Thailand-based carrier RCL is upsizing the vessels used in its Manila-Singapore service and adding Cebu to the port rotation.
In an advisory, the Thai listed carrier said vessels for its RMN service (RCL Manila- Singapore) will be upsized from the current 1,600-TEU (twenty-foot equivalent unit) capacity to a 2,000-TEU nominal-sized vessel. RCL said the RMN is currently a joint service with US carrier Atlantic Container Line (ACL) on a two-vessel, 14-day rotation, but that ACL is also phasing in a similar-sized vessel.
The maiden RMN voyage of RCL was the Meratus Java which departed Singapore on March 30 and arrived in Manila on April 6.
Aside from the vessel upsize, the service rotation will also be widened to include Cebu as a port of call, with the new rotation being Singapore, Manila (North), Cebu, and Singapore.
According to Charlie Chu, executive vice president for business of RCL, “this upsizing will cater to the growing COC (carrier-owned container) trade between South East and West Asia to the Philippines.”
“Our MLO (main line operator) and NVOCC (non-vessel operating carrier) customers have over the past year told us of their increased requirements both to and from Manila and Cebu via Singapore for both their dry and reefer trades. Together with the Philippines’ strong GDP growth of 7%, this upsizing will cater to the growing space requirements from our customers,” Chu added.
RCL owns and operates a fleet of 46 vessels with sizes ranging from 500 TEUs to 3,316 TEUs. It also has a fleet of 71,723 TEUs to support its own COC carriage. The carrier has a network of 64 offices made up of both owned and agency-partner offices.
