By
Alex Smith |
Dream Cruises will restart cruises from Hong Kong at the end of July, with Genting Dream sailing two- and three-night ‘Super Seacations’.
The itineraries on offer will be a two-night ‘Super Weekend Seacation’ departing on Fridays, a two-night ‘Super Weekday Seacation’ departing on Wednesdays and a three-night ‘Super Summer Seacation’ departing on Sundays. Genting Dream will be the first ship to restart sailing in Hong Kong, departing from the Kai Tak Cruise Terminal.
“Cruise tourism is an integral part of Hong Kong’s tourism and the resumption of high sea cruises is the first step to the recovery of the cruise sector," said Dr YK Pang, chairman of the Hong Kong Tourism Board (HKTB). "Therefore, the HKTB will first promote the experience of ‘Staycation at Sea’ in Hong Kong under the ‘Holiday at Home’ platform. At the same time, the tourism board will also communicate to consumers the newly established safety and hygiene protocol as well as the anti-epidemic measures adopted by cruise lines to rebuild visitors’ confidence in travelling on cruises, When cross-border travel resumes, the HKTB will then gradually market our cruise experience to Mainland and international visitor sources.”
Genting Dream is the flagship of the Dream Cruises fleet, with accommodation for 3,300 passengers. During the cruise, guests will be able to participate in localised activities, educational workshops and contests, including a ‘Spot the Ship’ competition in which guests will attempt to spot as many different types of vessel as possible during their journey to win autographed memorabilia from the ship’s captain. The ship will also host a Japanese festival during August and September and a ‘Nordic Christmas’ event in November and December. All onboard activities will be organised with group sizes permitted by Hong Kong policies.
“These new ‘Super Summer Seacations’” will provide Hong Kong residents the opportunity to enjoy the pleasures of cruising again and will bring much-needed benefits to the tourism industry,” said Kent Zhu, president of Genting Cruise Lines. “With Hong Kong a historically key homeport and with our unique position as a homegrown cruise company based in Asia, we will mobilise our resources across the region to bring Genting Dream into Hong Kong by June to begin her quarantine process so that she will be ready for July sailings in time for the summer holidays.”
The company was the first cruise line to resume service in Asia, with Explorer Dream having now operated for almost 11 months from Taiwan and World Dream operating from Singapore, China, for nearly seven months.