stops on foot from the HarbourFront terminal, ending at the free boardwalk onto Sentosa; Palawan Beach is about 1.5 miles, or a short monorail hop from VivoCity. Ships at Marina Bay Cruise Centre are a taxi or MRT ride from all of this.
Ride · 0.1 mi · ~3 min
HarbourFront Cable Car Station
The cable car station beside the terminal, where the Mount Faber Line runs to Faber Peak and Sentosa. It's a paid ride.
Eat · 0.2 mi · ~6 min
Seah Im Food Centre
A food court on Seah Im Road, across from HarbourFront Centre and a few minutes from the terminal.
Shopping · 0.3 mi · ~8 min
VivoCity
The large mall next to the terminal, with a food court inside. The Sentosa Express monorail and the boardwalk onto the island both start here.
Walk · 0.5 mi · ~12 min
Sentosa Boardwalk
The covered walkway from VivoCity across the water to Sentosa. Walking in this way costs nothing.
Resort · 0.9 mi · ~21 min
Resorts World Sentosa
The resort on Sentosa that holds Universal Studios Singapore, at the far end of the boardwalk.
Handy Helpers
Small things that make a port day easier.
Private Driver, Waiting at the Dock
A pre-booked driver meets you at the dock for a fixed price. No haggling, no waiting for a taxi to fill.
Bike rental
Cover more ground than on foot. Book ahead and return it well before all-aboard.
Travel eSIM
Install it on ship WiFi and your maps and ride apps work the moment you land in Singapore.
Quick answers
Facts last checked .
How we checked these answers
Every answer is built from facts we checked against the sources below and cross-checked with recent port guides. Where sources disagreed, the answer says so instead of guessing a number.
- Holland America Line — Singapore cruise port and hotels
- Marina Bay Cruise Centre Singapore
- Marina Bay Cruise Centre Singapore — cruise lines
- Marina Bay Cruise Centre Singapore — cruise schedule
- Singapore Cruise Centre — getting to the terminal
- Singapore Cruise Centre
- Singapore Cruise Centre — cruise lines
- Land Transport Authority — taxi fares and surcharges
- Sentosa Discovery Guide (February 2026)
- SimplyGo — contactless bank cards
- Immigration & Checkpoints Authority — visa requirements
- Immigration & Checkpoints Authority — entering Singapore
- Immigration & Checkpoints Authority — SG Arrival Card
- U.S. Department of State — Singapore travel advisory
- PUB, Singapore's National Water Agency — water quality
Getting ashore
Where do cruise ships dock in Singapore?
Cruise ships in Singapore dock at one of two terminals: Marina Bay Cruise Centre at 61 Marina Coastal Drive, which takes the big ships, or the Singapore Cruise Centre terminal at 5 HarbourFront Avenue, which handles smaller ones. HarbourFront moved into a new building on 15 July 2026. The two are about 3 miles apart, so check your cruise documents for which one your ship uses.
Which terminal does Disney, Royal Caribbean or Princess use in Singapore?
Disney, Royal Caribbean and Princess ships usually use Marina Bay Cruise Centre in Singapore, as do Celebrity, Norwegian, Holland America, MSC, Carnival, Costa and Cunard; the terminal's schedule for mid-October 2026 shows Disney Adventure and Royal Princess there. Small-ship lines such as Silversea, Seabourn, Viking, Oceania, Azamara, Regent Seven Seas and Ponant are on the HarbourFront terminal's list. Confirm the terminal on your cruise documents.
How do I get from the Singapore cruise terminal to the city?
From Marina Bay Cruise Centre, walk 600 m along a covered linkway to Marina South Pier MRT station, take bus 400 from the terminal's Level 1 coach bay, or take a taxi or Grab. Holland America lists bus fares of S$1.40–S$2.00, and Singapore's Land Transport Authority adds a S$3–S$5 surcharge to taxis from the terminal. At HarbourFront, the MRT station is beside the terminal, about 15 minutes by train from the city.
Can I walk from the cruise terminal to Marina Bay Sands in Singapore?
