Cooped-up Hong Kongers join the craze for cruising to nowhere

Genting Hong Kong, the operator of giant cruise ships, is piling into the trip-to-nowhere game in its home market, offering “seacations” to citizens who have been stuck in the city because of onerous Covid-related travel restrictions.

Genting Dream will set sail on Friday evening. Destination: not very far.

That might be enough for locals wanting to escape tiny apartments or try something other than a weekend in a hotel, the main getaway option since strict quarantine rules put the brakes on international travel. Bookings have been encouraging, according to Genting, with three sailings scheduled per week offering two- or three-night packages.

GIVEN THE SIZE OF THE SHIP, IT WILL STILL HOST MORE THAN 1,000 PEOPLE PER CRUISE, ALONG WITH ABOUT 900 STAFF

Hong Kong has come much later than the likes of Singapore and Taiwan to the cruise-to-nowhere trend, with the government announcing in late May that cruises could resume at the end of July after being suspended since February 2020. Genting Dream will journey into international waters, allowing its casino and duty-free shops to open, but it will not come ashore anywhere other than Hong Kong.

In keeping with government requirements, capacity is capped at 50% and passengers need to be fully vaccinated and submit negative Covid test results. Given the size of the ship, it will still host more than 1,000 people per cruise, along with about 900 staff. There will be a 12-hour turnaround for cleaning when the vessel returns to port, compared with three or four hours normally.

Stretching 335m, Genting Dream is longer than the Eiffel Tower is tall. The German-made ship now sits at Kai Tak Cruise Terminal, a place so empty it is reminiscent of zombie horror flick 28 Days Later, which is also the length of time travellers returning to Hong Kong from virus hotspots must spend in quarantine and home monitoring.

After baggage and security checks at the terminal, passengers will encounter temperature-monitoring machines and hand-sanitiser dispensers before boarding. They will also wear wristbands and contact-tracing devices. The abundance of caution reflects Hong Kong’s approach to battling Covid and an eagerness on Genting’s part to stick to the rules and make the cruises work.

The company, part of Malaysian billionaire Lim Kok Thay’s Genting Group, warned in May about its ability to continue as a going concern and posted a $1.7bn loss in 2020. Genting Hong Kong has since said it has access to new loan facilities to shore up capital.

Genting already resumed cruise operations in Taiwan and Singapore last year, but those have not been without challenges as both places battle a resurgence of the coronavirus.

Cruises on the Explorer Dream have been suspended since May to August 15 due to Taiwan’s renewed outbreak, while passenger capacity on the World Dream in Singapore has been cut to 25% from 50% and people must eat in their cabins. That ship had to curtail a cruise earlier this month after someone tested positive.

Genting Dream has a clinic with a doctor and three nurses as well as a ship sanitation officer. Other facilities include a rooftop swimming pool with six waterslides, a zip line, climbing wall and more than a dozen restaurants and bars.

A meal at its Silk Road Chinese restaurant during a tour on Wednesday evening featured dishes including chilled razor clam, fish maw, braised sea cucumber and hairy crab.

The plushest rooms are two, 224m² “villas” with views over the ship’s bow and private jacuzzis, though those are off limits due to Covid rules.

The jacuzzis beside the main swimming pools are cordoned off too — another reminder that cruise holidays may never be the same again. For now though, it’s a matter of sailing a fine line between keeping Covid at bay and bringing the punters in.