Coronavirus Hong Kong: first-ever ‘cruise to nowhere’ sets sail on Friday night amid hopes of ‘normality’
- The Genting Dream departed at 9pm with 1,070 passengers aboard, and will stay at sea for three days without stopping at ports of call
- At a ceremony, commerce minister Edward Yau Tang-wah called the inaugural voyage ‘a step forward in bringing back normality’
More than 1,000 Hongkongers set off on Friday night aboard the city’s first-ever “cruise to nowhere”, with a top official hailing the high-seas jaunt as a step towards “bringing back normality”.
Some passengers were so keen to travel again that one claimed he went ahead with Covid-19 vaccination – a requirement for all on board – even though he had long-term illnesses. Other excited guests were seen boarding the vessel hours before its departure.
“We can embark on a new journey, where people can travel happily with family, with friends,” he said, describing the option as an extension of domestic tourism. “This is also a step forward in bringing back normality into our society.”
The Genting Dream cruise ship – which departed at 9pm with 1,070 passengers and about 1,000 crew aboard – will sail the high seas for three days and two nights without stopping at any ports of call to minimise the risk of outbreaks.
