Industry calls for free shuttle buses at pier as Spectrum of the Seas coming to HK

Royal Caribbean International’s Spectrum of the Seas will be based in Hong Kong again this Saturday (Sept. 23).

According to Royal Caribbean International, the company has been in close contact with the Hong Kong government and cruise terminal operators, and will provide information on relevant transportation arrangements on board for travelers' reference in advance.

Some cruise terminal operators have joined hands with different brands to set up a 5,000-square-foot bazaar at the terminal to sell souvenir products with local characteristics.

In an interview yesterday (Sept. 19), Kara Yeung Tsz-ching, chief executive of the Hong Kong Cruise and Yacht Industry Association, said that the bazaar will have additional manpower on Saturdays and will extend its business hours to 11 p.m. to cope with the overnight berthing of cruise ships in Hong Kong, and it is expected that the turnover of the bazaar will increase by 40%.

The government has earlier enhanced the transportation connection arrangements for cruise vessels during berthing at the pier.

Yeung hoped that the government would provide shuttle buses, etc. as it did last time, and suggested that consideration be given to making the free shuttle bus a regular feature to facilitate the arrival of local citizens and tourists in the urban area, so as to enhance the utilization rate of pier facilities and to increase the number of waterborne transportation means in the future.

According to Yeung, the industry has been communicating with the cruise terminal operator and the government on a regular basis, and the Government has deployed additional manpower to step up the cleansing of the terminal after typhoons and rainstorms, etc.

"However, up to now, the commercial tenants were not yet aware of the specific arrangements for the terminal traffic on this Saturday," she added.