Kai Tak Cruise Terminal nears completion

US$1 billion terminal will berth largest cruise ships afloat.

When inaugurated this June, the Kai Tak Cruise Terminal will become the gateway to an increasingly wealthy region of China. The government expects 37,000 passengers on 16 ships in the first 10 months of operation. The second half of the terminal will open by the middle of next year.

James Tien, chairman of the Hong Kong Tourism Board, said Hong Kong is fully geared up to provide cruises of all sizes.

Hong Kong’s existing cruise terminal can handle just two ships of about 50,000 gross tons each. At peak times, a shortage of berth space becomes a problem for cruise lines.

The terminal is 1,181 feet long, with berthing space of 2,788 feet, enough to berth two Oasis-class cruise ships, each 1,186 feet long.

Plans call for five passenger bridges and 100 check-in stations. There will also be. customs facilities able to process about 3,000 passengers an hour. A landscaped park will occupy the third story of the terminal and will offer elevated views of Victoria Harbor and the Hong Kong skyline.