Two of the four cruise ships, German vessel Mein Schiff 5 and Royal Caribbean International’s Serenade of the Seas, will stay at Kai Tak, with the latter arriving in the city for the first time for its world tour. The other two are set to dock at Ocean Terminal in Tsim Sha Tsui.

They are among the 20 cruises either originating or stopping in the city this month, which are expected to have brought in 100,000 visitors, according to Yeung’s bureau.

Yeung said port operators, cruise lines, transport service operators and travel agencies had worked together to “tailor-make” options for passengers to get from the terminal to scenic spots and other sites in the city.

“The tourists were generally satisfied with the transport arrangement in the terminal,” he said, adding the government would continue to supervise the performance of operators.

German tourists Gregory and Kerstin Fritz were among those travelling from the terminal into the heart of Hong Kong on Wednesday, with the couple visiting the city for the first time in 20 years after arriving on the Mein Schiff 5 on Tuesday.

“It’s amazing how developed the city is,” Gregory said. “When we were last here, the Bank of China building was the highest on Hong Kong Island and now you can’t even find it among all the other buildings.”

Hong Kong tourism blueprint to revamp Kai Tak’s role, minister says

The 61-year-old doctor was also “amazed” by the cruise terminal, but said some of the local transport arrangements were “difficult” to navigate as the couple was relying on cash rather than Octopus cards.

Last year, city authorities and port operator Worldwide Cruise Terminals, which manages Kai Tak Cruise Terminal, faced criticism over chaotic transport arrangements when Royal Caribbean International ship Spectrum of the Seas returned to Hong Kong for the first time in more than a year.

Tourists who arrived in the city in August complained of long waits for taxis and other modes of public transport, prompting immediate improvements such as temporary extra bus routes and incentives for taxi drivers that cost the government about HK$1 million.

Under the latest arrangements, six routes will be provided for visitors to travel from the terminal to different MTR stations such as Kai Tak, Kowloon Tong station, the West Kowloon rail terminus, as well as Tsim Sha Tsui and other tourist spots.

Free shuttle buses are also available at the terminal to take passengers to the Apm shopping centre in Kwun Tong, while paid routes can take visitors to areas such as Mong Kok and Causeway Bay at HK$80 and HK100 per trip, respectively.

The Post observed a steady stream of passengers and cruise crew members coming and going from the terminal at around Wednesday noon.

A steadily replenished taxi stand also ensured queues were no longer than five or six groups of people, while a nearby screen showed public bus waiting times ranging from five to 35 minutes.

Ukrainian acrobat Kateryna Shevchenko, a performer on the Mein Schiff 5 who joined the queue for the 22M bus to To Kwa Wan, said she planned to show her teammates around Hong Kong, having visited the city 10 years ago.

“It’s not a problem to wait for the bus because we have the whole day,” the 28-year-old said, adding the group had only waited about five minutes the day before.

“If we were here for less time it might be more of a problem. At least there is a bus and we don’t have to use a taxi.”

Shevchenko said she was also impressed by the city’s many changes, including the refurbished Avenue of Stars and the cruise terminal, adding the latter offered amenities such as free Wi-fi.

“Some of the other ports in Asia are not that great,” she said.

Hong Kong tourism blueprint to revamp Kai Tak’s role, minister says

But not everyone on Wednesday was happy with the terminal’s transport arrangement.

American retirees Kay and Tom Murell, who arrived on the Serenade of the Seas that morning, were left confused as they waited for a shuttle bus they hoped would take them to a ferry terminal to cruise around the harbour.

“We don’t know where we’re going,” 80-year-old Kay said. “We were not given much information inside the terminal.”

The couple also expressed their unhappiness at the waiting times, saying it had taken them a while to walk to the bus stop, followed by an about 20-minute wait for a bus.

“The facilities inside are very clean, but it’s a long walk,” Kay said.

Local industry leaders said the influx of cruise passengers would help raise Hong Kong’s profile and have a positive knock-on effect for other sectors.

“I am happy to see more cruise ships arrive in Hong Kong,” Hong Kong Tourism Association executive director Timothy Chui Ting-pong said.

Chui said more cruise docking in the city would “consolidate Hong Kong’s primary position as a cruise business [hub] in the Greater Bay Area”, helping to bring in more wealthy tourists.

“It will inevitably benefit local retail and [food and beverage sectors],” he said.

Hong Kong tourism chief accused of poor handling of Kai Tak Cruise Terminal

Simon Wong Ka-wo, president of the Hong Kong Federation of Restaurants and Related Trades, agreed the arrival of cruise passengers would benefit the local economy.

The catering industry stood to benefit from those who stayed for a few days, helping to promote the city further, he said.

“As Hong Kong is launching a lot of programmes lately, it’s a great opportunity to get our message across,” he said.