Navy ships from several nations, including Singapore, Thailand and the United States, have berthed at the pier in the past.

[2] Between 1942 and 1944, at the height of World War II, the pier was used as a submarine base by the Japanese, German and Italian navies.

The pier's heyday was abruptly ended, however, with the revocation of George Town's free port status by the Malaysian federal government in 1969.

[16] In 2017, Swettenham Pier overtook Port Klang as the busiest cruise shipping harbour in Malaysia.

[3] Plans have also been drawn up for the expansion of Swettenham Pier in the near future to accommodate larger cruise ships.