Hong Kong Targets More Cruise Turnarounds After 20% Growth

Hong Kong is using airport upgrades, regional transport links and a packed events calendar to pursue more cruise turnarounds and fly-cruise business after cruise passenger arrivals and calls rose by more than 20 percent in 2025. Marilyn Tham, general manager of mega events, MICE and cruise at the Hong Kong Tourism Board, said the city is targeting further growth in 2026 and beyond.

The strategy puts more emphasis on Hong Kong as an embarkation point and onshore-spending driver, not only as a transit call. Tham said the city pairs cruise deployments with major arts, cultural and sporting events.

Air, rail and terminal capacity support the turnaround pitch

“We are connected with more than 200 airports around the world, and 170 of these cities are visa-free,” Tham told Cruise Industry News. She said Hong Kong’s airport improvements are being reinforced by regional access, including high-speed rail links to Shenzhen and Guangzhou in less than an hour and the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau Bridge connection to western Guangdong.

Hong Kong’s cruise infrastructure is split between Kai Tak Cruise Terminal and Ocean Terminal. Kai Tak can berth two 360-meter ships at the same time and process about 3,000 passengers per hour, while Ocean Terminal serves smaller and moderate-sized ships, including two vessels of up to 50,000 tons or four small cruise ships.

Tham acknowledged that cruise lines continue to face macroeconomic pressure and volatile fuel costs, but said Hong Kong’s geography gives planners multiple routing options. “Going north, we can always bundle Japan and Korea. Going south, we have Vietnam and the Philippines,” she said.

Adora Cruises’ growth includes Adora Magic City, China’s first domestically built large cruise ship, which launched on Jan. 1, 2024, and a second domestically built ship, Adora Flora City, expected to be delivered in late 2026.

Regional cooperation remains part of Hong Kong’s cruise case

Tham said Asian ports need to work together to grow cruise demand, noting that cruise penetration in Asia remains below 1 percent, compared with roughly 5 percent in the U.S. market. At a Miami Beach luncheon hosted by the Hong Kong Tourism Board with representatives from Korea, the Philippines, Xiamen and Shanghai, destinations presented cruise updates to line executives.

Korea expects more than 1.8 million cruise passengers in 2026, while the Philippines recorded 136 cruise calls and more than 240,000 passengers, a 26 percent increase from the previous year. Shanghai’s Baoshan District and Xiamen also promoted faster cruise clearance procedures, with Xiamen reporting efficiency gains of more than 50 percent.

Wallem Ship Agency’s Dickson Chin has also pointed to renewed Asia momentum, saying Japan saw the largest cruise growth last year, followed closely by Singapore and Hong Kong. Chin said berth demand at times is already exceeding capacity in Singapore and Hong Kong, and Wallem is involved in Hong Kong tourism blueprint work that includes expanded shore experiences and a potential reopening of anchorages for eco-tourism access.

Events and shore programming are part of the deployment offer

The tourism board is promoting Hong Kong under the “Event Capital of Asia” banner, with cruise calls aligned where possible with major city events. Tham cited Art Basel in March as one example of Hong Kong working with boutique and luxury lines on exclusive guest activities, and said some operators are scheduling calls around the city’s New Year’s Eve fireworks.

The city’s shore product includes West Kowloon Cultural District, home to M+ Museum and the Palace Museum, along with Disneyland, Ocean Park and the Tian Tan Buddha. During the Miami Beach event, Hong Kong also promoted 77 Michelin-starred restaurants and VIP shore excursions that include helicopter rides.

“There is so much to experience onshore,” Tham said, adding that Hong Kong will continue working with international and Chinese cruise lines to prioritize the city in Asia itineraries. Turnaround calls remain the priority, she said, while “everyone is welcome.”

Operators add Hong Kong sailings into future schedules

StarCruises has based Star Voyager at Ocean Terminal for “Knows Hong Kong Best” sailings, including two-, three- and five-night cruises to Okinawa, Vietnam, Penghu and Keelung. Its summer schedule from July 3 to Aug. 30, 2026, includes extended port stays of up to nine to 10 hours on Okinawa and Vietnam itineraries.

Royal Caribbean has also placed Hong Kong in Spectrum of the Seas’ 2027-28 Asia program, with eight- to 10-night journeys from Shanghai, Tokyo and Hong Kong and, for the first time, one-way sailings between cities that can start or end in Tokyo. The program spans 22 destinations and includes Hong Kong holiday cruises for Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year, as well as access to Hue and Da Nang via Chan May in Vietnam. Bookings for that 2027-28 season are already open.