Philippines Bets $84M on New Manila Terminal Built for Mega-Ships

Manila is one step closer to the construction phase of a new cruise port project that will finally allow more ships to sail to the Philippines.

The cruise port in Manila, Philippines, has welcomed ships from Royal Caribbean, Carnival Cruise Line, and Norwegian Cruise Line in the past. But those visits have been few and far between.

The reason? Manila doesn’t have a dedicated terminal built for modern cruise ships.

Vessels have historically had to use the city’s busy industrial cargo port at Pier 15, where larger ships put a real strain on the port’s infrastructure.

Past Visitors to Manila

When big ships do visit, they make headlines, and they also highlight the current limitations of the port.

Back in June 2018, Royal Caribbean’s Ovation of the Seas made history as the largest cruise ship to ever call at any Filipino port. Carrying nearly 5,000 passengers and over 1,500 crew members, the Quantum-class vessel proved the demand was real.

But it also showed how difficult it was to process that many guests through a working cargo pier. The port just wasn’t built for this kind of passenger traffic.

Mainstream lines have visited Manila occasionally since then, but mostly as special stops or repositioning routes.

Here are a few times mainstream cruise lines have stopped by Manila:

• Carnival Cruise Line: Carnival Panorama made history on October 18, 2024, when the 4,000-passenger vessel made the brand’s first-ever visit to Manila during a 25-day transpacific voyage.
• Norwegian Cruise Line: NCL brought Norwegian Jewel to Manila in November 2023 for a full turnaround sailing, though disembarkation logistics through the commercial port caused a few traffic bottlenecks.
• Royal Caribbean: Returned in March 2024 with Serenade of the Seas during its Ultimate World Cruise that made all those headlines on TikTok and Facebook. At 90,000 gross tons, it was roughly half the size of Ovation.

The $84 Million Solution

In a few years we could see a lot more ships visiting Manila.  Plans are moving forward on a 5 billion Philippine peso (around $84 million USD) dedicated cruise hub capable of hosting up to four cruise ships at once.

The project will move cruise operations completely out of the commercial cargo area and over to Entertainment City at the end of Aseana Avenue.

The site sits right next to major resort complexes like Solaire and Okada Manila, and it is located roughly 10 minutes from Ninoy Aquino International Airport.

Early plans for the new hub include:

• Four Berths: Space designed to dock four large cruise ships simultaneously.
• Deeper Waterways: A designated navigational channel spanning 1 kilometer wide and 15 kilometers long to accommodate larger ship drafts safely.
• An Integrated Waterfront Hub: Modeled after facilities like Hong Kong’s Ocean Terminal, pairing passenger halls with dining, retail, and entertainment spaces.

Becoming a True Homeport

The main goal of the new facility is converting Manila into a major regional homeport where cruises will start and end. That would be huge both for the city and for cruise passengers wanting more unique sailings out of Asia, giving Singapore a run for its money.

Speaking to The Philippine Star, Philippine Ports Authority (PPA) General Manager Jay Santiago highlighted why the location is critical for cruise lines:

“The site is nearer the airport, and what we want to do is when the project is finished, we want to market Manila as a home port for cruise ships. Tourists can fly to Manila to hop on a cruise trip, and they can also fly out of Manila if the cruise trip ends here,” Santiago told The STAR back in May.

The PPA is finalizing a 25-year lease agreement with the Philippine Reclamation Authority for the property, with groundbreaking targeted for late 2026.

According to reporting from CruiseMapper, the PPA will oversee initial development before partnering with private port operators for daily management.

Once operational, the hub should finally give mega-ships from Royal Caribbean, Carnival, and NCL a home in the Philippines and hopefully open up new itineraries for the region.