Boarding TIME

We will be on the Voyager sailing Hong Kong on April 8. The ship sails at 6:00, I was wondering what is the earliest we can board, thanks

The boarding time will be in your document package. Usually between Noon and 2:00 P.M.

J

The boarding time will be in your document package. Usually between Noon and 2:00 P.M.

 

J

My experiences on the last 2 Regent Cruises was that we boarded in the early afternoon but had to stay in the public areas until the suites were ready....hung out & had lunch at the pool bar and enjoyed it!

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We just received our first Regent document package and it shows our boarding time as noon. I assume people have different boarding times? And that our transportation from the hotel is based on our boarding time?

In our experience almost nobody arrives at the "official" boarding time. Most turn up around noon (or earlier) to go through security, boarding formalities, etc and then head to a dining venue for a relaxed lunch. Your suite won't be ready until +\- 2pm when a public announcement is made. But each voyage is different.

Although 90% of the time we can board at noon, sometimes it is later. When we arrived in Miami at 11:30 a.m. last November, there were over 60 passengers waiting (had noting better to do than to count). At 11:45 a.m. they began pre-boarding Seven Seas Suites and above. At that point I was so stunned that I don't recall what happened after that!

Does anyone know which cruise terminal Regent uses in Hong Kong? The main terminal is Kai Tak, and it's in a really inconvenient spot. There's a second one, Ocean Terminal, is right in the heart of Kowloon.

Last year our Voyager cruise docked at Kai Tak (the old air port), inconvenient and disappointing as I had always wanted to sail into the heart of beautiful Hong Kong harbor. But interesting to those of us who regularly flew into and out of Kai Tak, always exciting :). However we were told that Voyager on a previous cruise docked at Ocean Terminal. So, may vary by cruise and luck of the draw.

We just received our first Regent document package and it shows our boarding time as noon. I assume people have different boarding times? And that our transportation from the hotel is based on our boarding time?

Not necessarily. On a recent cruise out of Rome, our transport didn't leave the hotel until close to the boarding time on our docs (and it's a lengthy ride to the port). Clearly, they were trying to stagger arrival times so that everyone didn't arrive at once. It worked fine. We had the morning to do some more exploring in Rome, then zipped right onto the ship and into our cabins.

Agree with last post and this is why we generally take a cab to the ship. We don't want to arrive with a busload of people. Rome is a bit different (as is London) as it is so far from the port. In these cases, we take a hotel credit and stay in a hotel near the port. This is generally less than the hotel credit so the money can be used towards your own transportation.

On our last cruise to Hong Kong, fortunately, we were docked at Ocean Terminal, with an overnight. It was great being in the heart of HK and walking distance to Star Ferry and great shopping! Loved it. We were able to see the fireworks.

Sheila

On our last cruise to Hong Kong, fortunately, we were docked at Ocean Terminal, with an overnight. It was great being in the heart of HK and walking distance to Star Ferry and great shopping! Loved it. We were able to see the fireworks.

Sheila

Sheila - we haven't been to Hong Kong in "forever" (since it was taken back by the Chinese). We will be there for only a few hours on April 7th because we have a 12:30 a.m. flight on the 8th (day of disembarkation). So glad to hear that we will be in the hart of HK. Any special place that you can recommend for shopping or a snack?

TC,

Unfortunately on April 7-8, we (the Voyager) will be docked at the Kai Tak terminal which is located on the site of the old airport. Too bad as this terminal is nowhere near as convenient as the Ocean Terminal. The reviews of the Kai Tak Terminal are not very good.

TC,

 

Unfortunately on April 7-8, we (the Voyager) will be docked at the Kai Tak terminal which is located on the site of the old airport. Too bad as this terminal is nowhere near as convenient as the Ocean Terminal. The reviews of the Kai Tak Terminal are not very good.

Thanks Dave! Better to know now that to have high expectations. Since we have such a short time in port (we leave for the airport at 9:00 p.m., we will likely have to stay on the ship). We used to know Hong Kong so well and could take their various types of transportation. Thanks to your post, I will do some checking - just to see if we can get anywhere in a short period of time!

TC,

 

Unfortunately on April 7-8, we (the Voyager) will be docked at the Kai Tak terminal which is located on the site of the old airport. Too bad as this terminal is nowhere near as convenient as the Ocean Terminal. The reviews of the Kai Tak Terminal are not very good.

I'm very sorry to hear this.

Some times I wonder why Regent so often uses B locations.

It happened to us recently twice in Cape Town and once in Sidney.

If you know what the difference with the A location is you're in for a real shock. It's not just the extra bus time that Regent is famous for....

What surprises me the most: It's not just Silversea or Seabourn that take the A spots! In Cape Town Oceana got the hot spot! And how about Sint Peterburg and London to name a few......just forgetting Brazil and the container ports..

We love Regent but this is one of the few things we think can be improved.

