The government on Wednesday has announced a series of measures to boost public transport capacity to and from the Kai Tak cruise terminal this weekend, when a major cruise ship is set to sail into Hong Kong. The Spectrum of the Seas, the largest cruise liner in Asia, will make eight port calls in the SAR in December and January. The first call is happening this Friday, when the ship arrives from Shanghai with about 4,900 passengers. “The government welcomes the ship to choose Hong Kong as its homeport, and looks forward to working with the trade to better prepare to receive cruise passengers,” a government statement read. The Culture, Sports and Tourism Bureau confirmed that two new express bus routes will be ready to take visitors to the nearby Kai Tak MTR station, and West Kowloon high speed rail station via Tsim Sha Tsui. The cruise passengers can also opt for free and paid shuttle buses to various tourist hotspots. The Transport Department has communicated with the taxi trade on the possible demand surge on Friday. The cruise terminal will provide HK$100 gas coupons to each taxi which picks up passengers, if an “exceptionally strong demand” is anticipated. That’s double the previous offer of HK$50 voucher per taxi. Tourism Commissioner Angelina Cheung hoped the arrangements can offer cruise passengers with a better travelling experience, and consolidate Hong Kong's position as a major homeport in Asia and attract more ship calls.
