Passengers praise 'magnificent' Kai Tak Cruise Terminal on opening day
Cruise passengers delighted by their reception as sparkling Kai Tak facility opens for business
On a day that dragon boats made a splash at venues across the city, one of the world's biggest cruise liners was making bigger waves.
The Mariner of the Seas, on its maiden visit to Hong Kong, was the first cruise ship to dock at the Kai Tak cruise terminal - which its passengers described as "magnificent".
As the jumbo-sized vessel berthed at a strip of land that once saw jumbo jets coming and going every few minutes, shopping malls in East Kowloon were scrambling for a share of business from its 3,000 passengers.
And many of them were here to shop. New Zealander John Hayes, 67, was among the passengers. He said he has been on several cruise trips and this was the best experience.
"It's magnificent. I didn't even know [the terminal] is not completed yet," he said after taking a pre-arranged shuttle bus to the APM mall in Kwun Tong.
"There was a wonderful welcome at the terminal … with the dramas and dragon dance there."