By
Alex Smith |
Hong Kong boasts a unique culture, with the many influences throughout its history leaving their mark on the city’s multifaceted identity. The chance to explore and uncover the different sides of Hong Kong has long attracted visitors from across the world, and 2025 has seen a lineup of international cruise lines bringing their guests to discover the experiences the city has to offer.
One way to get a taste of Hong Kong’s culture is through an accessible city walk, which offers the chance to explore the Old Town Central, Sham Shui Po and West Kowloon neighbourhoods and can be incorporated into a cruise shore excursion. Nature lovers can head down to Hong Kong’s hiking trails, beaches and the Unesco Global Geopark for a change of scenery. Those making an overnight stop can experience the city’s nightlife, from sampling street snacks at Temple Street night market to having an adrenaline rush at horse-racing nights, or taking in famous spots listed among Asia’s 50 Best Bars.
The Kai Tak precinct, in the same neighbourhood as the Kai Tak Cruise Terminal, is now able to play host to major sporting events when the Kai Tak Sports Park opens in March 2025. Featuring a main stadium that can seat up to 50,000 people and the Kai Tak Mall, a retail hub designed around a “sportainment” shopping concept, Kai Tak offers cruise passengers a range of retail, leisure and entertainment options a stone’s throw from the terminal.
Hong Kong’s flagship theme parks, Ocean Park Hong Kong and Hong Kong Disneyland, are also developing new experiences for guests. Ocean Park is planning a new Adventure Zone complete with giant ziplines, ropes park, luge, bungee, a giant swing and more, while Disneyland is expanding the Marvel Super Heroes experiences in Tomorrowland with new entertainment, shopping and dining offerings.
A variety of events are also held year-round in Hong Kong, ensuring that each visit to the city will provide guests with a different experience. One notable example took place during the Hong Kong Wine & Dine Festival in October 2024, where an exclusive stage event was held for passengers onboard Silversea’s Silver Nova. It marked the biggest collaboration between the Hong Kong Tourism Board and a cruise line to curate an exclusive land programme for passengers, a milestone in the city’s efforts to grow its cruise tourism sector.
The high point of the cruise season so far has been ‘Super March’, when the city’s played host to a series of international spectacles. This year, highlights included leading sporting events such as World Snooker Grand Prix 2025 on 4-9 March, LIV Golf tournament on 7-9 March and the Hong Kong Sevens rugby tournament on 28-30 March. It also hosted art month fixtures including ComplexCon on 21-23 March, Art Central on 26-30 March and Art Basel on 28-30 March.
The city also welcomed four and three ships at the same time on two dates during the month. Silversea’s Silver Whisper, Seabourn’s Seabourn Encore, Celebrity Cruises’ Celebrity Millennium and Costa Cruises’ Costa Serena arrived in Hong Kong’s waters on 9 March. Cunard’s Queen Anne and Norwegian Cruise Line’s Norwegian Sky made their first visits to Hong Kong on 19 March, joined by Cunard’s Queen Elizabeth. Together, the seven ships brought thousands of international visitors to Hong Kong to experience the packed month of events and participate in the festivities.
Beyond March, Astro Ocean Cruise’s Piano Land has homeported in Hong Kong from April 2025, offering sailings to Japan and Vietnam. Additionally, Royal Caribbean International’s Ovation of the Seas resumed seasonal deployment in Hong Kong in April and will be followed by Spectrum of the Seas in December.
The Hong Kong Tourism Board is continuing to expand the selection of onshore programmes available for visiting cruise lines, looking to provide their guests with enriching activities that give them a taste of the city and its culture. The city aims to grow its cruise tourism sector further, maintaining and strengthening its position as one of the premier cruise hubs in the region.
Discover more insights like this in the Spring/Summer 2025 issue of Cruise & Ferry Review. Don’t miss out – subscribe for FREE and get the next issue delivered straight to your inbox.