Singapore - easy city access?

[Nemanoxer]

Hi fellow cruisers.

 

Can anyone comment on how easy or not easy it is to get from a cruise ship in Singapore cruise port to downtown?

 

Thank you for any constructive input.

[hallasm]

From which Cruise terminal -Singapore Cruise centre at The Sentosa Harbourfront or Marina Bay Cruise centre.

[Nemanoxer]

Marina Bay Cruise Centre as far as I am informed @hallasm

[timtam2]

Super easy. Taxis and buses outside the exit of the terminal and the Marina South Pier MRT station is a very short walk away.

[Nemanoxer]

I am just trying to figure out which sights I can do while ship serves as hotel in port without having to book an excursion.

 

Looks like Gardens By The Bay is very close to MBCC. But Street View does not show any footpath? Is anything near the MBCC walkable?

 

Seems a lot of the main sights are near MBCC, that´s nice.Glad it´s another six months time for planning 😄

[Justpackingmybags]

16 hours ago, Nemanoxer said:

I am just trying to figure out which sights I can do while ship serves as hotel in port without having to book an excursion.

 

Looks like Gardens By The Bay is very close to MBCC. But Street View does not show any footpath? Is anything near the MBCC walkable?

 

Seems a lot of the main sights are near MBCC, that´s nice.Glad it´s another six months time for planning 😄

I’d walk to the MRT station and head out from there. It’s super hot and humid so the MRT makes life a lot easier! Gardens by the Bay is super, and around the Marina Bay Sands Hotel area there is plenty to see if you only have a limited time. How long will your ship actually be in port? If it’s overnight you’ll be able to get around easily.

[Nemanoxer]

I will have two full days in port @Justpackingmybags

Also will have two more days in SIN before I board the ship.

[Justpackingmybags]

24 minutes ago, Nemanoxer said:

I will have two full days in port @Justpackingmybags

Also will have two more days in SIN before I board the ship.

You’re going to be able to see plenty in that time. Make sure you keep hydrated!

[Mrs f.]

Certain subway stations sell a $10pp pass good for all day. We bought enough for the days we were in Singapore and just kept hopping on and off the subway....we stayed after cruise at the Hilton in Little India.we went to Gardens by the Bay...you want to be there when it gets dark because of the musical trees.  We also took a boat ride that starts at Hooters and goes past several interesting sites.  Definitely go to the shopping area

[IWantToLiveOverTheSea]

I've been doing a lot of research.  Please check this, but from what I've read, there are a few ways to leave the cruise terminal area (Marina Bay) and go see some sights.  Gardens by the Bay has plenty of walkways inside the area, but it's a large area and first you'll need to get to it.  The brown "Thompson East Coast" MRT (subway line) goes closest (to the stop called Gardens by the Bay), which I believe might be an end stop.  But there's also a stop called Bayfront that is served by 2 MRT lines (Downtown & Circle) on the other side of the Gardens.  Gardens by the Bay are free unless you want to go into the Cloud Forest or another of the buildings there, which I think are around $20.  The area of "Marina Bay" is a good place in which to just walk around, along the waterfront. You'll see things like the pretty impressive Marina Bay Sands Hotel, Merlion, Art/Science building (flower shaped), Singapore Flyer wheel, etc.   And Chinatown and Little India are good places if you want to see lots of temples & atmosphere. 

 

Since you're there at night, you should try to see the light show at the Supertree Grove in Gardens of the Bay.  There's also a Spectra Light show too, on the water.  

 

The cruise port is located near the Marina South Pier station, which is on the red North South line.  Here's some draft information about the situation at the port about getting from the city to the port: 

 

Port (directions from city if walking

Option 1: Board train along the East-West Line towards Pasir Ris or towards Downtown Station if coming from Downtown Line. Alight at Tanjong Pagar exit C or Downtown exit C. Board bus 402 at bus stop, near International Plaza (03223) or near Marina Bay Financial Centre (03391).  Alight Marina Bay Cruise Centre.  Option 2: Board train along NS line towards Marina Bay. Alight Marina S Pier Station, walk 600m 0.37 mi. along sheltered way to Cruise Centre.

Address 61 Marina Coastal Drive, info mbccs.com.sg. Recommend taxi to port to embark as MRT a little walk away, rain happens, hot, walking with bags rough. But going back out is public bus 400 to CBD starts 6, runs until 11:45p daily. Bus stop at coach bay at Level 1, single fare S$1.40 to S$2. Have exact fare; no change. In city, catch 400 at Tanjong Pagar Station (exit C) or Downtown Station (stop DT 17 “opposite DT station”, then exit C). 

 

You could also check a fairly new website called "Docked Discoveries" for info on various ports (Asia, City/States section).

 

Hope this isn't too confusing.  But at least it might give you some ideas. Best subway map I've found is here: https://mrtmapsingapore.com/   

 

Taxis are plentiful, I hear.  The heat/humidity is crushing. The city is quite colorful.  Enjoy!

[IWantToLiveOverTheSea]

Looking at the Metro map (MRT), on a day in Singapore, I'd probably walk to the Marina South Pier MRT station (red North South line).  I'd take it one stop and get off at the Marina Bay stop of the brown Thompson East Coast line.  Then I'd take that line one stop to the Gardens by the Bay station, get off, and head toward the Supertree Grove in the middle of the Gardens.  (I'm not sure if there are multiple exits, and if so, which one is closest to the Gardens.  But I know you'll want to go west.)

