singapore cruise news

Diamond Princess Begins Singapore Season

• December 20, 2023

The Diamond Princess has officially started its Singapore season this past week after arriving from Japan, according to a press release.

The Diamond Princess’ Singapore season includes 10- to 14-day cruises in the region from December 2023 to March 2024.

In December 2023, the Diamond Princess will sail two 10-day voyages visiting Koh Samui and Laem Chabang (Bangkok) in Thailand as well as Phu My (Ho Chi Minh City) and Da Nang in Vietnam. Guests on the cruise can celebrate Christmas Eve in Koh Samui while Christmas Day will be spent at sea.  For travelers embarking on the next cruise departing on December 26, New Year’s Eve will be celebrated in Ho Chi Minh City.

In January and February 2024, the ship will sail two fourteen-day Malaysia, Thailand and Vietnam cruises taking guests to visit Langkawi and Penang in Malaysia, as well as Phuket in Thailand. After that, the ship will sail the South China Sea, visiting Koh Samui, as well as Ho Chi Minh City and Nha Trang in Vietnam.

The sailing departing on February 6 will give guests a chance to celebrate Chinese New Year which falls on February 10 and 11, where the ship will be in Penang and Port Klang.

The Diamond Princess will conclude her Singapore season with a 13-day repositioning cruise from Singapore to Yokohama on March 5, 2024. The ship will arrive on March 18, in time for Japan’s cherry blossom season, and the start of her Japan 2024 season. 

Two other Princess Cruises ships will also visit Singapore in 2024 and 2025. The Coral Princess will sail a 33-day Southeast Asia, Hawaii and Pacific Crossing cruise from Singapore to Los Angeles in October 2024, while the Island Princess will visit Singapore on February 29, 2024, while sailing its World Cruise.

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Singapore cruise ship turns back amid COVID scare

A Singapore cruise liner returned to its port after a passenger was suspected to have COVID-19.

That’s according to Singapore’ tourism board on Wednesday, which added the 40-year-old passenger tested positive onboard the Genting-operated cruise ship, despite testing negative prior to the trip, as required in pre-departure.

The ship was a so-called 'cruise to nowhere'.

Meanwhile, the nearly 3,000 guests and crew were asked to stay in their cabins and all on-board leisure activities were suspended.

Passengers were asked to stay in their cabins until test results and contact tracing was complete.

Genting did not immediately comment.

Singapore, which has seen relatively few COVID-19 cases, last year began allowing a limited number of luxury liners to operate, but the global industry has taken a major hit amid the pandemic, with some of the earliest outbreaks found on cruise ships.

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Follow our news, recent searches, cruise ship passenger falls overboard spectrum of the seas; search underway, advertisement.

The Royal Caribbean's Spectrum of the Seas in Hong Kong in 2019. (File photo: Royal Caribbean Press Center)

Ashley Tham

SINGAPORE: A passenger of the Royal Caribbean cruise ship Spectrum of the Seas fell overboard into the Singapore Strait, said the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) on Monday (Jul 31). 

Search efforts coordinated by the Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre (MRCC) are underway. The MRCC was notified of the incident at about 7.50am on Monday while the vessel was en route to Singapore.

The MRCC has issued a navigational safety broadcast to vessels in the Singapore Strait and vessels in port to keep a lookout for the missing person and report any sightings. Details of the missing passenger were not provided. 

The Spectrum of the Seas left Singapore at 4.30pm, MPA said in a subsequent update at 11pm. Its initial statement, sent shortly after 9pm, said the ship was "currently berthed in Singapore" and "supporting with investigations".

In a statement sent at 10.30pm, Royal Caribbean International said the Spectrum of the Seas had been "cleared by authorities" and sailed as scheduled on Monday evening.

An itinerary on the Royal Caribbean website indicates a 12-night voyage to Tokyo, with stops in Vietnam and Hong Kong, starting on Jul 31.

Ship tracking website Marine Traffic showed that, as of 10.30pm, the vessel was en route to Nha Trang, Vietnam.

Royal Caribbean added that the ship's crew immediately launched a search and rescue when it was found that the person had fallen overboard.

A care team is currently offering assistance and support to the family of the missing passenger, the company said.

'I had no idea': Spectrum of the Seas passengers in the dark after person falls overboard cruise ship

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• CruiseMapper
• Cruise Ports
• Asia Cruise Ports

Cruise Port schedule, live map, terminals, news

Region Asia

Local Time 2024-03-29 11:24

Port Singapore cruise ship schedule shows timetable calendars of all arrival and departure dates by month. The port's schedule lists all ships (in links) with cruises going to or leaving from Singapore. To see the full itineraries (ports of call dates and arrival / departure times) and their lowest rates – just follow the corresponding ship-link.

Port Singapore, along with its 2 cruise terminals, also has passenger ferry terminals and drydock facilities for marine vessel refurbishments and repairs . The port is ranked world’s 2nd biggest containership cargo port (following Shanghai ). In 2013, here were handled 32,24 million TEUs (containers) - slightly behind Shanghai's 33,62 million.

Singapore City is a sovereign city-state in Southeast Asia, with total area 719 km2 (278 ml2) and population over 5,7 million. Identified as a tax haven, Singapore is a global finance, commerce and transhipment hub. The country is ranked top international-meetings city (UIA), city with "best investment potential" (BERI), most "technology-ready" nation (WEF), 2nd-most competitive country (after China), 4th-largest financial centre (after NYC, London City, Hong Kong), 11th-largest foreign exchange market, 7th-largest oil refining centre (ExxonMobil Singapore), 2nd-largest container port (after Shanghai).

Port Singapore features an excellent infrastructure, outstanding cruise facilities, strategic location. It is known as the gateway to Southeast Asia and is an ideal homeport for exotic itineraries to multiple Asian countries with convenient short-break roundtrips. Among the regularly visirted destinations are seaports and islands in Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, Vietnam.

Port's largest container terminal (COSCO-PSA / CPT) is operated by a joint venture between COSCO SHIPPING Ports (CSP) and PSA Singapore (part of PSA International Corporation). As of 2019, CPT has 5 mega-boxship berths (all automated), with annual capacity 5 million TEUs. COSCO-PSA was established in 2003. On May 13, 2019, was inaugurated Magenta Singapore Terminal - joint venture of ONE (Ocean Network Express) and PSA Singapore. The new Pasir Panjang Terminal has 4 mega-berths and combined annual capacity 4 million TEUs. The longterm ONE-PSA partnership was officially announced in December 2018.

When completed, the new Tuas Terminal (container port) will add 21 million TEUs capacity to port's current 32,3 million TEUs. This is a 3-party joint venture company (Penta-Ocean Construction, Hyundai Engineering and Construction, and Boskalis International). The project was started in 2018 and is to be built in 4 phases on 387 hectares of reclaimed land with 8,6 km wharf (constructed with 227 on-site fabricated caissons). By 2040, all Port Singapore container shipping operations will be consolidated at Tuas Terminal, which will have projected annual max TEU capacity 65 million.

Singapore cruise port

In 2017, the port handled 421 ship calls and around 1,38 million cruise passengers - an increase (over 2016) of 3% and 17% respectively.

