The first cruise ship since March 2020, the Pacific Explorer, has arrived in Auckland, marking a significant occasion for the New Zealand cruise industry.
"We can expect once again to see an increased vibrancy in downtown as passengers come ashore ready to savour the delights of our biggest city," said Kevin O'Sullivan, Chief Executive Officer at New Zealand Cruise Association (NZCA).
Many communities have highly anticipated the return of cruise across the country. In particular, regions where cruises account for a large part of their tourism, such as Northland, Gisborne, New Plymouth, Picton, Timaru and Rakiura Stewart Island.
"The main cruise season begins in mid-October, but today's arrival signals that cruise is back in Aotearoa, New Zealand. It is the first of many visits that will demonstrate the value that cruise injects into our regional economies as port calls return to numbers last seen in 2019-20."
On 18 August, NZCA's annual conference will be making a comeback too at the Aotea Centre in Auckland, bringing together international cruise line executives and local players to town to talk cruise.