Not easily: Marina Bay Sands is about 1.2 miles from Marina Bay Cruise Centre, so most people take the MRT from Marina South Pier station, a 600 m covered walk away, or a short taxi ride. From the HarbourFront terminal, VivoCity is a walk of about 8 minutes, but downtown and Chinatown are about 2 miles off. See what's within a stroll of HarbourFront.
Is there anything to do at the Singapore cruise port?
Marina Bay Cruise Centre itself lists washrooms, Wi-Fi and baggage storage and opens only on ship days, so plan to head into the city; the MRT is a 600 m covered walk away. HarbourFront is different: VivoCity mall is about 8 minutes on foot, the terminal has a money changer and an ATM, and you can walk onto Sentosa free on the Sentosa Boardwalk from VivoCity. See the HarbourFront stroll map.
Beaches & Sentosa
Can you walk to a beach from the Singapore cruise port?
Only from HarbourFront: Palawan Beach on Sentosa is about 1.5 miles from the HarbourFront terminal, a 30–35 minute walk through VivoCity and across the free Sentosa Boardwalk. Sentosa's guide lists its beaches as free; the Sentosa Express monorail from VivoCity costs S$4 and stops at Beach Station. Marina Bay Cruise Centre has no beach within a walk, and Sentosa is about 3 miles west.
How do I get to Sentosa from the cruise terminal?
From the HarbourFront terminal, walk about 8 minutes to VivoCity, then either walk onto Sentosa free on the Sentosa Boardwalk (Lobby F, Level 1) or ride the Sentosa Express monorail (Lobby L, Level 3) for S$4, according to Sentosa's own guide. The Singapore Cable Car also leaves from HarbourFront Tower 2, at S$33 for adults on the Mount Faber Line. From Marina Bay Cruise Centre, take the MRT or a taxi to HarbourFront first.
Getting around
Is there Uber in Singapore, or should I use Grab?
Uber doesn't operate in Singapore: Holland America names Grab and Gojek as the main ride-hailing apps, and says taxis are readily available at Marina Bay Cruise Centre. Singapore's taxis run on the meter, and the Land Transport Authority lists a S$3–S$5 surcharge on taxi trips from Marina Bay Cruise Centre, depending on the time of day.
Can I pay for the MRT with my credit card in Singapore?
Yes. SimplyGo, Singapore's transit fare system, accepts foreign-issued contactless American Express, Mastercard and Visa cards on the MRT and buses with no sign-up; just tap in and out with the same card. Foreign Visa and Mastercard cards carry a S$0.60 admin fee per day of use, and Maestro or Cirrus debit cards aren't accepted.
Time & money
What can I do in Singapore on a port day?
The two easiest areas to reach on a Singapore port day are Marina Bay (Marina Bay Sands, Gardens by the Bay), about 1.2 miles from Marina Bay Cruise Centre, and Sentosa, which you can walk onto free from VivoCity next to the HarbourFront terminal. Both terminals are on the MRT, so Chinatown and the river are a short train ride further. See the 4-hour plans.
What time zone is Singapore in?
Singapore is on UTC+8 all year and doesn't use daylight saving time. Check your all-aboard time in the ship's daily program, and whether it's given in ship time or local time.
What currency does Singapore use, and do you tip?
Singapore uses the Singapore dollar (S$), and tipping isn't customary: most restaurants already add a 10% service charge, plus 9% GST. Contactless cards work on the MRT and buses, and the HarbourFront terminal has a money changer and an ATM if you want cash.
Documents & safety
Do I need a visa or the SG Arrival Card for a Singapore cruise?
US citizens don't need a visa for Singapore: the Immigration & Checkpoints Authority doesn't list the US among visa-required countries. ICA does require every traveller to submit the free SG Arrival Card within 3 days before arriving, and a passport valid for at least 6 months. ICA's page doesn't say how this applies to cruise passengers, so follow your cruise line's instructions.
Is Singapore safe, and can you drink the tap water?
Yes on both counts: the US State Department rates Singapore Level 1, Exercise Normal Precautions. PUB, Singapore's national water agency, says tap water is safe to drink straight from the tap without filtering.