On May 3, 2013, Carnival Corporation opened its Singapore office. With Costa Victoria and Costa Atlantica (2680-passenger), Carnival's local subsidiary company "Costa Asia" doubled its regional capacity. In 2013, Costa had a total of 125 Asian cruises with total traffic over 220,000 passengers. Costa Cruises was industry's first company to establish year-round shipping operations in Asia. On the occasion of its inaugural port call (that coincided with Carnival Asia's regional office opening), on the Atlantica ship were hosted formal reception and gala dinner events. Carnival's office houses "Carnival Asia" (managing Corporation's Asian shipping operations and market expansion). The special events on the Atlantica were attended by 300+ VIP guests, among which government officials, local dignitaries and celebrities, travel industry representatives. In May-June 2013, Atlantica sailed on 3-4-day Singapore roundtrips to Thailand and Malaysia.

On August 26, 2015, the RCI ship Legend of the Seas arrived to be once again home-ported in Singapore. The ship previously sailed on year-round roundtrip itineraries out of Port Singapore in the period 2008-2013. (statistics) in 2015, the cruise port handled a total of 385 ship calls and served over 1 million passengers. In 2015, the number of Singapore citizens departing by sea was nearly 1,754 million, which accounted for 19,2% of all outbound travelers. The increase in port calls (2013-2016 period) was over 35%, The cruise port had a combined annual growth 10,6%.

In 2016, after 10 years of absence, P&O Australia homeported a vessel in Singapore. Pacific Eden (now CMV Vasco de Gama) arrived on July 30. and operated a total of 5 roundtrips to ports in Indonesia, Cambodia, Malaysia and Thailand. The ship was based at SCC HarbourFront Terminal.

On March 20, 2016, the AIDA Cruises newest ship AIDAprima docked in Singapore (Sembawang Shipyard) during her relocation itinerary from Nagasaki to Hamburg . In June 2016, during the Ovation of the Seas maiden port call, RCI representatives announced the ship will be homeported for its 2017 season in Singapore. Adding the large-sized Ovation to Voyager of the Seas (May 2017) and Mariner of the Seas (October 2017) increases the line’s passenger capacity in Southeast Asia by 30% over 2016. Ovation added around 42,000 passengers to the cruise port's volumes. The ship operated on 3- to 5-night roundtrips to Penang (Malaysia) , Phuket and Laem Chabang (Bangkok) Thailand.

In January 2017, Dream Cruises announced that their newest ship Genting Dream (151,300 GT tons) will be homeported in Singapore in 2018. Between early December 2017 and late March 2018, the ship operated on a series of 5-night roundtrips (Sunday departures) combined with 2-night weekend mini-cruises to destinations in Strait of Malacca and Java Sea. Passengers also had the choice to combine Strait of Malacca and Java Sea voyages into a 12-night B2B cruise , with the option of spending the weekend either onboard or in a Singapore hotel. Between April and October 2018, the ship's schedule had destinations in South China Sea and Java Sea.

In July 2017, at Clifford Pier was celebrated the "Royal Caribbean Cruises Asia" company's 10th anniversary. The special ceremony was attended by over 150 VIP guests representing Asian media, government officials, RCCL travel partners. The first RCI ship homeported in Asia was Rhapsody of the Seas (2007). For season 2017-2018, RCI had scheduled its longest ship deployment in Singapore - a total of 72 roundtrip itineraries.

On January 22, 2018, at the cruise port ROyal Caribbean welcomed the company's 1 millionth passenger embarking in Singapore. The 52-yo Singaporean boarded Mariner of the Seas. At the ship's gangway, he was welcomed and cheered by RCI crew and staff. To celebrate the occasion, he was taken to the Viking Crown Lounge, where was greeted by Captain Claus Andersen. He was also presented with prize package worth of over USD 2400.

On March 5, 2018, CLIA and STB signed a 3-year partnership aimed at boosting the industry in Singapore and Southeast Asia. The project included conducting professional travel agent training in priority Asian markets (Indonesia, Malaysia, India) for improving sales skills and overall destination knowledge. The partnership leveraged CLIA's training capabilities and STB's travel agency networks.

In 2019, RCI has company's ever biggest Asian season, with 3 liners (Voyager, Quantum, Spectrum) and total 78 itineraries leaving roundtrip from Singapore. The deployment also served the planned drydocks in Singapore of Voyager OTS and Quantum OTS. Singapore as port destination is among the most attractive to Chinese travellers due to the offered numerous short-breaks (around 80% of all voyages are 3-4-night itineraries) and affordable pre- and post-cruise hotel packages.

In late-September 2017, the company FueLNG (Keppel-Shell joint venture) completed its first commercial LNG bunkering in Port Singapore. The truck-to-ship LNG ("liquefied natural gas") bunker transfer was for the vessel Floating Liquefaction. The LNG bunkering operation was carried out in the period July 22 - September 23 (2017). LNG as ship fuel completely removes SOx and soot particles and reduces NOx (85%) and CP2 emissions (20%). Asia’s first ship-to-containership LNG bunkering (in Port Singapore) was conducted on March 24, 2021. The 2020-built boxship CMA CGM Scandola (IMO 9859129, capacity 15,000 TEU-containers) was fuelled by FueLNG Bellina (Singapore’s first LNG bunkering ship) with a total of 7100 m3 of LNG.

In June 2018, a shore-to-ship drone delivery service was introduced in Port Singapore via partnership between Airbus and Wilhelmsen Ships Service. Deliveries are made to anchored ships and include mainly essential spare parts, documentation, consumables, medical supplies, water testing kits, cash. The system is based on Skyways (Airbus unmanned drones) and a pier-based command center. Delivery range is up to 3 km (2 ml) from the shoreline. A second station is positioned in Marina South, extending delivery coverage to anchored vessels.

In 2019, Princess Cruises homeported here two liners - Diamond Princess and Sapphire Princess .

Sembcorp Marine Shipyard Singapore

Singapore has one of the most booked cruise ship repair and refurbishment yards. The facility is owned and operated by Sembcorp Marine. Among shipyard's regular customers are Carnival Corporation (P&O Australia, Carnival, Holland America, Princess), RCCL (Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines), Star Clippers, also the Asian brand companies Star Cruises (Genting), Dream Cruises (Genting), Jalesh-Zen Cruises (India).

Drydock projects are handled at Sembcorp Marine's shipyards "Tuas Boulevard" and "Admiralty". Both facilities have large and deepwater drydocks with capacities to serve world's largest passenger liners . In the period 2008-2018, Sembcorp Marine was contracted for 102 cruise ship drydocking projects, averaging 10 vessels per year. In 2018 were completed 10 drydocks, in 2017 - 16, in 2016 - 9.

Provided by Sembcorp Marine services include shiprepairs, refurbishments, retrofitting, life-extension and specialized projects. Other major projects are vessel conversions and upgrades of offshore platforms, gas carriers, cruise ships, ferries , mega-yachts, oil tankers, containerships, cargo carriers. Shiprepair services include afloat and emergency repairs, underwater repairs, hull cleaning, engine maintenance and repairs, electrical-instrumentation-mechanical repairs, pipe and steelworks, tank cleaning, waste disposal, equipment and specialists providers, staging works, towage.

