THE new cruise terminal in Marina South will be designed by the same architects who are behind a port that can accommodate the world's biggest cruise ships.

The deal to build Singapore's second cruise terminal was won by Bermello, Ajamil & Partners. It is also designing a US$37.4 million (S$51 million) expansion of a terminal in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.

The terminal in the United States will be the home port of Royal Caribbean's Genesis class of ships, the world's largest. It is designed to process over 12,000 people in eight hours, making it the biggest and most efficient terminal when completed.

The contract to build the Marina South terminal, estimated to cost between $250 million and $300 million, was awarded on Monday by JTC Corporation.

Bermello, Ajamil & Partners will be joined by local firm RSP Architects Planners & Engineers, known for such projects as the 274m bridge over Henderson Road.

Maunsell Consultants (Singapore), which did work for the Circle Line including the Nicoll Highway portion, has been appointed engineering consultant.

The Marina South facility, dubbed the International Cruise Terminal, will be Singapore's second terminal. It will address the squeeze at HarbourFront's Singapore Cruise Centre (SCC).

It will have two berths which can accommodate ships of all sizes. This is impossible at the SCC because of a height restriction due to the cable-car lines running nearby.

The Singapore Tourism Board's (STB) director for leisure planning and cruise Chew Tiong Heng said the consortium was chosen for its track record and a concept that best fitted the requirements for the new terminal.

Although architectural design was a key criterion in the contract, the STB declined to reveal more details.

Bermello, Ajamil & Partners has been involved in cruise projects worldwide, including terminals in Manhattan and Brooklyn in New York and the Dubai Maritime Centre.