 

From the cruise port & Marina South Pier station, it looks like it would be relatively easy to just take the red North South line a couple stops up to Raffles Place or go one stop to Marina Bay stop and connect to Circle line in the direction of Harbour Front (west a ways), go 2 stops and get off at Promenade stop.

 

[IWantToLiveOverTheSea]

Bus from port to Gardens by the Bay: Walk to Marina South Pier MRT station.  Opposite station is bus stop for bus 400 bus.  (Make sure you're on correct side of Marina Coastal Drive to go to Gardens by the Bay.)  Bus runs every 30 minutes to the main road on east side of Gardens of the Bay.  Get off at either stop known as  "Before the Gardens" or the other "After the Gardens" stop.  Walk into the Gardens.  Bus starts 7 am or so & runs until 11 pm or so.   

[shecritic]

On 8/11/2023 at 3:50 PM, Nemanoxer said:

Hi fellow cruisers.

 

Can anyone comment on how easy or not easy it is to get from a cruise ship in Singapore cruise port to downtown?

 

Thank you for any constructive input.

It's easy and convenient. The Singapore Cruise Centre is a major cruise terminal located at HarbourFront, and the Marina Bay Cruise Centre is another terminal option. 

[agape01]

You can get more information about sights about my country from this thread which was asked earlier.

Also want to mention if there is anything in there that you are wondering about, please do reach out to ask.
 

 

Edited August 15, 2023 by agape01

[We-R-Off]

On 8/15/2023 at 2:26 PM, agape01 said:

You can get more information about sights about my country from this thread which was asked earlier.

Also want to mention if there is anything in there that you are wondering about, please do reach out to ask.
 

 

The Gardens are amazing both in the day or at night & very accessible from the cruise port.  China Town is always interesting.  We enjoyed walking around the Warfs which have lovely restaurants.

The Botanical gardens are very beautiful but if you are pushed for time, don't bother because the Gardens at the Bay are just amazing.

If you want a touch of decedance, enjoy afternoon tea at the famous Raffles Hotel.  There is a dress code & punctuality is critical.  It's a bit expensive but a little bit of extravagance at this unique hotel is quite special.  It is the home of the Singpore cocktail.

[Nemanoxer]

I feel like there will be a lot of preparing to do before I go in February.

 

Let alone all the vaccinations my physician wants to shoot into me before I go.

[agape01]

1 hour ago, We-R-Off said:

The Gardens are amazing both in the day or at night & very accessible from the cruise port. 

I would like to point out that it is possible to walk to the closest MRT station which is Marina South Pier station. However,  the walk between the cruise port to the station is about 800m or around 875 yards. The most convenient and easiest way but not the cheapest is to take a cab from there to where ever you wish to go. 

[IWantToLiveOverTheSea]

I'm not big on taxis (not sure why, just that I'm not).  However, part of the reason tends to be price.  But from what I've read, it seems like it's not too expensive to take a taxi around the general area of what might be considered center city.  Can anyone offer me a guess as to how much it would cost to go from, for example, to the Gardens or the Cruise Port from a hotel located in Chinatown (1900 Hotel, located on Mosque Street, near an MRT station, though I forget which one!)  And will most taxis take credit card payments, even if it's a fairly short trip?  And what about a taxi from say, the Gardens to the Rain Vortex at Jewel?  About how much might that cost?

[Justpackingmybags]

A lot of taxis will take credit cards. Last time I visited the driver was surprised when I paid cash!  Jewel is right out by the airport and a taxi journey will take about 30 minutes and will cost anywhere between 25-40 Singapore $, depending on the traffic. 
Everywhere you’ve described can be accessed easily on the MRT which is clean, easy and reliable. I can’t give you an idea on short taxi journey costs - I tended to walk everywhere 

[We-R-Off]

We used the MRT & buses too.  We only used a taxi to the airport but I don't remember the cost.

MRT travel is so clean & accessible.  I think you have much more interesting experiences travel on local transport.

[agape01]

In regards to this topic about cab fares in Singapore, I'd just want to point out that all fares are regulated by the Land Transport Authority which is a government agency.

The following link would give you the cost of how much it would be from point A to point B.

 

https://www.gobytaxi.com/asia/singapore?gclid=Cj0KCQjw6KunBhDxARIsAKFUGs9Gs-YpzWO_m71cukxsY5uY2PRsJn0a2ewYv_NYSg0t40uhHWKw8ikaAnB1EALw_wcB

The following link is one of the cab operators in the country where it will show you the cost break down.

https://www.cdgtaxi.com.sg/ride-with-us/fares/

Hope it helps.

[IWantToLiveOverTheSea]

Thank you, agape01 and others - very helpful!  

[Appleshaw1]

We will be in Singapore after our cruise at the beginning of December. Hoping to experience the Hawkers markets. Will we need cash or do most vendors accept credit cards. Thank you

[Justpackingmybags]

3 hours ago, Appleshaw1 said:

We will be in Singapore after our cruise at the beginning of December. Hoping to experience the Hawkers markets. Will we need cash or do most vendors accept credit cards. Thank you

Everywhere’s pretty high tech in Singapore, but I’d still take some Singapore Dollars for the odd place that isn’! 
I’ve used a mixture of both, never had any issues 

[NorthernJoey]

You'll be alright using card but especially smaller vendors prefer cash. So, card + go to an ATM and get some SGD