Royal Caribbean International, the world’s largest cruise company by passenger numbers, will increase its sailings to and from Hong Kong from the current 12 to 16 next season, marking further recovery from the Covid-19 pandemic as the city experienced strong growth in international visitors during the first nine months of this year.
In an interview with the Post on Wednesday, Kevin Fung, managing director of the cruise company’s Hong Kong operations, said mega vessel Spectrum of the Seas would return to Hong Kong on November 23 and call the city its home port.
Having Hong Kong as the home port means that the 168,666-tonne Spectrum of the Seas, capable of accommodating 5,622 guests, will have passengers embark and disembark at Kai Tak Cruise Terminal.
“Demand is building up in the Greater China region, we will have more port calls in the region, such as Japan, Taiwan and Vietnam,” he said.
“Before Covid, we had two ships based in Hong Kong. As demands continue to grow, we aim to have two or even three ships stationed here.”
For the 2025-26 season, Spectrum of the Seas is set to undertake 12 sailings, an increase from seven last year. The number will rise to 16 in 2026-27.
In November, the ship will offer trips to ports in Japan during the country’s renowned autumn leaves season.
“Those cities are not easily accessible by plane, and are relatively less travelled by Hong Kong people,” Fung said. “So these places can bring another type of experience to Hong Kong travellers.”
Encouraging more international cruises to dock in Hong Kong is part of a broader government strategy to enhance tourism, increase tourists’ expenditure and support the economy.
In reply to the Post, Jeff Bent, managing director of Worldwide Cruise Terminals, which operates Kai Tak Cruise Terminal, said the facility’s performance was expected to further improve in 2026.
“We project that ship calls at Kai Tak will climb 15 per cent to 20 per cent year-on-year in 2026,” he said.
According to Fung, each port of call in Hong Kong for a Royal Caribbean cruise could generate at least HK$20 million (US$2.5 million) in spending.
He cited the example of Ovation of the Seas, another mega cruise liner, which called at Hong Kong on Wednesday before heading to Vietnam with more than 4,300 guests and more than 1,000 crew members aboard.
The HK$20 million figure is based on the Tourism Board’s estimated per-passenger expenditure of HK$3,000, along with the ship’s spending on harbour pilot services, fuel, food and supplies.
Fung projected that the number of international travellers taking Spectrum of the Seas would increase to 30 per cent of total guests in the 2025-26 season, up from 25 per cent in 2024-25.
Among those on Ovation of the Seas were retirees Claudia and Howell Jones. The couple boarded the ship in Los Angeles in September, sailed across the Pacific Ocean to Japan, and arrived in Hong Kong on Wednesday.
Florida resident Claudia, 64, said the trip marked her first time in Hong Kong in 43 years. She added that she was struck by how much the city had changed, especially by the fact that the cruise was docking at the former airport from which she had left the city.
The couple visited The Peak, Aberdeen, where they took a sampan and ended up in Stanley, she said.
“We did some shopping ... But I am impressed at how Kowloon has expanded,” she said, recalling how scary it was to fly in and out of the old airport.
Their last destination is Singapore, where they will fly back to Los Angeles.
Gary Ng Cheuk-yan, a senior economist at Natixis Corporate and Investment Bank, said the rise in cruises ensured Hong Kong offered “diversified travel mode”.
“As the passenger mix is more leaned towards the older and wealthier class and families, the spending power is generally above average,” he said.
According to the latest statistics from the Tourism Board, international and regional travellers drove a 16 per cent year-on-year increase in visitors during the first nine months.
Long-haul travellers grew by 18 per cent, while short-haul visitors rose by 17 per cent over the same period.
Between January and September, Hong Kong received 36 million visitors, with 76 per cent coming from mainland China.
Ng explained that the Japanese yen, Taiwanese dollar and Australian dollar were among the weakest currencies in the region in 2024 but had strengthened this year.
“The stronger currencies of these markets in 2025 have made outbound tourism more affordable and lifted demand,” he said.
“There have also been additional airline capacities to and from Hong Kong, resulting in more competitive fares on these routes.” -- SOUTH CHINA MORNING POST
