TurboJET is arguably the most popular ferry company between Hong Kong and Macau with frequent departures all around the clock everyday. I had originally wanted to take the train the long way around to Macau, but I had a lunch appointment to meet, so I opted to just get the ferry since my hotel was nearby Hong Kong Macau Ferry Terminal (Shun Tak Centre, Sheung Wan) to get the ferry across. For this trip, I purchased my ticket on KLOOK to save a little bit of money than to buy it directly at the ferry terminal on the spot.
There are two types of tickets available on KLOOK, the TurboJET Ferry Tickets (Macau Outer Harbor or HK Island/Kowloon Departure) – Fixed Date Ticket which is slightly cheaper at HK$162 but requires to book minimum 1 day in advance, and the TurboJET Ferry Open Ticket (HK Island/Macau Outer Harbor Departure) – Hong Kong Pick Up at HK$171 which is available instantly. As I booked my ticket only the night before, I got the TurboJET Ferry Open Ticket instead.
Heading to pick up my ticket from the Beng Seng Travel counter in Shun Tak Centre, Sheung Wan.
As the TurboJET tickets on KLOOK are handled by Beng Seng Travel, there is no need to head to the main TurboJET counters.
My TurboJET Ferry Open Ticket from Beng Seng Travel.
Heading to the West Bridge for immigration and boarding.
Crossing the bridge to the TurboJET check-in counter.
Upon scanning my ticket here, the actual ticket with timing from TurboJET pops out from the machine.
My actual TurboJET ticket with the assigned timing of 11.20am – the next available departure.
Heading down to clear Hong Kong immigration.
Once immigration was done in a jiffy with the e-Channel, it’s down another floor to the gates.
The departure hall of Hong Kong Macau Ferry Terminal (Shun Tak Centre, Sheung Wan).
I headed to the standby queue first in the hopes of getting an earlier ferry.
Seems like the earlier ferry is a Jetfoil. Hmm, chances are slim I guess.
True enough, the ferry got full before I could get my seat sticker, and everyone in the queue was turned away to Gate 1 for the next ferry departure, the 11.20am at Gate 1. As I already had a ticket for it, I didn’t rush to the next standby queue like most other passengers who have later tickets.
Heading to Gate 1.
Heading past the standby queue.
Getting my seat sticker from the gate counter to “check-in”.
Yup, that’s my 11.20am ferry.
The door down to the boarding gangway.
I picked Seat 22B, a front-ish aisle seat.
The gates were opened 13 minutes before departure time.
Looks like I’m getting a big catamaran, so everyone is probably going to be able to fit on this bigger boat.
Heading down the stairs which I realise now why people are rushing down but not boarding the ferry – they want a smoke first.
Heading down to the floating pontoon.
Boarding the Austal Cat christened Universal MK 2014.
Heading towards the bow for my seat.
My seat at 22A.
The interior of the Austal Cat Universal MK 2014.
The seats are wider than regular plane seats, and the legroom is sufficiently comfortable.
The view of the ferry from my seat.
The seat comes with a simple fold-down table. The seat itself does not recline, though it is already angled comfortably.
The safety card of the Austal Cat Universal MK 2014 featuring the abandon ship procedure.
Slipping off from Hong Kong Macau Ferry Terminal (Shun Tak Centre, Sheung Wan).
A safety video was played during departure.
Goodbye Hong Kong Macau Ferry Terminal (Shun Tak Centre, Sheung Wan).
Goodbye Hong Kong Island.
Looking back at Pok Fu Lam.
The 11.20am ferry on a Friday was very full.
Heading to the toilets in the aft.
The spacious accessible toilet on board.
Arriving in Macau.
Passing by another TurboJET catamaran.
The view of Sands Macao from the ferry.
The seamen get ready to alongside at Macau Outer Harbour Ferry Terminal.
Disembarking from the ferry with everyone wanting to get off too.
The journey from Hong Kong Macau Ferry Terminal (Shun Tak Centre, Sheung Wan) to Macau Outer Harbour Ferry Terminal took exactly 60 minutes.
Heading out of the floating pontoon.
Heading into the terminal building for Macau immigration.
The main hall of Macau Outer Harbour Ferry Terminal.
Here, I headed off to catch the shuttle bus to my hotel.
Overall, an efficient journey with TurboJET. The pros of getting an open ticket is of course not needing to worry when you need to actually show up at the terminal, though the con is that you will only be getting the next available departure on your ticket when you check-in before immigration, so you can’t pick an earlier timing even if you arrive at the terminal early, and you have to stand in the standby line for an earlier ferry, which is not guaranteed that you will be able to get it.
Despite having the new Hong Kong–Zhuhai–Macau Bridge, the TurboJET gets you from city to city directly without transfers, which is an advantage over transferring buses by road, which is probably why TurboJET is unfazed by the road competition and are still getting full ferries today.