In May 2019, Sembcorp Marine completed the construction of SSCV Sleipnir - world's biggest/strongest semi-submersible crane vessel. It features two revolving cranes (with combined lifting capacity 20,000 tons / 10K tons each), lifting height 175 m (574 ft), reinforced deck area sized 220x102 m (722x335 ft) and 400 berths (personnel). This is also world's first dual-fuel SSCV (semi-submersible crane vessel) which engines are fueled by both MGO (marine gasoil) and LNG (liquefied natural gas). The SSCV was designed for assembly works at offshore platforms (oil-gas-wind turbines) and also vessel decommissioning projects. It was built at Sembcorp's Tuas Boulevard Yard for Heerema Marine Contractors (HMC) - 1948-founded company, subsidiary of Heerema International Group Services SA. SSCV Sleipnir's construction involved 3700 workers (single-shift).

Fly-cruises from Singapore

On August 17, 2015, RCI-Royal Caribbean International signed with STB (Singapore Tourism Board, under Singapore's Ministry of Trade and Industry) and CAG (Changi Airport Group, Singapore airport operations and management) a multi-million dollar marketing campaign to promote cruise vacations on Singapore-homeported ships. The campaign targeted RCI's overseas customers with Singapore fly-cruise deals from USA, Australia and Europe. Campaign's period was 2015-2018, with estimated over 170,000 international passengers flying to Singapore on RCI fly-cruises. The projected Asian market growth was over 50% as the series of marketing campaigns also targeted Asian passengers (flying from India, Indonesia, Malaysia, China, Taiwan, Japan, South Korea).

• For the period 2015-2018, RCI also increased its Singapore roundtrips to over 40 per year. To attract more fly-cruise passengers, many itineraries were longer (7- to 15-days). In April 2016, Tiger Airways was included in Marina Bay terminal's fly-cruise program, with flights from Changi Airport. Cruise terminal's other airline partners are Air China, China Eastern, China Southern, Qantas, Silk Air, Singapore Airlines.
• On March 6, 2017, Royal Caribbean signed a marketing partnership to increase RCI flight-and-cruise deals to Singapore. The market was estimated at over USD 26 million annually. The partnership was between RCCL, Changi Airport and Singapore Tourism Board. It promoted itineraries out of Singapore on the RCi ships Ovation OTS and Voyager OTS . For the period March-June 2017, the number of flight-cruise tourists to Singapore was around 45,000. On March 6, Ovation OTS docked at Marina Bay Terminal for the very first time.
• In November 2019, RCI signed a 5-year partnership deal (until 2024) with STB and CAG for promoting fly-cruises to Singapore on the homeported here Quantum OTS , with expected ~623,000 international tourists spending ~USD 430+ million on flight+cruise packages. This is ~60% growth in comparison to the previous tripartite partnership (2015-2018) here was homeported Mariner OTS .

In October 2018, Costa Cruises signed a separate tripartite agreement with STB and CAG. The Costa-Singapore deal was for 2019-2022 and targeting over 100,000 international tourists.

Singapore's Changi Airport is connected with direct flights to 320+ cities worldwide. Operating around 6700 flights weekly, the airport is among Asia's major fly-cruise travel hubs. In 2019, Changi Airport launched an intermodal luggage transfer service (from the airport directly to the ship) for fly-cruisers arriving in Singapore and boarding here cruise ships and ferries. This service benefits mainly tourists arriving from China, India and Southeast Asia.

In April 2020 was signed a USD 10 million partnership between EMA (Energy Market Authority) and Keppel O&M (Offshore & Marine) for developing (and completion by 2023) a floating Energy Storage System. The project is based on Keppel’s "Floating Living Lab" (7,5 MW lithium-ion battery power storage) with daily capacity to power 600+ 4-room apartments.

Cruise itineraries to and from Singapore

Follows a list of destinations visited by cruise ships leaving out of Singapore

• World Cruises - around the world voyages starting in Europe or Australia often visit Singapore and also offer world cruise segments with departures from Singapore (to Europe, China, India, Dubai, etc).
• Mini Cruises (to Thailand, Hong Kong , Vietnam, Malaysia, Indonesia) are generally booked as short-breaks (or shopping vacations). Most mini cruise deals from Singapore (with regularly scheduled departures) are offered by local Asian companies.
• The list of visited Southeast Asia mainland and island destinations includes Taiwan, Vietnam, Thailand, Cambodia, Malaysia, Indonesia. Luxury ships may also visit the Philippines.
• On westbound World Cruise segments from Singapore, the itineraries visit ports in India, Sri Lanka, UAE, Oman, Jordan, Egypt (with Suez Canal transition ), Mediterranean ports (in Greece, Italy, Spain, France, etc).
• Repositioning cruises - Asia to Australia, Australia to Asia, Asia to Europe are all via Suez Canal.
• Repositioning – cruise itineraries to Australia from Singapore usually end in Fremantle-Perth , Brisbane or Sydney . These are seasonally offered deals on ship relocation routes and often include stops in Indonesia. Most Australia-Asia voyages are on P&O and Princess ships.
• Among the cruise lines operating to and from Singapore are Resorts World Cruises , Costa Asia, Carnival Asia (P&O Australia, Princess), Royal Caribbean Asia, Celebrity, Holland America, NCL-Norwegian, TUI.

"Project Orient Limited" (POL) plans to build two ocean cruise liners for a regular passenger shipping service between Europe/UK and Australia ( Southampton - Sydney ). The scheduled itinerary will be 26 days in one direction (Southampton to Sydney, and the reverse Sydney to Southampton). The included ports of call are Fremantle (at the 20-day mark), also Dubai, Mumbai (India) and Singapore. Each of the STX France-built ships will be 200,000 GT tons and with capacity 1600 pax. The expected cruise pricing starts from around GBP 2900 per person (one-way).

Cruises to Nowhere from Singapore

In early-October 2020, Singapore Tourism Board (STB) started developing new health and safety protocols to allow cruises to nowhere - itineraries leaving roundtrip from Singapore and with no call ports along the route.

The new proposal came after Singapore Airlines announced in September that they would offer 3-hour "flights to nowhere" (sightseeing roundtrips) from Singapore's Changi Airport. However, Singapore Airlines later canceled the program due to active criticism from local environmental campaigners.

STB hired DNV-GL (Hovic Norway-based risk management company and accredited registrar and classification society) to create a compliance and certification scheme to help passenger shipping companies who want to restart voyages out of Port Singapore as the country was still in lockdown due to the Coronavirus crisis.

STB's Regional Director of the Americas (Rachel Loh) advised that the companies (ship operators and shipowners) would need to pass an audit for certification to return to cruising plus the ships would be allowed to accommodate only 1/2 of their max passenger capacity for the first 3 months of operation.

There is no official date for when "Singapore cruises to nowhere" will commence but all operators homeporting in Singapore were eager to restart operations after voluntarily ceasing voyages since March 2020.

Singapore cruise terminal

Newest Singapore cruise port terminal is officially named "Marina Bay Cruise Centre Singapore" (abbrev MBCCS). Aka "International Cruise Terminal", the facility is located next to Marina South Pier.

• port address - "Herbert Walker Avenue, Singapore SO15 1, United Kingdom"
• UN-LOCODE (United Nations location code) - SGSIN
• developer - Singapore Tourism Board
• operator - SATS-Creuers Cruise Services
• supported by excellent rail and air infrastructure
• deep water channel and berths
• sheltered harbor area
• access unrestricted by tides
• The cruise port is accessible the whole year round - 24/7, 365 days a tear.

