Originally Posted by moondog

Is there any chance you could cancel that flight and replace it with PEK-HKG or PEK-SIN? I'm running through the various SZX scenarios in my head, and none of them are especially optimal, but your 630p ferry is the least awful of the bunch. FYI, try to do OLCI (and optimally print your BPs) before you get to the ferry terminal; this will speed up the ticketing process because they only sell to people with airplane tickets. They can also be kind of anal about connecting times once you get to HKIA because they have to babysit you if you misconnect.

ETA: It's also occurred to that, in case you aren't aware, the walk from plane to the ground transportation area at SZX can easily suck up 40+ minutes.

Originally Posted by sinoflyer

As moondog mentions, the departure time of your flight out of HKG is an important determinant whether or not the ferry operator will even sell you a ticket. The confusing thing about the cutoff time is that it varies by airline/destination. I just used the Shekou ferry for the first time last month, and the CX staff told me that U.S.-bound pax need to arrive HKIA at least 120 minutes before scheduled departure. They regularly deny passengers who were unaware of the connecting time, because with the ferry, you are basically transiting Hong Kong instead of entering it. So it's the ferry operator's responsibility, not the airline, to deliver you to HKIA without risking a misconnect and leaving you stuck there with a possible bureaucratic mess.

JL says you need to take a ferry that arrives HKIA at least 110 minutes before your scheduled flight (link).
For SQ, it's 65 minutes with only hand luggage, 80 minutes with checked luggage (link).
CX's website has a general statement of 110 minutes, which might or might not contradict what I was told last month, because it referred specifically to U.S. pax (link).