Hong Kong welcomes 100,000 visitors this month on 20 cruise ships, as Serenade of the Seas arrives for first-time visit
Two of the four cruise ships, German vessel Mein Schiff 5 and Royal Caribbean International’s Serenade of the Seas, will stay at Kai Tak, with the latter arriving in the city for the first time during its world tour. The other two are set to dock at Ocean Terminal in Tsim Sha Tsui.
They are among the 20 cruises either originating or stopping in the city this month, which are expected to have brought in 100,000 visitors, according to Yeung’s bureau.
Yeung said port operators, cruise lines, transport service operators and travel agencies had worked together to “tailor-make” options for passengers to get from the terminal to scenic spots and other sites in the city.
“The tourists were generally satisfied with the transport arrangement in the terminal,” he said, adding the government would continuously supervise the performance of operators.
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Last year, city authorities and port operator Worldwide Cruise Terminals, which operates Kai Tak Cruise Terminal, faced criticism over chaotic transport arrangements when Royal Caribbean International ship Spectrum of the Seas returned to Hong Kong for the first time in more than a year.
Tourists who arrived in the city in August complained of long waits for taxis and other modes of public transport, prompting immediate improvements such as temporary extra bus routes and incentives for taxi drivers that cost the government about HK$1 million.
Under the latest arrangements, six routes will be provided for visitors to travel from the terminal to different MTR stations such as Kai Tak, Kowloon Tong MTR Station, West Kowloon Express Rail Station, as well as Tsim Sha Tsui and other tourist spots.
Free shuttle buses are also available at the terminal to take passengers to the Kwun Tong Apm shopping centre, while paid routes are on offer to take visitors to areas such as Mong Kok and Causeway Bay at HK$80 and HK100 per trip, respectively.