Currently, MBCCS terminal has 1 pier with 2 berths, docking capacity two 220,000-ton liners (simultaneously) and max passenger capacity 6800 (at a time).

Other signature facilities in Singapore Harbor (some still under construction) are Marina Bay Financial Centre (abbrev MBFC /3 office towers, 2 residential towers, 1 retail space), Marina Bay Sands (casino property developed by Las Vegas Sands), Singapore Flyer (giant Ferris wheel), Esplanade Park (waterfront area overlooking Singapore River), Gardens by the Bay (nature park of 101 hectares / 250 acres).

Marina Bay Cruise Centre (International Cruise Terminal)

The Singapore's Marina Bay Cruise Centre  (aka International Cruise Terminal, abbrev MBCCS) is a new cruise ship terminal located next to Marina South Pier. At construction cost USD 500 million, the terminal's constructing project started in October 2009 and was completed on 22nd May, 2012.

The first cruise ship to visit the new terminal was the Royal Caribbean's Voyager of the Seas (calling on May 26, 2012). The new terminal's opening ceremony was on October 22, 2012.

• Singapore cruise port can accommodate vessel with LOA length up to 1180 ft (360 m), draft up to 38 ft (11.5 m) and GT tonnage (volume) up to 220,000 tons. The passengers capacity is 6800. Operator of Singapore cruise port (Marina Bay Cruise Centre Singapore ) is SATS-Creuers Cruise Services.
• Singapore Cruise Centre is located 10-min away from MBCCS. MBCCS (the old Singapore cruise port) was expanded in 2008. It is next to Vivo City and 20-min away from Singapore Changi International Airport.
• Cruise ship terminal (dock) address: "61 Marina Coastal Drive, Singapore 018947 , Singapore"
• Terminal building address: "Singapore Cruise Centre, 2 Maritime Square, Singapore 099255"
• canal (berth) length - 360 m (1180 ft)
• max allowed draft - 11,5 m (38 ft)
• max GRT tonnage - 220,000 tons (the world's biggest cruise ships)
• terminal area size - 120 x 335 m (390 x 1100 ft)
• terminal area space - 28,000 m2 (300,000 ft2), approx 3 football fields
• The new terminal is expected to serve over 1,5 million cruise passengers per year.
• MBCCS has an amazing architectural design by RSP Architects Planners and Engineers Bermello, Ajamil and Partners. The arrival and departure halls are spacious and lively, the roofscape resembles waves that are breaking in the shore. The panels of glass and aluminium are alternating along the terminal length.
• terminal features - arrival/departure hall, GTA (ground transportation area), design (angular form, aluminium/glass panels, multi-dimensional roof /changing it shape as the cruise ship approaches).
• Sea waves break form at the terminal-GTA junction. Broken waves slide up the shore over the ground transportation area. The waves breaking point is the point of separation between the GTA and the cruise terminal. This area is the main entrance to the terminal.

In October 2018, MBCCS revealed its plans to use “Smart Terminal Solution” technology to better handle the increasing passenger and ship traffic. By year 2035,  Southeast Asia is expected to receive up to 4,5 million cruise passengers annually.  The new technology manages big data by using  smart sensors, central command-and-control system, and video analytics, and offers:

• Improved tourist experience via video analytics (enabling system-assisted decision-making). Strategic terminal locations (check-ins and baggage area) benefit from smart sensors providing real-time monitoring of passenger traffic to detect congestions.
• Better resource planning via processing info on passenger demographics, homeport and itinerary length to better service ship calls via predictive analytics.
• Quick response to accidents via apps allowing terminal staff to upload photos and create accident fact report through mobile phones.
• Enhanced surveillance via digital maps for quick access to real-time CCTV footages.
• Improved baggage tagging accuracy via passports scanning.

Cruise ship terminal directions and parking

Singapore has an excellent MRT (subway system) with numerous stations.

• The port is located some 10 min drive away from Marina Bay Cruise Centre and some 20 min from Changi Airport (one of the largest in Southeast Asia and also one of world's busiest).
• Parking space (carpark and bus bay area) are sized 32,000 m2 (340,000 ft2) with max capacity of 6800 passengers.
• By rail - the nearest station is Marina South Pier and also the scheduled for opening in 2021 "Marina South MRT".
• By bus - Service 402 stops by the cruise terminal from Marina Bay station covering the first 20 bus stops.

In Singapore Harbor are located HarbourFront Terminal (Marina Bay Cruise Centre), and also Tanah Merah Ferry Terminal and Pasir Panjang Ferry Terminal. The cruise terminal is located close to signature attractions, including:

• Sentosa Island - beaches, swimming with dolphins, live shows, indoor skydiving, segways
• Resorts World Sentosa - Maritime Experiential Museum & Aquarium
• Maritime Square - retail shopping (including at Vivo City mall housing multiple luxury, name-brand boutiques)
• There is a cable car to Sentosa Island.

Marina Bay Sands: the second integrated resort in Singapore. Take the sampan ride or try the unique restaurants (with top celebrity chefs like Justin Quek and Wolfgang Puck).

Double helix bridge at Marina Bay: famous architectural wonder, not just a bridge. This favorite photo spot is located next to the Marina Bay floating platform and the Youth Olympic Park. It is breathtaking in the night with its various moods of lighting.

Universal Studios Singapore: the first themed park in Singapore. Enjoy trilling entertainment time – walk along the Hollywood Boulevard, meet the famous Shrek or visit Jurassic Park.

Night Safari: thrilling experience. It has won eight times the Singapore Tourism Board’s Best Visitor Attraction Experience.

St James Power Station: the best place to have a party, choose between nine place or visit all.

Singapore Flyer: the largest observation wheel in the world. The height of Singapore Flyer in 165 m and its building cost is S$240 million. You will enjoy stunning views of the Marina Bay, the Padang, the Raffles Place, Empress Place and the Singapore River.

Marina Barrage: located at the city heart, a reservoir with fresh water and the favorite area for water sports enthusiasts. Great place for picnic, it is not unusual to see just married couples to take photos.

Art galleries: located in Tanjong Pagar Distripark, right to the docks.

Singapore tours, shore excursions, hotels

City tours and shore excursions.

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The Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore collapses, 6 feared dead

Jonathan Franklin

Jason Breslow

Rachel Treisman

Ayana Archie

In an aerial view, the cargo ship Dali sits in the water after running into and collapsing the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore on Tuesday. Tasos Katopodis/Getty Images hide caption

In an aerial view, the cargo ship Dali sits in the water after running into and collapsing the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore on Tuesday.

At least six people are presumed dead following the collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore early Tuesday morning, officials said.

The bridge fell into the Patapsco River after it was struck by a nearly 1,000-foot-long container ship, sending several people plunging into the frigid waters below.

During a news update Tuesday evening, the U.S. Coast Guard told reporters they are ending an active search and rescue operation for the six people left unaccounted for at 7:30 p.m. local time.

Rear Adm. Shannon Gilreath said that based on the length of time since the bridge collapsed and the water temperatures, they don't believe that search teams are going to find any of these individuals still alive.