Just guessing, the cost of a "B" port cost Regent less.

I'm very sorry to hear this.

Some times I wonder why Regent so often uses B locations.

It happened to us recently twice in Cape Town and once in Sidney.

If you know what the difference with the A location is you're in for a real shock. It's not just the extra bus time that Regent is famous for....

What surprises me the most: It's not just Silversea or Seabourn that take the A spots! In Cape Town Oceana got the hot spot! And how about Sint Peterburg and London to name a few......just forgetting Brazil and the container ports..

We love Regent but this is one of the few things we think can be improved.

I did notice that the Voyager had a poor docking spot in Sydney this month. We docked in town four years ago which was great. We have been to St. Petersburg twice and did not get the "A" location (two smaller ships did). Oceania also got the "hot spot" in Cape Town on our last cruise. Based on sometimes getting excellent docking spots and other times, getting poor spots, I would not think that Regent is looking for the least expensive spot but rather the port gets more money for the larger ships in the prime spots.

Is it possible to know the docking location prior to the cruise being in progress? I understand things change, but besides being tendered in or docking, is there something that tells you where you are docking in a port?

Sheila - we haven't been to Hong Kong in "forever" (since it was taken back by the Chinese). We will be there for only a few hours on April 7th because we have a 12:30 a.m. flight on the 8th (day of disembarkation). So glad to hear that we will be in the hart of HK. Any special place that you can recommend for shopping or a snack?

Hi Jackie

Sorry to hear you won't be in the Ocean Terminal.

Years ago (1989), I flew into that old airport. As I remember it's really close to the center of town. At that time, it was still under British rule. But about to change to China. I bought my granddaughter a cabbage patch doll, dressed as a little Chinese girl, with a british green card attached to her wrist. It was so unusual. She still has it. ( I would buy her a doll in each country I visited).

But I don't know exactly where the port is located. Herb bought me an unusual diamond wedding band there, on one of our visits. But, you may not have the time to do any shopping. It's a bummer I agree, Regent hasn't been in the prime docking spots on several of our ports either.

Safe travels. Enjoy!

Sheila

I used to fly into Kai Tak when I worked in Hong Kong and China in the 90s. Plane would descend or take off between what I used to call "mrs woo's washing lines".

I have not cruised into HK but their mass transit is great. So I wouldn't waste time worrying about how to get from A To B IN HKG!

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As far as I know the HK MTR does not connect to Kai Tak Cruise Port.

Last time we were there you had to first take a bus or taxi to get anywhere, which was certainly not as convenient as docking at the Ocean Terminal in the centre.

I used to fly into Kai Tak when I worked in Hong Kong and China in the 90s. Plane would descend or take off between what I used to call "mrs woo's washing lines".

 

I have not cruised into HK but their mass transit is great. So I wouldn't waste time worrying about how to get from A To B IN HKG!

 

 

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Thanks so much Gerry. We have been to Hong Kong several times but not since it has been under Chinese rule. If we are in the mood to go into town or shopping for a couple of hours, we can do the following (copy and pasted from a Hong Kong website). Fortunately we will have a private transfer to the airport at 9:00 p.m. the night before disembarkation for our 12:30 a.m. flight (which is technically the day of embarkation so Regent gives us the included private transfer).

Transportation

On ship call days, there are free shuttle buses for debarking cruise passengers and crew to nearby MTR stations adjoining shopping malls. During turn calls, additional paid shuttle service is typically available both from the cruise line (e.g. to airport) and from the terminal operator (e.g. to Kowloon Airport Express and Tsim Sha Tsui area hotels, and/or Hung Hom Station). Please ask shore excursion staff onboard for details.

Taxis are inexpensive and relatively honest, but supply is limited during debark, particularly on weekday mornings. We recommend debarking independent passengers to consider taking a free or paid shuttle bus, and onward taxi/MTR/bus after alighting.

Parking in the Kai Tak Cruise Terminal is limited. We recommend local cruise visitors to take a taxi or public transportation to the terminal, in case a parking space is not available when you arrive.

In Hong Kong the MTR ( subway in American) is extremely efficient, accessible, clean etc. if there are shuttles to an MTR station then that is the way to go... transport to the airport leaves, I think, from Central. On the island. But I have a good friend who lives in Hong Kong and will ask her for precise info.

gerry

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My friend says there are two MRT stations near the new cruise terminal (and what an intelligent thing to do with part of the old runway!! )

Kowloon Bay station on the green line is the nearest. And that is at a shopping plaza called Telford Plaza. Kowloon Bay station to the airport on Lan Tao will take about an hour from there and involves changes from the green line to the orange line to the red line and then to the airport express train.

Presumably Regent will drop people at Kowloon Bay station... you cannot walk there from the Cruise Terminal. well, let's say it would be a long walk.

Thanks once again - just wrote down the information so that we'll have it with us.