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Published: April 6th 2014
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Hong Kong 2 - 5 April
What do you do when you get off a cruise ship after 19 days? Well for 1900 people they lined up, squabbled and carried on like spoilt brats in many cases. Was it their fault, or was it Cunard’s inability to organise the transfers? Probably both, if all things were considered. The disembarkation process was a bit of a rabble. We had to have our bags out between 6.30 p.m. and 11.59 p.m. on 1 April. Each bag was to have a label. Ours was Gold 3. People were sent to different parts of the ship depending on the colour code and were called when bags had been cleared by security.
All sorts of colours and numbers were made available and the bags were taken to the dock and set out according to the colours and number. All sounds very simple. Well if you looked you saw a sign – Gold 3 – and that is where we found our bags. Some people did not label their bag; some did, but forgot to take the tear off piece so they could find their bag. Then once the bags had
been collected it was off to the taxi, shuttle bus or private pick-up points. This is when the real trouble arose.
Nineteen hundred people trying to take bags through a narrow exit at the point where the line for taxis started. However if people had have looked at the signage at the terminal, they would have seen that there were three or four pick-up points; one for taxis, one for shuttle bus and one for private transfers. It is assumed that private pick-ups were available by going to a car park.
There were people running to and fro, waving arms, making accusations and generally getting flustered. There were chauffeurs waiting for passengers who did not show up. There were people who gave up and hailed taxis out of sheer frustration and one wonders how much that cost them as they pre-paid Cunard for pick-ups. The White family, with some Chauffeur driving experience in the family arranged for a private pick-up through their hotel (Sheraton) rather than Cunard. We also arranged for the pick-up with plenty of time up our sleeve. The driver was a minute late in his big black Mercedes Benz. He covered
the front seat with a special cushion for a bag that would not fit in the boot.
Checked into hotel and went for a coffee in local café and chatted to some ladies from the Cunard who had had some troubles with their transport. Could not get keys until 2.00 p.m. It was rainy so did not bother with too much outside stuff, just a little orientation walk.
Went for a bit of a wander along Nathan Rd, zigzagging passed corner sellers and people making all sorts of ridiculous offers. Went back to the hotel for a lovely meal in the restaurant.
Cunard cough had started and a little croakiness in the throat put a dampener on activities and all we could do on Thursday was a few little walks near Nathan Rd. Headed towards the harbourside and found a cultural centre that was closed on Thursdays and went for a bit of a walk nearby and Starbucks appeared.
Dodged the rain for a while and then found a large shopping mall and must have passed every watch manufacturer in the world: Omega, Rolex, Cartier, IWC, Raymond Weil,
Hong Kong 2-5 April
Try and see the Queen Mary 2 through the afternoon mist and rain. etc. Then there were the fashion places like Gucci, Ermilio Zegna, Hugo Boss, etc and ladies places like Zara. The number of people in the stores was rather amazing.
We found a Cruise Ship (Star Cruise’s Pisces) and that had follwed us into port on 1 April. It seemed so much smaller than QM2. Only six tenders on that ship compared to 18 on QM2.
Found a Marks and Spencer and a little food market and bought a few small things including cough suppressants.
Lightning and thunder filled the night sky for a short period and some very heavy rain fell as well as around lunch time.
Friday was somewhat clearer and we ventured across the harbour to IFC, a really large and posh shopping centre. Lots of big name stores again and some that we had never seen before. Spent time chatting with the manager of the Apple store before lunch at Pret A Manger.
Back to the hotel, hop on internet before time ran out and then on a ferry to the Causeway. That was old town stuff and not many Caucasians and
Hong Kong 2-5 April
The view from hotel up Nathan Road some of the shops and laneways were unsavoury.
Back to hotel for final meal and pack up before heading to airport in hotel shuttle bus.
How strange, last day and sun shines brightly over Hong Kong. Smallish breakfast, coffee and an apple were consumed while we waited for the shuttle bus and “late” passengers. The trip to the airport was stunning and opened a lot more of Hong Kong than we had realised. The amount of building, roadwork and bridges were astounding. In particular the size of the bridges was jaw-dropping. Made some of our Australian bridges look like the ones we built as kids over drains.
The airport at Hong Kong is very large and well appointed until you get through the departure lounge where the shops are in a haphazard formation and confusing. Once we found the new Qantas Lounge we joined a couple who had been on the Queen and then another couple waved and then more and more. The new lounge kept us occupied until we boarded a very full A380 bound for Sydney.
Arrived in Sydney, rather tired and met by Jenny’s dad
Hong Kong 2-5 April
Near the HK Museum of Art and brother who took us safely home to end a fabulous journey.
BLOG Ends.
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