More from WYPR in Baltimore:

• Construction worker says friends, colleagues missing in bridge collapse
• Federal government pledges full support to rebuild FSK bridge, reopen port

For the latest from member station WYPR in Baltimore head to wypr.org

Gilreath told reporters that the Coast Guard is not leaving, but is going to "transition to a different phase."

The recovery phase will begin at 6 a.m. local time Wednesday when divers will begin searching for remains of all missing victims , Gilreath said.

Col. Roland L. Butler, Jr., Secretary of Maryland State Police, told reporters the conditions have changed and made it dangerous for first responders and divers to be in the water.

He emphasized that police will still have surface ships out in the water overnight.

"We're hoping to put those divers in the water and begin a more detailed search to do our very best to recover those six missing people," Butler said.

The collision set off a rapid search-and-rescue operation. Eight people from a construction crew that was working to repair potholes on the bridge are thought to have fallen into the water, Maryland Transportation Secretary Paul Wiedefeld told reporters.

Authorities did not believe any drivers were submerged in their cars, Wiedefeld said.

The bridge collapsed instantly

Eyepress/Reuters

The bridge, which is part of Interstate 695, collapsed around 1:30 a.m. when it was struck by a massive cargo vessel named the Dali. Dramatic video of the collision shows the hulking ship–the length of more than three football fields– slamming into one of the bridge's pillars, and then an expanse of the bridge falling into the water instantly.

The Dali, a Singapore-flagged ship, had left Baltimore at 1 a.m. and was bound for Colombo, Sri Lanka, according to Marine Traffic , a maritime data site.

The Picture Show

Photos: baltimore's key bridge collapses; search and rescue efforts continue.

Synergy Marine Group, the company that manages the ship, said in a statement that all 22 crew members are accounted for and that there were no injuries resulting from the crash. The company also said there was no pollution to the water.

In a briefing for the media, Moore said the crew of the container ship had notified authorities about a power outage onboard shortly before the collision. The crew notified authorities of "a power issue," Moore said, confirming earlier reports that they had lost power on the ship.

The ship was traveling at approximately 8 knots when it hit the bridge, Moore said. In the immediate aftermath of the collision, officials feared motorists might be submerged in the river, but Moore said that a mayday signal was issued with enough time for authorities to stop the flow of traffic coming over the bridge.

A collapsed section of the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore is seen in the waters of the Patapsco River. The bridge collapsed early Tuesday after it was struck by a 984-foot-long cargo ship. Win McNamee/Getty Images hide caption

A collapsed section of the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore is seen in the waters of the Patapsco River. The bridge collapsed early Tuesday after it was struck by a 984-foot-long cargo ship.

"I have to say I'm thankful for the folks who once the warning came up, and once notification came up that there was a mayday, who literally by being able to stop cars from coming over the bridge, these people are heroes. They saved lives," Moore said.

FBI and state officials said the preliminary investigation points to an accident and that there was no credible evidence of any terrorist attack. Moore said the Francis Scott Key Bridge was fully up to code and there was no structural issue with the bridge.

"In fact, the bridge was actually fully up to code," Moore said.

The ship has had at least one previous accident

Vessel traffic in and out of the Port of Baltimore, one of the busiest on the East Coast, was suspended "until further notice," port officials announced, as search-and-rescue operations continued and the preliminary investigation into the crash was getting underway.

"This does not mean the Port of Baltimore is closed," port officials said in a statement. "Trucks are being processed within our marine terminals."

Gov. Moore declared a state of emergency and said his office was in close communication with Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg. The secretary was due to arrive in Baltimore to visit the crash site and receive updates on the investigation.

Maryland Gov. Wes Moore, left, speaks during a news conference as Sen. Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) looks on near the scene where a container ship collided with a support on the Francis Scott Key Bridge. Steve Ruark/AP hide caption

Maryland Gov. Wes Moore, left, speaks during a news conference as Sen. Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) looks on near the scene where a container ship collided with a support on the Francis Scott Key Bridge.

The National Transportation Safety Board said it will investigate what happened, announcing on X (formerly Twitter) that it was launching a "go team" to Baltimore.

Prior to the crash, the ship had completed 27 inspections, according to a database by the maritime safety site Equasis. In one inspection at a port in Chile last year, the ship was determined to have a deficiency related to "propulsion and auxiliary machinery," according to Equasis.

In 2016, an inspection found "hull damage impairing sea worthiness" after the ship hit a dock on its way out of the port of Antwerp. Video of the incident shows the stern of the ship scraping against the quay as it attempted to exit the North Sea container terminal.

The bridge is an important travel route with a deep history

Members of the National Transportation Safety Board listen to NTSB Chair Jennifer Homendy speak during a news conference near the scene where a container ship collided with a support on the Francis Scott Key Bridge, in Dundalk, Md., Tuesday, March 26, 2024. Matt Rourke/AP hide caption

Members of the National Transportation Safety Board listen to NTSB Chair Jennifer Homendy speak during a news conference near the scene where a container ship collided with a support on the Francis Scott Key Bridge, in Dundalk, Md., Tuesday, March 26, 2024.

The bridge's collapse leaves Baltimore and travelers along the East Coast without a vital transit corridor for the foreseeable future. The four-lane, 1.6-mile-long bridge carries some 11.3 million vehicles each year, according to state data, and is one of three ways to get through Baltimore on the interstate.

Reconstructing the bridge will be a "long-term build," Moore told reporters.

Speaking from the White House, President Biden said he intends for the federal government to "pay for the entire cost of reconstructing that bridge."

"We're gonna get it up and running again as soon as possible," Biden said. "Fifteen thousand jobs depend on that port, and we're gonna do everything we can to protect those jobs and help those workers."

The bridge isn't just a vital transportation route. It also has a special historical significance.

It opened to the public in March 1977, but its history goes much deeper than that. Scholars believe it stood within 100 yards of the site where its namesake, Francis Scott Key, witnessed the failed British bombardment of Fort McHenry in September 1814.

Key, an American lawyer, watched the battle from the British warship he had boarded to negotiate the release of a detained American civilian. The awe he felt at seeing the flag rise the next morning inspired him to write "Defense of Fort McHenry," which was later renamed "The Star-Spangled Banner" and became the U.S. national anthem in 1931.

Shippers are scrambling to re-route their cargo

Roughly $80 billion worth of cargo passes through the Port of Baltimore each year. But with the port's shipping channels now closed indefinitely due to the accident, shippers have been left scrambling to find alternate routes to transport their goods to and from the East Coast.

Some vessels have already been diverted to Norfolk, Va., Margie Shapiro, who runs a freight handling business in Baltimore, told NPR . Other traffic could be re-routed through New York or Philadelphia.

The Dali was being chartered by Maersk and carrying cargo for Maersk customers, the shipping giant said in a statement . The company said it would be omitting Baltimore from its services "until it is deemed safe for passage through this area."

Cargo already at the Port of Baltimore will have to travel overland, but truck traffic will also be snarled by the loss of the bridge.

"The whole ecosystem is going to be a little bit off," Shapiro said. "When the ecosystem gets messy, things get messy. Freight rates go up. The world gets a little bit chaotic."

NPR's Dave Mistich and Scott Horsley contributed to this report.

