Things To Do In Hong Kong Before You Die: Take A Romantic Dinner Cruise
Things To Do In Hong Kong Before You Die
Take A Romantic Dinner Cruise
Hong Kong may not seem like a place for romance, what with the crowds and the noise, but options do exist.
You can always go with the fine dining/hotel room package, but even that can feel rushed or a bit of a chore. Recently I was introduced to a fantastic option that you should know about: a dinner cruise for two aboard a luxury yacht.
I've been on plenty of junk boat cruises around Hong Kong, but this boat was no junk. Imagine if you will an 80-foot modern cruiser large enough to accommodate 50 people, yet having the entire vessel to yourself and your partner. Now imagine the addition of a fabulous dinner, complete with wine and dessert, prepared by one of Hong Kong's top restaurant groups and served by a personal waiter.
Finally, throw in a four-hour cruise and fireworks show and you have the perfect recipe for an unforgettable evening.
Mabel and I experienced just such a romantic getaway, and this cruise was all about luxurious pampering.
To begin with, the yacht was spotless and spacious, a
far cry from lesser boats, where you'd have to wipe dust and sea spray off the seats before sitting down. Moreover, the huge stateroom, which was easily
more than three times the size of our flat's main room, was air-conditioned, comfortable, and resplendent with gleaming polished wood and soft lighting. A
table on the port side was neatly dressed in a fresh white table cloth and place settings for two.
Nearby was a large flat-screen TV, accompanied by a DVD/Karaoke player (though we had no intentions of singing, we could have if we'd so desired). Behind the wall was the waiter's domain, including a well-stocked bar, oven, cooker and microwave.
Our waiter offered glasses of Chardonnay prior to our
boat tour, set to kick off as we pulled away from the pier. A staircase to starboard took us below deck to the main bathroom and master bedroom. The
bathroom was clean, bright, large, and even had a glassed-in massage shower. The master bedroom around the corner had plenty of room and cupboard
space for those interested in staying overnight, and even had its own ensuite.
Back on the main deck we moved toward the stern
to take in the view of Hong Kong as we sailed through Victoria Harbour on our way toward Lantau Island. The city at night is glorious and takes on a much
different feel when seen from the deck of a moving ship. We then climbed a twisting staircase lit with blue pin-lights to the open upper deck, where the
expanse allowed us to stroll about in the warm breeze.
Aside of our captain, two deckhands were aboard to ensure smooth operation of the boat. We sailed past the Stonecutters Bridge project toward the Tsing Ma Bridge, which looks best at night under its multi-coloured lighting. Our destination was a select mooring off the festively lit Disneyland Resort Hotel.
Shortly thereafter Mabel and I repaired to the main deck
in anticipation of dinner, which by then was being prepared and from which drifted a mouth-watering aroma. More wine was served while we took our places at
the table. Set before us was a Thai green mango and pomelo salad lightly drizzled in a sweet and sour chili sauce. As the opening dish it was marvelous: crispy,
tangy and with just the right amount of spiciness.
Normally the menu includes "lobster bisque with slipper tail lobster meat", but as I cannot eat seafood this next course was substituted with a pumpkin bisque, warm buns and butter. Of course eating aboard a moored vessel is not the same as dining on land, but the gentle rocking detracted not at all from our dining experience (we'd also taken an anti-seasickness tablet well before boarding just to be safe and it seemed to be doing its job well).
Once we'd finished our soups, the waiter then presented
the third course: char-grilled Angus beef tenderloin in a truffle red wine sauce, complete with baby carrots and creamy mashed potatoes. The tenderloin stood
about an inch and half high and was charred to perfection (but if you're not into meat, a vegetarian menu is available). The one error I made was not specifying
when booking how I preferred the meat to be prepared, but even served rare it was excellent.
After the main courses we took a break to visit the upper deck. One of the side benefits of dining off the Disneyland resort is the being on time for the nightly fireworks display. When you're on the water in clear air and surrounded by blackness (hotel notwithstanding), the fireworks are dazzling. Though not as long as the Lunar New Year or National Day shows over Victoria Harbour, Disneyland's display is quite good, and when viewed from a huge yacht, you feel as though it was put on just for you and your mate.
When we returned to the main deck we found dessert waiting: chocolate cheese cake with a white chocolate mint sauce, and coffee. The cheesecake was light, with a texture similar to a mousse, which I appreciated as regular cheesecake tends to be heavy. Nor was the chocolate overpowering or too sweet. While we savoured our final course, the captain came about and began to sail the way we came.
After dinner we went topside again to enjoy the scenery
with another glass of wine as we cruised steadily toward the western edge of Hong Kong. For those who've never seen it, the view as the boat rounds Kennedy
Town becomes a forest of skyscrapers, growing larger and more brightly lit as you edge towards Sheung Wan and Central. Victoria Harbour is alive with
watercraft, all moving in a kind of aquatic ballet that is much easier to appreciate when in its midst.
The cruise continued past Admiralty and Wan Chai, with the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre rising from the shoreline like a seabird taking flight. Our destination was Causeway Bay Pier inside the typhoon shelter, where many other luxury yachts were anchored. Closer to shore the enormousness of our yacht once again became apparent; it was bigger than everything around it. Although our romantic cruise was at its end, we had a memory that would stay with us forever.
We also feel it would be the perfect way to throw a party,
whether day or night. In fact, a group of up to 50 people could feel like millionaires aboard this yacht for less than the cost of a nice dinner and movie, whether
for a corporate event, or just family and friends wanting to celebrate a special event or simply have a wonderful day of relaxation. It sure beats hauling grocery
bags of raw meat on a bus to some faraway country park barbeque site. All it takes is a little imagination and coordination. Even tourists can plan a special
romantic cruise for two, instead of smashing aboard a crowded dinner ferry and fighting the chop in Victoria Harbour.
So yes, it's safe to say that Mabel and I are fans and won't rule out another romantic cruise, perhaps to celebrate our anniversary, but with an overnight stay and breakfast as well. Anything is possible.