Strolling along Mairangi Bay Beach or from vantage points over the Gulf, you will start to notice that the cruise season has started, and more than 50 ships will call into Tamaki Makaurau this year, bringing 250,00 visitors.
Businesses in and around Tāmaki Makaurau are encouraged to welcome cruise visitors. The full cruise ship schedule is available on the Ports of Auckland website with dates of arrival and passenger capacity, so businesses can plan and prepare for demand accordingly. If you have a product or service that might apply to such visitors, check out www.poal.co.nz.
Regular visitor, Celebrity Solstice, docked in mid-October but three new cruise lines are also due to dock at Queens Wharf. They are Disney Cruise Line, Virgin Voyages and Celebrity Edge.
Deputy Mayor Desley Simpson said Auckland is New Zealand’s primary exchange point for cruise ships. “Spending from cruise ship visitors benefits local Auckland tour companies and tourism attractions, city centre retailers and accommodation providers, among others. International tourists bring a sense of dynamism and added vigour to the region.”
“We know previous cruise seasons delivered positive impacts which were felt throughout the region. The 2022 season brought 38 ships and 165,000 passengers to Auckland, with each cruise passenger estimated to spend more than $700 while in the region, usually for one day. This season looks to build on those numbers and will result in significant on-ground spending with spillover effects for the wider economy.”
