All aboard the cruise to nowhere; Hong Kong cruise a hit with expats

Genting Dream has welcomed close to 20,000 guests on board for "Super Seacation" get-aways. Photo / Supplied

They say travel is as much about the journey as the destination.

However, it seems cruise operator Genting Hong Kong has taken this expression to the extreme with a brand-new 'cruise to nowhere'.

Already, the cruise is a hit, perfectly capturing the market of expats desperate to travel but restrained by Hong Kong's strict quarantine protocols.

Some are willing to pay up to HK$23,838 (about $4,300 NZ) for a suite while smaller balcony cabins go for HK$1,688 (about $305 NZ).

During the last month 'Dream Cruises' ran 15 trips, taking around 20,000 passengers on two-to-three day voyages around international waters. The route saves travellers from Hong Kong's strict quarantine requirements, which can last up to 21 days and must be self-funded.

Where this presented a barrier for many tourism operators, Genting Cruise Lines' president Kent Zhu said they were able to use it to their advantage.

"The current situation of restricted travel has provided us with the opportunity to tap into this market as limited vacation options are giving this demographic group [expats] the chance to try out our product when perhaps they would have normally flown home for the summer," he said.

The concept of cruising nowhere may seem absurd, however, according to NZ Cruise Association CEO Kevin O'Sullivan, it's "nothing terribly new" in the industry.

O'Sullivan saying cruises that focused on entertainment such as music rather than destinations wasn't an uncommon way of doing business in the cruise world.

In fact, 'nowhere voyages' have been popular since the 1980s, where guests could try out the cruise experience for a short period and at a cheaper price.

However, this style of trip understandably regained popularity last year as a way to satisfy people's desire for adventure without the risks or complexity of a normal international voyage.

Unfortunately for New Zealander's keen on the idea, O'Sullivan said cruise ships weren't likely to return until October 2022.