Pros & cons of the Kai Tak Cruise Terminal

Kai Tak Cruise Terminal, pros and cons

In 2013, you read our post, Old airport, New terminal, to learn the latest development of the ex-Kai Tak Airport. In Nov 2013, the Kai Tak Cruise Terminal welcomed the first big cruise. This post shows you the pros and cons of the new Kai Tak Cruise Terminal of Hong Kong.

Pros1 It is really BIG

The two berths at the end of the old airport runway can accommodate two large cruises at the same time. 

Celebrity Millennium (tonnage: 91,000), Sapphire Princess (tonnage: 115,875) and Mariner of the Seas (tonnage: 138,279) come a lot. 

The brand new Ovation of the Seas (Tonnage: 168,666) will even use Kai Tak as its home port.

Pros2 Spectacular view

You can go to the roof top garden of the Kai Tak Cruise Terminal to see the amazing Victoria Harbour view from a different angle. 

Or some private shore excursions (full day Hong Kong Kowloon tour, full day Hong Kong Lantau Big Buddha Island tour) can let you take the local ferry to take a photo for your cruise from the sea. 

That photo should get lots of likes in Facebook!

Pros3 Do everything indoor

You will do everything, embarkation, disembarkation, get back your luggage, wait for your private guides, board the transports etc., indoor. 

The sun and rainfall outside cannot disturb you. 

Plus Hong Kong's efficiency, embarking or disembarking the cruise at Kai Tak should be the easy experience.

Cons1 It is really REMOTE

You can see the beautiful view of Hong Kong from the cruise terminal, but it is difficult to 'touch' them. 

It is because the Kai Tak Cruise Terminal is at the remote end of the runway of the old airport. 

It is the first completed redevelopment project of the old airport area. 

Most of the areas nearby are under construction.

Cons2 Poor transportation

There are only two links between the city area and the port. 

When they can get enough businesses in the city center especially on the weekday morning, the taxi drivers don't want to drive a long way to go to Kai Tak. 

So there are long queues for the shuttle buses, which are arranged by the nearby shopping malls. 

When the guests want to go back the cruise from the malls, they face the same problem.

Cons3 Poor supporting facilities

Kai Tak is far away. 

So there are not enough choices for the guests to do shopping and dinning. 

As most cruise passengers want to 'jump' to the city center at once (that is normal and sometimes that is really better!), the business for the restaurants and mall in the cruise terminal is not good. 

The Chinese restaurant, which can accommodate about 800 guests, can only rely on the local wedding party business. 

The mall fares even worse. The boss owes the staff months of salary. 

Cruise passengers, you may contact Frank the tour guide to plan your easy private shore excursion.

We can pick you up at and send you back to the Kai Tak Cruise Terminal by our private car.

You can have the easy and enjoyable private car tour in Hong Kong.

You may browse our different private shore excursion options.

See you in Hong Kong! 

Four tips for sightseeing in Hong Kong

Four Hong Kong sightseeing tips

We share four tips for sightseeing in Hong Kong with you.

(1) 'HILLY' RELIEF IN CENTRAL

Apart from the tall buildings, you can find lots of heritage buildings and art galleries in Central. 

It is good to have a walk in Central. 

BUT PLEASE BEWARE OF THE HILLY RELIEF THERE.

The old Central was built on the hillside. It takes you lots of energy to walk up and down the steep street and steps.

(2) 'NO' SERVICE IN LOCAL RESTAURANTS (CHA CHAN TENG)

After the walk in Central, you may want to have the lunch in the local restaurants, i.e. Cha chan teng). 

PLEASE BEWARE OF THE 'NO' SERVICE THERE. 

Waiters 'force' you to share the table with the unknown others. 

Waiters talk to you loudly when they take your orders. 

Waiters 'throw' the dishes to you.  

Actually they are not impolite. 

They just show you Hong Kong commoners' life style.

(3) CHOOSE YOUR RIGHT DECK BEFORE TAKING STAR FERRY

After having lunch in Central, you can take the famous two-story Star Ferry. 

PLEASE CHOOSE YOUR RIGHT DECK BEFORE BUYING THE TOKEN because you cannot go upstairs or downstairs at will when you are taking the ferry. 

You can take picture easily on the lower deck. But the natural AC, i.e. the wind, may make you feel cold in winter. 

You can enjoy the artificial AC on the upper deck in summer.

So its ticket price is higher ($2.7 HKD on weekdays or 3.7 on holidays, which are nothing) (Star Ferry Wan Chai <> Tsim Sha Tsui Route just has the upper deck).

(4) OVERCROWDING PROBLEM ON THE OUTLYING ISLANDS 

You may want to go to Hong Kong's outlying islands to experience the Ngong Ping 360 Cable Car Ride on holidays or the Bun Festival in May. 

PLEASE BEWARE OF THE OVERCROWDING PROBLEM.

Most people take the Cable Car to see the Big Buddha due to traffic control and bad transportation. 

It can be extremely crowded on the sunny holidays.

Apart from the travelers, lots of locals want to know more about the folk culture. 

So during the Bun Festival, about 60,000 people go to the small and densely populated Cheung Chau (2.46 km², with 22,000 population)! 

Hot and wet weather plus the crowd near the ferry pier may make you feel dizzy! 

You may contact Frank the tour guide to plan your easy and enjoyable private tour in Hong Kong.

You may browse different easy and enjoyable private tour options.