Faster and More Comfortable Ferries to Bintan

Earlier this week, Bintan Resort Ferries (BRF) held a naming ceremony for the two latest additions to its ferry fleet.

The two new ferries - the Wan Seri Beni and the Wan Sendari - which are named after two prominent queens in Malay Srivijaya history, will reduce the traveling time between Singapore and Bintan to just 45 minutes, compared to a previous time of close to one hour.

The new ferries were built by established Dutch ship maker, Damen Shipyards Gorinchem at a cost of Sin$31 million. They can cruise at a speed of over 37 knots compared to the current ferries’ speed of about 28 knots.

The ferries also feature the latest wave interceptor hardware which will help to reduce excessive rocking and maintain stability in choppy seas or high waves, providing for a smoother ride.

Each ferry has a total capacity of 300 seats of which 243 are allocated for economy seats while the remainder form a new seating category called the “Emerald Class” on the exclusive upper deck.

Passengers taking the Emerald Class service will not need to stand in queue for immigration clearance upon arrival in Bintan as staff have been specially assigned to handle the process while passengers wait in comfort in the Bintan Executive lounge.

In addition, the new ferries feature a dedicated luggage compartment, sophisticated bridge equipment and night vision capabilities to enhance the safety of passengers.

“The investment in our new ferries reflects our commitment towards growing and developing Bintan Resorts as an attractive tourist and investment destination. These ferries build on the numerous new initiatives that we have undertaken to date to attract and support new investments, particularly for our Lagoi Bay Development. We have put in new infrastructure and amenities on the island such as a reservoir park, new dining and recreation outlets in the township and a resort centre, to name but a few,” said BG (Ret) Chin Chow Yoon, Chairman Bintan Resort Ferries who is also the Executive Chairman of Bintan Resorts International.

“With these new ferries, visitors can enjoy a complete Bintan experience from the moment they step foot on the ferry where they can travel in comfort and enjoy a smooth hassle-free immigration and customs clearance in Bintan. The experience then continues upon their arrival in the resort of their choice.” BG Chin added.

Since its inception in 1994, BRF has grown to cater to an increasing number of visitors to Bintan Resorts. In 2008, Bintan Resorts welcomed close to 400,000 visitors and to date, BRF has transported more than 3.6 million international passengers to Bintan Resorts.

In 2015, the number of visitors is expected to reach about one million annually as more hotel rooms and amenities are introduced in Bintan Resorts as part of the recently launched Lagoi Bay Development.

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