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Baltimore bridge collapse: what we know about the bridge, ship and port

Biden laments ‘terrible accident’ as six people still missing after Francis Scott Key Bridge snapped from collision with vessel

A bridge in the US city of Baltimore has snapped and collapsed after a ship collided with one of its support columns. Rescuers are searching the water for survivors and the state’s governor has declared a state of emergency.

Joe Biden has said search and rescue efforts remain a “top priority”, as six people are still missing. The president added there was no evidence the collapse of the bridge was intentional, calling it “a terrible accident”.

Here is what we know about the bridge, the ship and the port.

Baltimore’s 1.6-mile (2.57km) Francis Scott Key Bridge was built out of steel and opened in 1977. With four lanes, the bridge is part of Interstate 695 and served as a major route along the ring road that encircles the city in the US state of Maryland.

It is named after the author of the American national anthem, The Star-Spangled Banner. The Maryland governor, Wes Moore, said the bridge had been “fully up to code” before Tuesday’s collision and collapse, indicating it met safety standards.

Live video posted on YouTube showed the ship ploughing into the bridge in darkness, with its main section collapsing into the Patapsco River below.

Several vehicles fell into the water, and officials said eight construction workers assisting with a project fell off. Six people remained unaccounted for.

One official said that sonar had detected cars in the water, which is about 50ft (15 metres) deep.

The National Transportation Safety Board is dispatching a team to investigate the disastrous collapse. Andrew Barr, an expert in civil and structural engineering at the University of Sheffield, said: “The video doesn’t show any obvious structural deficiencies with the bridge, but it will not have been designed to survive a head-on collision with such a large vessel.”

Ship-tracking data showed a Singapore-flagged container ship, the Dali, at the location of the bridge where the accident occurred at about 1.30am ET (0530 GMT) on Tuesday.

The Dali, a 290-metre (948ft) cargo vessel, left Baltimore at 1am and was headed for the Sri Lankan capital, Colombo, according to the maritime data platform MarineTraffic. The shipping company Maersk said it had chartered the vessel.

The Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) confirmed that the vessel was registered in Singapore and said the agency was coordinating with the US Coast Guard and the ship’s management company to help. It also said it would investigate the incident itself.

Moore said the ship had lost power around the time it hit the bridge and the vessel’s crew had issued a “mayday” radio call. The ship then appeared to catch fire as part of the bridge collapsed over it, sending plumes of thick, black smoke into the air.

The shipping company Maersk said that it chartered the container ship in Baltimore, with the operator named as Synergy Marine Group. Maersk confirmed that there were 22 crew, and said they were all Indian. None of them were Maersk crew or personnel.

Reuters cited the manager of the ship, Synergy Marine Group, as saying the crew, including the two pilots, had been accounted for and there were no reports of injuries onboard.

Maersk added that there were 4,679 containers on board, roughly half of its 10,000 capacity.

The same vessel was also involved in a collision in 2016 in Antwerp, Belgium, according to VesselFinder and the maritime incident archive Shipwrecklog. At the time, the stern scraped the side of the quay, significantly damaging several metres of the hull. There were reportedly no injuries or adverse pollution and the weather was reported to be fine at the time. The incident was reportedly blamed on the ship’s master and pilot onboard.

The harbour is one of the busiest in the country and an important hub for shipping on the US east coast, especially in transporting road vehicles. It also handles farming, construction machinery and coal, according to a Maryland government website.

Port traffic was suspended until further notice after the bridge collapse.

Agencies contributed to this report

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Six presumed dead after cargo ship crash levels Baltimore bridge

BALTIMORE — A major Baltimore bridge collapsed like a house of cards early Tuesday after it was struck by a container ship, sending six people to their deaths in the dark waters below, and closing one of the country’s busiest ports.

By nightfall, the desperate search for six people who were working on the bridge and vanished when it fell apart had become a grim search for bodies.

“We do not believe that we’re going to find any of these individuals still alive,” Coast Guard Rear Admiral Shannon N. Gilreath said.

Jeffrey Pritzker, executive vice president of Brawner Builders, said earlier that one of his workers had survived. He did not release their names.

Up until then, Maryland Gov. Wes Moore had held out hope that the missing people might be found even as law enforcement warned that the frigid water and the fact that there had been no sign of them since 1:30 a.m. when the ship struck Francis Scott Key Bridge.

Moore expressed heartbreak after officials suspended the search for survivors.

"Our heart goes out to the families," he said. "I can’t imagine how painful today has been for these families, how painful these hours have been have been for these families."

It was a crushing blow to the loved ones of the missing men, who had waited for hours at a Royal Farms convenience store near the entrance of the bridge for word of their fate. 

Follow live updates on the Baltimore bridge collapse

The tragic chain of events began early Tuesday when the cargo ship Dali notified authorities that it had lost power and issued a mayday moments before the 984-foot vessel slammed into a bridge support at a speed of 8 knots, which is about 9 mph.

Moore declared a state of emergency while rescue crews using sonar detected at least five vehicles in the frigid 50-foot-deep water: three passenger cars, a cement truck and another vehicle of some kind. Authorities do not believe anyone was inside the vehicles.

Investigators quickly concluded that it was an accident and not an act of terrorism.

Ship was involved in another collision

Earlier, two people were rescued from the water, Baltimore Fire Chief James Wallace said. One was in good condition and refused treatment, he said. The other was seriously injured and was being treated in a trauma center.

Moore said other drivers might have been in the water had it not been for those who, upon hearing the mayday, blocked off the bridge and kept other vehicles from crossing.

“These people are heroes,” Moore said. “They saved lives.”

Nearly eight years ago, the Dali was involved in an accident. In July 2016, it struck a quay at the Port of Antwerp-Bruges in Belgium, damaging the quay.

The nautical commission investigated the accident, but the details of the inquiry were not immediately clear Tuesday.

The Dali is operated and managed by Synergy Group. In a statement, the company said that two port pilots were at the helm during Tuesday's crash and that all 22 crew members onboard were accounted for.

The Dali was chartered by the Danish shipping giant Maersk, which said it would have no choice but to send its ships to other nearby ports with the Port of Baltimore closed.

The bridge, which is about a mile and a half long and carries Interstate 695 over the Patapsco River southeast of Baltimore, was "fully up to code," Moore said.

National Transportation Safety Board Chairwoman Jennifer Homendy said that her agency will lead the investigation and that a data recorder on the ship could provide more information.

"But right now we're focusing on the people, on the families," she said. "The rest can wait."

President Joe Biden vowed to rebuild the bridge and send federal funds.

"This is going to take some time," the president warned. "The people of Baltimore can count on us though to stick with them, at every step of the way, till the port is reopened and the bridge is rebuilt."

Speaking in Baltimore, Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg echoed the president's promise.

"This is no ordinary bridge," he said. "This is one of the cathedrals of American infrastructure."

But Buttigieg warned that replacing the bridge and reopening the port will take time and money and that it could affect supply chains.

The Port of Baltimore, the 11th largest in the U.S., is the busiest port for car imports and exports, handling more than 750,000 vehicles in 2023 alone, according to data from the Maryland Port Administration.

Writer David Simon, a champion of Baltimore who set his TV crime drama "The Wire" on the streets of the city he once covered as a reporter, warned online that the people who will suffer the most are those whose livelihoods depend on the port.

"Thinking first of the people on the bridge," Simon posted on X . "But the mind wanders to a port city strangling. All the people who rely on ships in and out."

