ferry service

Two hydrofoils ferrying passengers between the Chinese territories of Hong Kong and Macau collided Friday night in heavy fog, seriously injuring 19 people, a Macau government spokesman said.

The poor visibility was also blamed for a number of other maritime accidents in the region. Parts of China's southern coast were enveloped in fog due to a warm, humid maritime air stream.

HONG KONG (Reuters) - An investigation is under way after two high-speed ferries collided in dense fog between Hong Kong and Macau, injuring around 100 people, operator TurboJet said on Saturday.

Twenty-two people were still being treated in hospital after the incident, which happened on Friday night, the company said.

TurboJet, a joint venture of Shun Tak Holdings Ltd, said in a statement it would offer compensation to injured passengers on a case-by-case basis.

HONG KONG (AP) - Casino mogul Sheldon Adelson is upping the ante against Macau competitors Friday by launching a ferry service from Hong Kong to the outlying strip of reclaimed land he hopes to transform into a massive gambling and vacation resort.

Macau's current ferry terminal is located on its mainland peninsula linked to China. That's where the casinos of many of Adelson's rivals are located, including Steve Wynn's Wynn Macau and Stanley Ho's Lisboa and Grand Lisboa.

The Venetian's new ferry service is slated to kick off on November 30th.

The 411-seat, double-deck Cotai Strip CotaiJets will go from the Hong Kong Macau Ferry Terminal direct to the new terminal in Taipa, bypassing the old ferry terminal on the Macau peninsula.

While the new service may not be popular with its old school competitors, you can bet that the tourists won't be complaining. So come on over to Macau; it's never been easier.

Money Cat says: Get your butt on the boat!

The South China Morning Post is reporting today on the ongoing woes of Macau's over-tasked ferry system. The transportation demand resulting from today's Pete Sampras / Roger Federer tennis match has exceeded ferry capacity to/from Hong Kong. Ferries are sold out and a number of ticket holders and un-suspecting tourists are stuck.

This newest problem comes right on the heels of the problems experienced after the Macau Grand Prix and the recent Black-Eyed Peas concert, which found many people unexpectedly having to spend an extra night in Macau due to lack of space on the ferries.