Singapore Cruise Centre will welcome the return of Australian cruise operator P&O Cruises to Singapore this weekend after a ten-year absence.

P&O’s Pacific Eden is scheduled to arrive in Singapore on Saturday, with the 55,820-tonne, 1,500-guest ship to be based at SCC’s HarbourFront Cruise and Ferry Terminal.

P&O will have five departures from Singapore this year, including four roundtrip cruises from Singapore to other destinations in Southeast Asia such as Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia, and Cambodia throughout August, and four departures in 2017, including two roundtrip cruises. 

Pacific Eden is returning to Singapore at a time when cruising is growing in Asia.

In 2015, there were more than one million cruise passenger arrivals in Singapore with 385 cruise ships calling in Singapore.

P&O president Sture Myrmell said the cruise line’s Singapore season followed the expansion of its fleet with the addition of Pacific Eden and sister ship Pacific Aria in November last year. 

“Singapore offers a great port experience for our guests and is the ideal hub for our two exciting Asian itineraries, which will include many maiden calls for P&O,” Myrmell said. 

The Singapore Tourism Board expects between five to eight per cent growth in the industry over the next three to four years. 

SCC chief executive Christina Siaw said: “We are very excited to welcome P&O Cruises back to Singapore and we are delighted with their vote of confidence in our port.

“P&O, with its expanded fleet of ships and great on-board offerings, will help spur the growth of the cruise industry with Singapore as a regional gateway. 

“Through the years, SCC has worked hard to upgrade our facilities, strengthen our customer service and forge close collaboration with other port operators to attract more international cruise lines to Asia.

“Our HarbourFront cruise terminal is strategically and conveniently located within a bustling shopping, dining and entertainment precinct, and is well-connected to the rest of Singapore.

“We have no doubt that P&O passengers will enjoy their stay in our city.” 

Pacific Eden was refurbished in Sembcorp Marine’s Admiralty yard in Singapore before joining the P&O fleet last November.