Timeline of crash

Dramatic video captured the moment at 1:28 a.m. Tuesday when the Dali struck a support and sent the bridge tumbling into the water. A livestream showed cars and trucks on the bridge just before the strike. The ship did not sink, and its lights remained on.

Investigators said in a timeline that the Dali's lights suddenly shut off four minutes earlier before they came back on and that then, at 1:25 a.m. dark black smoke began billowing from the ship's chimney.

A minute later, at 1:26 a.m., the ship appeared to turn. And in the minutes before it slammed into the support, the lights flickered again.

Maryland Transportation Secretary Paul Wiedefeld said the workers on the bridge were repairing concrete ducts when the ship crashed into the structure.

At least seven workers were pouring concrete to fix potholes on the roadway on the bridge directly above where the ship hit, said James Krutzfeldt, a foreman.

Earlier, the Coast Guard said it had received a report that a “motor vessel made impact with the bridge” and confirmed it was the Dali, a containership sailing under a Singaporean flag that was heading for Sri Lanka.

Bobby Haines, who lives in Dundalk in Baltimore County, said he felt the impact of the bridge collapse from his house nearby.

"I woke up at 1:30 this morning and my house shook, and I was freaking out," he said. "I thought it was an earthquake, and to find out it was a bridge is really, really scary."

Families of bridge workers wait for updates

Earlier in the day, relatives of the construction crew waited for updates on their loved ones.

Marian Del Carmen Castellon told Telemundo her husband, Miguel Luna, 49, was working on the bridge.

“They only tell us that we have to wait and that they can’t give us information,” she said.

Castellon said she was "devastated, devastated because our heart is broken, because we don’t know how they have been rescued yet. We are just waiting for the news."

Luna's co-worker Jesús Campos said he felt crushed, too.

“It hurts my heart to see what is happening. We are human beings, and they are my folks,” he said.

Campos told The Baltimore Banner that the missing men are from El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras and Mexico.

Active search and rescue ends

The Coast Guard said it was suspending the active search-and-rescue effort at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday.

"Coast Guard’s not going away, none of our partners are going away, but we’re just going to transition into a different phase," Gilreath said at a news conference.

Maryland State Police Superintendent Roland L. Butler, Jr., said it was moving to a recovery operation. Changing conditions have made it dangerous for divers, he said. 

Butler pledged to "do our very best to recover those six missing people," but the conditions are difficult.

"If we look at how challenging it is at a simple motor vehicle crash to extract an individual, I'm sure we can all imagine how much harder it is to do it in inclement weather, when it's cold, under the water, with very limited to no visibility," he said.

"There's a tremendous amount of debris in the water," which can include sharp metal and other hazards, and that could take time, Butler said.

'A long road in front of us'

Built in 1977 and referred to locally as the Key Bridge, the structure was later named after the author of the American national anthem.

The bridge is more than 8,500 feet long, or 1.6 miles. Its main section spans 1,200 feet, and it was one of the longest continuous truss bridges in the world upon its completion, according to the National Steel Bridge Alliance .

About 31,000 vehicles a day use the bridge, which equals 11.3 million vehicles per year, according to the Maryland Transportation Authority.

The river and the Port of Baltimore are both key to the shipping industry on the East Coast, generating more than $3.3 billion a year and directly employing more than 15,000 people.

Asked what people in Baltimore can expect going forward, the state's transportation secretary said it is too early to tell.

"Obviously we reached out to a number of engineering companies, so obviously we have a long road in front of us," Wiedefeld said.

Julia Jester reported from Baltimore, Patrick Smith from London, Corky Siemaszko from New York and Phil Helsel from Los Angeles.

Julia Jester is a producer for NBC News based in Washington, D.C.

Patrick Smith is a London-based editor and reporter for NBC News Digital.

Phil Helsel is a reporter for NBC News.

Corky Siemaszko is a senior reporter for NBC News Digital.

What we know about Baltimore’s Francis Scott Key Bridge collapse

The Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore collapsed early Tuesday after being hit by a cargo ship, with large parts of the bridge falling into the Patapsco River.

At least eight people fell into the water, members of a construction crew working on the bridge at the time, officials said. Two were rescued, one uninjured and one in serious condition, and two bodies were recovered on Wednesday. The remaining four are presumed dead. The workers are believed to be the only victims in the disaster.

Here’s what we know so far.

Baltimore bridge collapse

Baltimore’s Francis Scott Key Bridge collapsed after being hit by a cargo ship , sending at least eight people from a construction crew into the water. Follow live updates and see photos from the scene .

How it happened: The container ship lost power shortly before hitting the bridge, Maryland Gov. Wes Moore (D) said. Video shows the bridge collapse in under 40 seconds.

Victims: Divers recovered the bodies of two construction workers who died , while finding other vehicles trapped and probably containing the other victims, officials said. They were fathers, husbands and hard workers . The entire crew aboard the container ship Dali survived . First responders shut down most traffic on the four-lane bridge after the crew issued an urgent mayday call. It saved lives, Moore said.

Economic impact: The collapse of the bridge, which severed ocean links to the Port of Baltimore, adds a fresh headache to already struggling global supply chains . See how the collapse will disrupt the supply of cars, coal and other goods .

History: The Key Bridge was built in the 1970s and spanned the Patapsco River. Rebuilding the bridge will probably take years and cost hundreds of millions of dollars, experts said.

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Watch CBS News

Who owns the ship that struck the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore?

By Megan Cerullo

Edited By Anne Marie Lee

Updated on: March 26, 2024 / 5:05 PM EDT / CBS News

The collapse of  Baltimore's Francis Scott Key Bridge on Tuesday after being struck by a cargo ship has raised questions about who owns and manages the ship, as well as on the potential impact on one the busiest ports in the U.S.

Called the Dali, the 948-foot vessel that hit the bridge is managed by Synergy Marine Group, a Singapore-based company with over 660 ships under management around the world, according to its website . The group said the ship was operated by charter vessel company Synergy Group and chartered by Danish shipping giant Maersk at the time of the incident, which sent vehicles and people tumbling into the Patapsco River.

"We are horrified by what has happened in Baltimore, and our thoughts are with all of those affected," Maersk said in a statement to CBS News Tuesday, in which it also confirmed the ship was carrying cargo for Maersk customers. The company had no crew or personnel aboard the ship.

The Dali, which can carry up to 10,000 twenty-foot equivalent units, or TEUs, was carrying nearly 4,700 containers at the time of the collision. It was operated by a 22-person, Indian crew. It was not immediately clear what kind of cargo the ship was carrying. 

Who owns and manages the Dali?

The Dali is owned by Grace Ocean Private, a Singapore-based company that provides water transportation services. The ship was chartered by Danish container shipping company Maersk at the time of the collision.

Synergy Marine, founded in 2006, provides a range of ship management services, including managing ships' technical components and their crews and overseeing safety, according to S&P Capital IQ. Its parent company, Unity Group Holdings International, an investment holding company, was founded in 2008 and is based in Hong Kong.

Where was the ship headed?

The outbound ship had left Baltimore and was headed for Colombo, the capital of Sri Lanka, Synergy Marine Group said in a  press release . 

How busy is the Port of Baltimore?

