Worldwide Cruise Terminals (WCT), a consortium led by Worldwide Flight Services (WFS) which manages and operates Hong Kong’s Kai Tak Cruise Terminal (KTCT), has helped make history by welcoming the first cruise ship ever to be christened in Hong Kong.
Dream Cruises’ newest luxury liner – World Dream – made its inaugural call at KTCT on 17 November, where Puan Sri Cecilia Lim, World Dream’s official Godmother and the wife of Tan Sri Lim Kok Thay, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Genting Hong Kong, performed the traditional breaking of the champagne on the hull of the new ship in front of more than 1,000 government and business guests.
The new luxury liner can accommodate over 3,000 passengers.
Addressing guests at the event, Carrie Lam, Chief Executive of Hong Kong, said: “World Dream represents a major milestone in Hong Kong’s rise as a cruise ship hub. It will be the first megacruise ship to be christened here. It will also be the biggest cruise ship to call Hong Kong its year-round home. That speaks of the importance that Genting Hong Kong attaches to the Hong Kong market and the ability of Hong Kong to appeal to regional and global cruise ship lovers. World Dream’s year-round presence here also speaks of the state-of-the-art facilities at this Kai Tak Cruise Terminal. Cruise tourism in Hong Kong has been expanding rapidly in the four and-a-half years since the Kai Tak Cruise Terminal opened. My Government is determined to build on that strong foundation and inject further impetus into the development of cruise tourism.”
Jeff Bent, Managing Director of World Cruise Terminals, said: “We are proud to have welcomed the magnificent World Dream cruise liner and to have supported its historic christening ceremony in Hong Kong. With the opening on the Kai Tak Cruise Terminal in 2013, Hong Kong signaled its intention to be a world class cruise destination and this ambition is being realised year-on-year. WCT is committed to ensuring all cruise passengers in Hong Kong enjoy the highest standards of service quality as we continue to play an important role in this outstanding success story.”
The number of ship calls at the Kai Tak Cruise Terminal this year will reach an all-time high of some 190, with passenger throughput expected to top a record-breaking 700,000. WCT was awarded a 10-year contract to manage and operate the new KTCT in 2013 to build cruise tourism, coordinate operations among parties working onsite, and manage the 140,000 sqm facility to high standards. Earlier this year, Worldwide Cruise Terminals (WCT) was named one of three finalists for Best Environment Initiative in the annual Seatrade Cruise Awards 2017.
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