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Wynna Wong

Cruise ship Spectrum of the Seas returned to Hong Kong on Friday after more than a year away, with operator Royal Caribbean International confirming the vessel would use the city as its home port from December 2024.
The announcement came 18 months after authorities scrapped all cruise journeys, including services “to nowhere”, as the city entered its fifth wave of Covid-19 infections in January last year.
The 16-deck ship, which can house up to 5,622 guests, was moved to Singapore in February of the same year amid the stringent pandemic restrictions.

The Hong Kong Tourism Board said it welcomed the return of the vessel, adding 166 cruise ship dockings had been secured this year.
“[The vessel’s return] reflects Hong Kong’s readiness to welcome more international cruise ships to the city, thus further consolidating Hong Kong’s position as a cruise hub in Asia,” the board said.
Hong Kong cruise ship service restart may be sunk by slow response from government
The arrival of Spectrum of the Seas marks the first of its six international sailings from this month until October featuring Hong Kong as a stopover. Royal Caribbean said the trips would bring about 20,000 visitors to the city.
The vessel will make seven voyages from Hong Kong to Japan and Vietnam between December 6 next year and January 7, 2025, with destinations including Okinawa, Ishigaki, Chan May and Nha Trang.
“This is testimony to Hong Kong’s position as a cruise hub in Asia, with our strategic location between Northeast and Southeast Asia, our extensive cruise [guests] comprising local, mainland guests and the rest of the world, and a diversity of cruise products,” said Vivian Sum Fong-kwang, commissioner for tourism, at a ceremony onboard the vessel on Friday.
“We are committed to driving the development of Asia’s cruise industry in the post-pandemic era,” she added, saying the city would host the Seatrade Cruise Asia Pacific Conference in October.

Kevin Fung, managing director of Royal Caribbean Hong Kong, said trip planning in the industry was done years in advance when asked why the vessel would take until 2024 to make the city its home port.
“It takes a considerable amount of time to plan journeys for international cruise ships,” said Fung, explaining the operator was already looking at sailings for 2025 and beyond.
Hong Kong remained an important port because of its international hub status and its accessibility for many people around the world, he said.
Zinan Liu, the company’s senior vice-president and chairman for Asia, said: “I see the demand is stronger [now], because the pandemic made people realise that gathering is so important.”
Royal Caribbean axes Hong Kong ‘cruises to nowhere’ over anti-pandemic measures
Royal Caribbean was one of two operators in the city offering cruises to nowhere during the coronavirus pandemic. The other was Genting Hong Kong, Asia’s largest operator of sea cruises, which eventually folded after the bankruptcy of its shipyard in Germany forced its liquidation.
In January, the city welcomed back its first international cruise ship since the beginning of the pandemic.
A total of 2.74 million visitors arrived in Hong Kong in June, most of them coming from mainland China, as tourists return after stringent Covid-19 curbs were fully lifted earlier this year. The city welcomed about 13 million visitors, 37 per cent of pre-pandemic levels, in the first half of the year.


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Hong Kong tourism

Hong Kong buoyed by return of Royal Caribbean cruise ship after lengthy hiatus

Hong Kong remains an important port due to its international hub status and its accessibility, according to the company’s senior vice-president and chairman for Asia. Photo: Jonathan Wong

Spectrum of the Seas can house up to 5,622 guests. Photo: Jonathan Wong

Between this month and October, the 16-deck ship will make six international sailings featuring Hong Kong as a stopover. Photo: Jonathan Wong

Hong Kong buoyed by arrival of Resorts World One with 150 calls from ships from 16 companies to come

Resorts World One arrives at Kai Tak Cruise Terminal. Photo: K. Y. Cheng

Resorts World One set off for its inaugural cruise from Hong Kong on Friday evening. Photo: K. Y. Cheng

Resorts World One makes the Kai Tak Cruise Terminal its home port. Photo: K. Y. Cheng

This new luxury cruise ship is 5 times bigger than the Titanic – and it’s scaring people: meet Royal Caribbean’s epic Icon of the Seas, a 20-deck behemoth Twitter is calling a ‘human lasagne’

Royal Caribbean’s epic Icon of the Seas boasts 20 decks and, coming in at 1,198 feet (365 metres) long and 250,800 tons, the cruiseliner will be able to hold more than 7,000 people. Photos: Handout

All aboard Royal Caribbean’s massive new cruise ship, Icon of the Seas

Good enough for Barbie? We think so

Of course, this sunset would only be possible when sailing directly east

Models not included

‘Hell on water’? It’s all a matter of taste

Of course there’s a nightclub on board. Where else are going to party like you’re on holiday?

Royal Caribbean’s Icon of the Seas sailed the open ocean for the first time while completing its first sea trials off the coast in Turku, Finland in June 2023. The ship is headed to PortMiami this fall with its first customer sailings set for January 2024

We can imagine Ken taking a slide down this spaghetti network

News

Hong Kong

Society

Spectrum of the Seas docks in city for first time in 18 months, after authorities scrapped all cruise journeys during fifth wave of Covid-19 infections
Tourism Board upbeat on return of ship, which will make city its home port from end of next year


Spectrum of the Seas docks in city for first time in 18 months, after authorities scrapped all cruise journeys during fifth wave of Covid-19 infections.


Luxury cruises

Tourism

Singapore

Hong Kong reopens: life after quarantine

Hong Kong buoyed by return of Royal Caribbean cruise ship after lengthy hiatus

Spectrum of the Seas docks in city for first time in 18 months, after authorities scrapped all cruise journeys during fifth wave of Covid-19 infections Tourism Board upbeat on return of ship, which will make city its home port from end of next year

Spectrum of the Seas docks in city for first time in 18 months, after authorities scrapped all cruise journeys during fifth wave of Covid-19 infections

Tourism Board upbeat on return of ship, which will make city its home port from end of next year