Hong Kong

We will be docked overnight in Hong Kong on Saturday, December 23, 2017 until December 24. We are disembarking the Celebrity Millennium on December 24 for a flight to the states that leaves at 11:10 a.m. on December 24. I know it is an early flight but I wanted to be home for Christmas eve. It is a non-stop flight which gets me home the same day at around noon.

For those of you who have disembarked in the Hong Kong cruise port how much time do you think we will need to get through customs or whatever they do there and get to the airport. I will need to call a taxi for pick up.

Thanks for all the help I always receive from fellow cruisers.

Can't help you with how long it takes for customs/immigration at the cruise terminal, but keep in mind:

On a good day, it takes about 30-40 minutes to drive out to HKG airport.

You'll also have to go through security & HK immigration at the airport after check-in with your airline.

Most airlines will not allow check-in 30 minutes before departure.

You might want to consider taking a taxi to the nearest Airport Express Station: Kowloon. You'll need at least 90 minutes before your departure time. There they have check-in services for most airlines and the train ride is less than 30 minutes. At the station you can check-in your luggage, get your boarding passes, take the train directly to the terminal. From there you can go directly to security - immigration and to your gate.

http://www.mtr.com.hk/en/customer/services/airport_express_index.html

Being on a holiday Sunday morning, traffic to/from HKIA should be lighter than average from KTCT - metered taxi fare with bridge toll & tipping will run you about $350 to $400 HKD (approx. $45 to $50 USD based on 1:7.75 exchange rate) payable in local currency ... once out in Kwun Tong area & onto elevated roadway, about 45 minutes curbside to curbside. (Good for up 3 pax + 3 large pc. of luggage in the trunk, bungee corded as needed to fit. Taxi will seat 4 or 5 tightly but limited by luggage capacity, just hold on to smaller carry-ons) & please wear your seatbelts, as required by law & for your safety @ 80 to 100 km/hr at speed.)

Your aim is to get to HKIA by 9 AM to allow time to check-in, security screening, border/immigration exit & then custom, before proceeding via APM to terminal for boarding (which generally start at -45 minutes to 1 hour, with a secondary check for liquid/3-1-1 at the designated U.S. bound gate area). I'm guessing that you are on UA metal, nonstop to ORD - do not buy any water or soda, juice airside as they will be "surrendered" into the big blue 55 gal. drum pre-boarding. Duty-free liquor purchased will be sealed & delivered to the gate, however, if you must. ** If flying CX, check-in ... luggage drop & BP can be issued at the KL or HK side of AE Station up to 24 hours before scheduled departure, it's good for those staying at a hotel in-town, probably not practical for OP unless going to T.S.T. East area on Saturday anyway.

Option #2 is - via Airport Express (AE) train @ Kowloon Station .. but, you will still need to join the taxi queue anyway and not really saving time - airport check in is fairly efficient & organized and these days, you can do mobile boarding passes & complete online check-in via WiFi (free @KTCT, enabled & also at AE stations and on the train). Fares to KL AE Station is about $80 to $100 HKD in about 15 to 20 minutes, then, you will need to (free porter's help is available) get downstairs to remotely check-in, drop your luggage off & get your printed BP, etc. before catching the next train, etc. - and buy the AE Tickets. (anywhere from 5 to 10 or 15 minutes depending on the lines/crowd size) plus another 25 minutes for the ride out to the airport.

Advantage is that you bypass the airport check-in counters and just go straight into restricted area for security, immigration, custom & out to the gate. As for fares & savings, regular adult fare, one-way from KL AE Station to HKIA is now $105 p/p for single use or $210 for 2 traveling together as a group (up to 4 with higher discount) - for just $150 HKD. Add your taxi fare of $80 to $100 for a total of $230 to $250 vs. $350 to $400 for taking a taxi directly to the airport (difference of about $100 to $150 HKD or $13 to $19 USD in savings or extra cost) There is also currently a taxi deal, present the receipt for 50% off the regular AE fares - see the link below for details.

http://www.mtr.com.hk/en/customer/tickets/promotions_4persons.html

Personally, I would probably just pay that for one stop convenience & step off directly for the airport terminal, far less walking, turns & escalators at the KL Station, etc. Have an early breakfast on the ship, proceed to the gangway by 7AM to 7:30 AM, exit to immigration/custom in leaving the ship in 30 minutes - 15 minutes for getting into a taxi - for the ride to HKIA, getting there around 9 to 9:15, which should be fine for doing all the steps.

HKIA has lots of duty-free shops (everything in HK is tax-free) but also variety of restaurants & shops, prices are higher than those in-town, typically airport priced ... if you get there earlier than outlined, feel free to window shop & explore, have an early lunch before boarding, etc.)

since you will be arriving on the 23rd and will clear immigration , when you leave the ship on the 24th, you just walk off and either carry your own luggage or collect your luggage in the designated area.

Thank you so much for responding to my post. You have made it much clearer to me how long we will need to get off the ship and get to the airport. I think it will be easier to take a taxi. We will probably have to take our own luggage off and might leave at 7:00 a.m. I know we will be at the airport for a few hours but I want to make sure we do not miss our flight.

Another option is to leave the ship on the 23rd.

We've stayed at the hotel at the airport and that will make the 24th a lot less hectic.

The airport is large. If you go on the 24th I would give yourself a lot of time.

Remember many taxis are not very large.

Think about the 23rd.

Keith

If the plan is leave the ship by 7 AM and immigration/custom formalities are all done on 23rd. - that's plenty of time to get out to the airport. Last time we left on hotel just off Nathan Rd's taxi stand, took us just about 40 minutes to get there, curbside to curbside. HK has a world/first class public/mass transit system and taxis - there are Apps to request/book a taxi, with a nominal surcharge for the service instead of calling, or, join the "queue" at the terminal.

Plenty of folks probably spending the holiday and not rushing to the airport so I can't imagine a long line - and, lots of taxi driver will be more than happy & delight to do the airport run as it is a good fare for them, knowing also that visitors or "lowai" will tip better than average vs. local or mainlanders.

I would keep track of the inbound flight from O'Hare in case of a blizzard or weather delaying the aircraft and not rush out to HKIA if flight ops might be "challenged" for a quick & timely turnaround. Be sure to have an updated/working email or mobile # for the airline to call or notify in case they needed to ...

Besides, it's the time of the year where many locals will be gone, out of town, traveling & taking holiday time off and there's no winter storm to worry about in Kowloon or Lantau.