Hong Kong’s old airport, Kai Tak, whose runway provided positively hair-raising take-offs and landings, was disused in the 90s but that runway has found a new lease of life as the location for a brand-new state of the art cruise terminal due to open on the East Kowloon waterfront in Victoria Harbour on June 12th 2013 with the arrival of the Mariner of the Seas.
The new terminal, built at a cost of over US$1 bn, will be able to accommodate two mega-cruisers of 360 metres each with a combined total of 220,000 tonnes and process up to 3,000 passengers per hour. It will create around 11,000 new jobs and bring in US$2 bn a year by 2020, and one of the operators is Royal Caribbean Cruise Line who obviously have the necessary expertise in running this kind of facility.
The terminal building was designed by the famous London architect Norman Foster’s company, Foster + Partners, who are behind some of the world’s most iconic modern constructions as well as Hong Kong’s own new airport, Chek Lap Kok. A 30,000 square foot roof garden with its fantastic harbour and city views makes a great venue for events and the vast interior can also be transformed into a performance or exhibition space when required – the terminal is set to be the latest addition to Hong Kong’s growing list of sightseeing attractions in its own right.
The existing Ocean Terminal along Tsim Sha Tsui can only accommodate ships of up to 50,000 tonnes and other ships have to berth in the harbour or with container ships – so with the increased demand for berthing facilities in Hong Kong the new cruise terminal is vital to protect the port as a major Asian cruise hub. Already the domestic market for cruising out of China is predicted to rise to 2 million by 2020 and Hong Kong is ideally placed to take advantage of its strategic location at the heart of Asia with its superb existing land and air connections around the world.
If you are cruising to Hong Kong or just planning to spend time there, www.ReadyClickAndGo.com can help you design your best Hong Kong shore excursion or day tour by arranging a local guide for a walking tour of the island’s highlights including the Victoria Peak, a private excursion with guide, car and driver to explore the New Territories’ villages, markets and temples, or a city sightseeing tour by public transport. Have a look at our selection of unique private day trips in and around Hong Kong here www.ReadyClickAndGo.com or email Tara@ReadyClickAndGo.com for suggestions.
About the author: Tara
The travel professional with years of experience in the travel industry – in guiding, reservations, operations, contracting, customer service and product development – and have travelled extensively in Asia and Eastern Europe not just on holiday but also for work, inspecting hotels, visiting attractions and seeing exactly what each destination has to offer. The only way I could do this properly was with my own guide, car and driver and this inspired me to create my own range of customised private day tours for other people to be able to explore in-depth and learn to love their destination as much as I do.
Website: www.readyclickandgo.com
Website: http://www.readyclickandgo.com
