Northstar

10 | www.travelweekly-asia.com CRUISE Quantum of the Seas in Hong Kong. Kai Tak Cruise Terminal set to receive 330,000 passengers from 90 ship calls in 2016. HONG KONG READY TO RIDE THE CRUISE BOOM As the gateway to China, Hong Kong is poised to reap the benefits of the current boom in the Asia-wide, China-specific cruise market. At the heart of Hong Kong's cruise industry is the HK$8.2-billion (US$1.1bn) Norman Foster-designed Kai Tak Cruise Terminal. The number of passengers and ship calls has jumped since the terminal's opening in 2013. From just over 100,000 passengers from 28 calls in 2014 to over 200,000 from 56 calls in 2015, this year looks set to clock up 330,000 passengers from 90 ship calls, according to confirmed bookings for 2016 so far. Home porting out of Hong Kong for the second year, Royal Caribbean's Voyager of the Seas will be making regular calls until October, with itineraries that will run from two to eight nights in China, Japan, Taiwan and Vietnam. Hong Kong welcomed sister ship Ovation of the Seas in June. Jeff Bent, director of Worldwide Cruise Terminals, will also be welcoming Dream Cruises and Costa's multiple consecutive turns, along with Celebrity, Seabourn and Holland America, which will be visiting over multiple turns on open- jaw itineraries alternating with other ports such as Singapore. So why is Hong Kong a successful homeport? "It is a fantastic city with a local populace that loves to travel, has fantastic transportation connectivity via air, sea, road, and rail, has a very liberal visa regime allowing more than 170 countries visa-free access, and has over 100 million people within a four-hour drive," he said. Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings' new sales offices investment in Hong Kong cemented its dedication to the city. Plus, Norwegian Star will seasonally homeport out of Hong Kong starting at the end of the year, while Chinese market new build Norwegian Joy will begin sailing in June 2017. The 3,400-passenger Genting Dream of Dream Cruises, specifically built with the China and Asia market in mind, has announced she will homeport from Guangzhou from November with her maiden cruise itinerary taking passengers for short two, five and seven-night trips into China and Vietnam, which will include Hong Kong. Diamond Princess cruised through Hong Kong and China on its Grand Asia & Japan tours, while Costa Cruises – also part of the Carnival Corporation family - is already well established in Asia and has operated cruises in China for nine years. Two 5,000-pax Star Cruises brand ships, designed for the Chinese market, will arrive in 2019 and 2020. In general, the outlook for cruise brands operating in Hong Kong and China looks promising, with a recent South China Morning Post article By Catharine Nicol Costa Cruises has revealed launch details of Costa neoClassica's home-porting in Mumbai. Cruises will call at Indian destinations, including Goa and Cochin, and to international destinations, the Maldives and Sri Lanka's capital, Colombo. Costa neoClassica will sail a weekly series from December 16 this year until March 18, 2017. Buhdy Bok, president of Costa Group Asia, said, "For many travellers, the holiday often starts after some sort of a long journey. reporting that Royal Caribbean's president for China, Zinan Liu, expects 770,000 Chinese guests this year. "For Chinese visitors, Hong Kong is an attractive destination for individual visitors as well as a convenient embarkation port," said Bent. "For international visitors, Hong Kong is a convenient place from which to stage pre- and post-cruise excursions to China, given Hong Kong's excellent transport connections and tourism infrastructure." At Genting Hong Kong, Thatcher Brown, president Dream Cruises, agrees. "Hong Kong is a key port and source market for local and international travellers in our Pearl River Delta deployment. "For international visitors, Hong Kong offers a unique east-meet-west experience with all the comforts and convenience of a modern, international metropolis." Neither Bent, nor the cruise industry at large, appears worried about consequences of the mainland's recent economic difficulties. "Currently the penetration rate for cruising in China is about 0.1%, versus 3% or more in mature markets," he said. "The Hong Kong source market also has much room for growth as it currently stands at less than 1% penetration." He also sees the nearby new- to-market terminals and ports as beneficial to Hong Kong's cruise industry. A cruise terminal will open in Shenzhen at the end of the year, while Guangzhou's is at planning stage. Now, like never before, Indians will have the opportunity to start holidaying from their doorstep - from India's largest metropolis, Mumbai." Costa says neoClassica will be the first large cruise ship cruising between Mumbai and the Maldives. The ship has a total of 654 cabins, including sea view cabins and suites with private balconies. It is equipped with a casino, theatre, disco, ballroom, grand bar and large duty-free shopping centre. Food and wine on offer is based on Italian regional menus, including the chance to taste the original Neapolitan pizza at Pizzeria "Pummid'oro, plus traditional Indian foods and those catering to special diet requirements, including Jain food. PIZZA AND PIZAZZ ON COSTA NEOCLASSICA Costa neoClassica will be the first large ship cruising between Mumbai and the Maldives.

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