Disembarkation in Hong Kong

Arriving in Hong Kong on Celebrity Millennium on November 8, with disembarkation on the 9th. We have been told by the person coordinating our group that the earliest we should schedule a flight is after 3pm on the 9th. Celebrity has told us we can “do whatever we want” in regards to leaving the ship.

So, for anyone that has experience with this port and disembarkation-What time would we be able to get off the ship on the 9th? Because we have cleared all customs and immigration upon arrival, can we come and go as we like, using the ship more like a hotel?

Due to work schedules, we do need to be back as close to the 10th as possible.

Thank you to all that take the time to do reviews and respond to questions. Your willingness to share your knowledge is greatly appreciated.

Where is "home"?

IIRC most flights back to the USofA leave mid-morning and arrives the West Coast before you left HKG :confused: the same day.

Allow extra time at HKG as you need to clear immigration & security before you board your plane. Sometimes they will do additional security screening on the jet-way in front of the plane's door:cool:

Hi, what city/airport are you flying home from HKG at the end of your cruise - have you look at flight options (presumably non-stops only being preferred or one-stop connections only) as TPAC flights are tough & depending on your choice/availability of carriers, most departure are in the morning or early/mid-afternoon out of HKIA (HKG) located at Lantau Island, NT - it's about 25 minutes ride on the Airport Express Train, with the closest stop at Kowloon Station, about 15 to 25 minutes taxi ride away - depending on congested local traffic, from your Kai Tak Cruise Terminal. Or, if heading to the airport - a direct taxi ride from the pier to the airport in probably under 40 minutes, for under $50 USD per taxi, good for 3 pax + luggage, tips are additional.

http://www.kaitakcruiseterminal.com.hk/location/ - checkout the linked Youtube videos

This new, state-of-the-art terminal opened in Oct. 2013 following several months of trial and the major challenge (obstacles) being transportation logistics - so be sure to check out what's being offered by Celebrity. Arriving cruiseline passengers had to wait 1+ hour for available taxi to take them into town, and there's still no Foreign Currency Exchange inside the terminal, although ATM's are one of the easiest (and safe) to withdraw local currencies. We used our Citibank ATM's card just fine in doing banking transactions as if we're back home in the U.S.

Most visitors do not need entry visa & HK's Immigration & Customs are very efficient, bilingual English spoken & very friendly - security is a breeze at the airport but very strict, even for transit passengers making connection - everyone must go thru "passport control" checkpoints.

Plan to arrive at the airport 2 hours before oversea/int'l flight departure time for luggage & check-in and you will be fine. If you using AE Train, city check-in is possible on the same day, up to 24 hours before departure depending on the airline with boarding passes issued, so you can take advantage of a few hours in the morning to explore the city before leaving for the airport & flying out, your bags are checked & transferred free to the airport at Kowloon Station's airline check-in counters.

Do you plan to sightsee in HKG and is this your first or repeat visit? Preference for airlines & destination airport - as those would be helpful in coming up with more specifics.

Flyertalk's forum on Hong Kong has about a ton's worth of useful info, tips & resources, including everything you need to know about a 4 hour, 6 hour, 8 hour, 12 hours, 16 hours and 24 hours, etc. layover on how to best explore the city of 8 million people.

If you using AE Train, city check-in is possible on the same day, up to 24 hours before departure depending on the airline with boarding passes issued, so you can take advantage of a few hours in the morning to explore the city before leaving for the airport & flying out, your bags are checked & transferred free to the airport at Kowloon Station's airline check-in counters.

The same service is available at the Hong Kong Airport Express station, although that's likely to be less convenient for someone who's disembarking the ship at Kai Tak.

I think that the only condition is that you buy an Airport Express ticket to travel to the airport (or pay for the Airport Express trip using an Octopus), although you don't actually need to use the ticket if you decide later to go to the airport some other way.

I think that the only condition is that you buy an Airport Express ticket to travel to the airport (or pay for the Airport Express trip using an Octopus), although you don't actually need to use the ticket if you decide later to go to the airport some other way.

At the Hong Kong AE Station you have to swipe your AE ticket at some turnstiles for entry into the airline check in area. Assume its the same for Kowloon Station.

I don't think anyone has answered your question, apologies if I'm wrong.

No, you won't be able to use the ship as a hotel on the 9th. Once you disembark, that is it. The crew will be getting the cabins etc ready for the arriving passengers.

You will be able to come and go on the 8th as you have another night on board in port.

Hi

For what it is worth we are on the cruise following yours and our flight leaves Singapore at 9.30pm. Have you thought of leaving the ship the day before and catching whatever flight you wish--if it is around 9.30 leave the ship around 4pm--just let the cruise line know via your agent and confirm it when you board.

Hope that helps -if you need to get home it is the easy way.

Thanks everyone for the suggestions and information. The flights we would like to take all leave mid-morning and it sounds like that should be doable with a little planning on our part.