Wave of cruises docking in HK

Ayra Wang

Hong Kong is welcoming 17 international cruises this month - with four docking over the weekend, bringing approximately 5,400 tourists - according to the Hong Kong Tourism Board.

Celebrity Millennium, en route from Singapore to Yokohama, and Costa Serena, returning to Manila via Hong Kong, berthed at Kai Tak Cruise Terminal on Saturday. Silver Whisper and Seabourn Encore, heading to Tokyo and Kobe respectively, docked at the Ocean Terminal in Tsim Sha Tsui yesterday.

The ships carried passengers from 31 countries and regions, including the United States, Australia, the United Kingdom, Germany, Canada, the Philippines, Japan and Singapore.

Secretary for Culture, Sports and Tourism Rosanna Law Shuk-pui expressed her delight at the influx of high-value cruise passengers.

"We have arranged for them to participate in shore excursions that cover both new and historic attractions in Kowloon East, which will fully leverage the synergy between the Kai Tak Cruise Terminal and its surrounding facilities," Law said in a Facebook post yesterday.

The tour included a visit to the Kai Tak Sports Park, where the tourists enjoyed an immersive exhibition based on local blockbuster movie Twilight of the Warriors: Walled In at the Airside mall.

The exhibition, organized by the HKTB, allows visitors to experience the history of the now-demolished Kowloon Walled City through a lifelike recreation of scenes from the film.

The tourists also visited Kowloon Walled City Park, where they were shown historical relics and later indulged in Hong Kong-style egg tarts.

The journey concluded with visits to the Chilin Nunnery, a Buddhist sanctuary that replicates the traditional aesthetics of the Tang dynasty, and the Nan Lian Garden, a classical Chinese garden that offers a serene escape from the bustling city.

Briton Helen Sleiman, a first-time visitor, praised the authenticity of Kowloon City, while Maxence Lefevre from France called the exhibition a nostalgic highlight that transported visitors to the '70s and '80s.

The HKTB said three large international cruise ships - Queen Anne, Queen Elizabeth and Norwegian Sky - will dock from March 18 to 19.

Queen Anne - which has set up a gala dinner for 1,000 people at a local hotel - and Norwegian Sky will make their first visit to Hong Kong.

ayra.wang@singtaonewscorp.com