Wealth Blog | Cruising tips – and a chilly welcome for Kai Tak passengers

The new cruise liner terminal is now finally up and running at Kai Tak. A few ships have used it, but once passengers get over the disappointment of not docking at Ocean Terminal, they face another surprise. No taxis. They are told to call taxis, which take about eight minutes to arrive. Not a great welcome to Hong Kong. 

It’s no giant leap of imagination to work out that disembarking passengers would need taxis or minibuses to get them the considerable distance from Kai Tak to anywhere else in Hong Kong. How difficult can it be for the folks at the terminal to make sure taxis or buses are there to meet the arriving ships? Presumably they know when they are coming.
 

Changing demographic

No longer are cruises the sole preserve of the well-heeled retiree, though the only one I’ve taken; the river boat down the Yangtze from Chongqing to the Three Gorges dam was densely populated by elderly loaded Texans, who had all voted for George Bush Senior. But rumour has it that younger people take cruises these days, perhaps because it includes kids’ entertainment. A friend is currently doing the onboard after-lunch lecture circuit and promises to report back, so more of that later.
 

Cruising tips     

In the meantime, the Sunday Times travel magazine has a few hints for cruise virgins. It’s important to know how to secure the best value cabin, hog the best patch by the pool and ensure decent service. While slightly Euro-centric, the bigger ships are usually pretty similar globally.