Having missed the Symphony of Lights the first time I came to Hong Kong, I wanted to make sure to catch it the next time I was here. What better way to see it than from a traditional junk boat in the middle of Victoria Harbour? We booked our tickets through klook.com which was easy to buy and made our way to the pier at Tsim Sha Shui (all the way to the right of disembarking from the Star Ferry pier at the Hong Kong Cultural Center). We got there 20 min early to be amongst the first to board. The crew disembarks the cruise before ours before boarding us. Several members of the crew help visitors aboard, as you basically jump from the pier onto the boat (with many helping hands), as there is no bridge or gangplank to get on or off. The crew definitely makes you feel safe as you are told to get onboard at the precise moment the ship is not rocking. We found some seats towards the prow of the boat. A crew member was able to get another chair for us to complete our party of 3. Our ticket also gave us a complimentary beer, glass of wine, or soft drink. The order was taken promptly and delivered quickly. While enjoying the drink, the boat heads over to the pier at Central to pick up more passengers. The views of the Hong Kong skyline are unparalleled on this boat, as you're able to see both views towards Central and towards Kowloon. After picking up passengers from Central, the boat turns around and heads back into Victoria Harbour while waiting for the light show to start (the lights on the building give you a countdown). The light show was cool but I thought the synthetic music was a little cheesy. But getting to be on a beautiful boat with night views of Hong Kong to be an incredible experience that can't be forgotten.
1) Board on Tsim Sha Shui for better selection of seats on the outside deck
2) Trust the crew and your sea legs when they help you board and disembark
3) Save $ and go for the cruise right before or any of the times after the Symphony of Lights