In 2023, the Port of Baltimore handled a record 52.3 million tons of foreign cargo, worth $80 billion, according  to the office of Maryland Gov. Wes Moore. The port is also a significant provider of local jobs. 

The top port in the U.S. for sugar and gypsum imports, it is the ninth busiest U.S. port by the total volume and value of foreign cargo handled. All vessel traffic into and out of the facility is currently suspended, although the port remains open and trucks continue to be processed within the its terminals, according to a statement release by Port of Baltimore officials. 

What is the potential local economic impact?

Directly, the port supports 15,300 jobs, while another 140,000 in the area are related to port activities. The jobs provide a combined $3.3 billion in personal income, according to a CBS News report . The Port of Baltimore said Tuesday that it is unclear how long ship traffic will be suspended.

The disaster also caused chaos for local drivers. The Maryland Transportation Authority said all lanes were closed in both directions on I-695, with traffic being detoured to I-95 and I-895.

How could the bridge collapse affect consumers and businesses?

Experts say the bridge collapse could cause significant supply chain disruptions.

"While Baltimore is not one of the largest U.S. East Coast ports, it still imports and exports more than 1 million containers each year, so there is the potential for this to cause significant disruption to supply chains," Emily Stausbøll, a market analyst at Xeneta, an ocean and air freight analytics platform, said in a statement. 

She added that freight services from Asia to the East Coast in the U.S. have already been hampered by drought in the Panama Canal, as well as risks related to conflict in the Red Sea. Nearby ports, including those in New York, New Jersey and Virginia, will be relied on to handle more shipments if Baltimore remains inaccessible. 

Whether ocean freight shipping rates will rise dramatically, potentially affecting consumers as retailers pass along higher costs, will depend on how much extra capacity the alternate ports can handle, Stausbøll said. "However, there is only so much port capacity available and this will leave supply chains vulnerable to any further pressure."

Marty Durbin, senior vice president of policy at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, said that the bridge is a critical connector of "people, businesses, and communities."

"Unfortunately, its prolonged closure will likely disrupt commercial activities and supply chains that rely on the bridge and Port of Baltimore each day," he said in a statement.

What other industries could be affected?

Trucking companies could be severely affected by the disaster. 

"Aside from the obvious tragedy, this incident will have significant and long-lasting impacts on the region," American Trucking Associations spokesperson Jessica Gail said, calling Key Bridge and Baltimore's port "critical components'' of the nation's infrastructure.

Gail noted that 1.3 million trucks cross the bridge every year — 3,600 a day. Trucks that carry hazardous materials will now have to make 30 miles of detours around Baltimore because they are prohibited from using the city's tunnels, she said, adding to delays and increasing fuel costs.

"Time-wise, it's going to hurt us a lot," added Russell Brehm, the terminal manager in Baltimore for Lee Transport, which trucks hazardous materials such as petroleum products and chemicals. The loss of the bridge will double to two hours the time it takes Lee to get loads from its terminal in Baltimore's Curtis Bay to the BJ's gasoline station in the waterfront neighborhood of Canton, he estimated.

Cruise operators are also being affected. A Carnival cruise ship that set off Sunday for the Bahamas had been scheduled to return to Baltimore on March 31. Carnival said Tuesday it is "currently evaluating options for Carnival Legend's scheduled return on Sunday." The company also has cruises scheduled to set sail from Baltimore through the summer. 

Norwegian Cruise Line last year introduced new routes departing from the Port of Baltimore. Its sailings are scheduled for late this year. The company said the Key Bridge collapse doesn't immediately require it to reroute any ships.

Who will pay to rebuild the bridge?

President Biden said Tuesday that the federal government, with congressional support, would pay to rebuild the bridge.

"We're going to work with our partners in Congress to make sure the state gets the support it needs. It's my intention that the federal government will pay for the entire cost of reconstructing that bridge," Biden said in comments from the White House. "And I expect the Congress to support my effort. This is going take some time. The people of Baltimore can count on us though, to stick with them, at every step of the way, till the port is reopened and the bridge is rebuilt."

—The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Megan Cerullo is a New York-based reporter for CBS MoneyWatch covering small business, workplace, health care, consumer spending and personal finance topics. She regularly appears on CBS News Streaming to discuss her reporting.

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Philippines says it will not yield to submission in row with 'patronising' China

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An Israeli court on Thursday ruled that a former Mexican diplomat who has been accused of sexual abuse and rape in one of his home country's most prominent #MeToo cases is extraditable.

Bridge in US city of Baltimore collapses after ship hits it, sending vehicles into water

Six construction workers who were on a bridge in Baltimore remain missing after a container ship rammed into the bridge and sent it crashing into a river, authorities in the north-eastern US city say.

But they say more casualties were prevented after the ship sent a mayday call, prompting authorities to warn traffic not to drive onto the bridge.

Two construction workers were pulled from the water after the 2.6-kilometre Francis Scott Key Bridge collapsed into the Patapsco River in the early hours of Tuesday (local time).

Earlier reports suggested sonar technology had also detected cars in the river. But when asked if authorities believed vehicles had fallen into the water when the bridge collapsed, Maryland Transportation Secretary Paul Wiedefeld indicated only the construction crew may have been on the bridge at the time.

Governor Wes Moore said: "We're thankful that between the mayday and the collapse, that we had officials who were able to to begin to stop the flow of traffic so more cars were not on the bridge."

Baltimore Fire Department Chief James Wallace said of the two people rescued so far, one is in a serious condition and the other is not seriously injured. 

"We are still very much in an active search and rescue posture at this point and we will continue to be for some time we have a large area to search," he said.

"This includes on the surface of the water ... as well as the deck of the ship."

The governor has declared a state of emergency. 

A live video posted on YouTube showed the ship ploughing into the bridge in darkness. What appeared to be the headlights of vehicles could be seen on the bridge as it crashed down into the water and the ship caught fire. Reuters could not immediately verify the videos.

Baltimore police said they had been notified of the incident at 1:35am local time (3.35pm AEST).

Baltimore Mayor Brandon M Scott told the media: "This is an unthinkable tragedy."

"Never would you think you could see the key bridge tumble like that, it looked like something out of an action movie and you just think about… nothing but those families and people impacted and people risking their lives right now to try to save lives," he said.

"We will continue to work in partnership with every part of government to do everything that we can to get us through the other side of this tragedy."

Data from marine tracking websites show the vessel involved is the Singaporean-flagged container ship Dali, which had left Baltimore's Point Breeze before the collision occurred.

Synergy Marine Group, which owns the Dali, confirmed the ship had collided with a pillar of the bridge.

"Whilst the exact cause of the incident is yet to be determined, the Dali has now mobilised its Qualified Individual Incident response service," it said, adding that all crew members, including the two pilots who were aboard, have been accounted for and there are no reports of any injuries.

The Dali was scheduled to sail on shipping company Maersk's route to Colombo in Sri Lanka, the Danish company's website showed.

The Francis Scott Key Bridge opened in 1977 and spans the Patapsco River, a vital artery that along with the Port of Baltimore is a hub for shipping on the East Coast.

The port's private and public terminals handled 847,158 cars and light trucks in 2023, the most of any US port. The port also handles farm and construction machinery, sugar, gypsum and coal, according to a Maryland government website.

The bridge is named after the writer of the US national anthem The Star-Spangled Banner.

ABC/AP/Reuters

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