14 October 2022
The first cruise ship of the Aotearoa New Zealand summer cruise season will dock at the Port of Tauranga tomorrow, heralding the return of an industry that has traditionally contributed millions of dollars to the country’s economy each year.
The Majestic Princess arrives at the Port of Tauranga from Tahiti at 5:30am tomorrow (Saturday, 15 October) and will depart at 5:30pm with up to 3,560 passengers on board.
Passengers will be welcomed with a haka pōhiri from Te Reo Whakakoko o Mauao as they disembark the ship at 8am. The group is affiliated with Tauranga Moana mana whenua from Ngāiterangi, Ngāti Ranginui, Ngāti Pūkenga and other iwi.
The vessel’s arrival signals the start of what is expected to be a significant cruise season for New Zealand and the Coastal Bay of Plenty, with many cruise companies reporting their strongest sales to date.
Tourism Bay of Plenty General Manager and New Zealand Cruise Association Board member, Oscar Nathan, says it’s a privilege to host the first of New Zealand’s summer cruise manuhiri (visitors) and to impress them with the manaakitanga that the region is renowned for.
“It’s a Bay tradition to acknowledge and celebrate these impressive ships and their passengers, so we’re encouraging people to celebrate cruise ships being back in our waters by farewelling the Majestic Princess from vantage points such as Pilot Bay and Mauao.
“With approximately 171,000 cruise ship manuhiri and almost 73,000 crew members expected for the 2022/23 season, there will be a real buzz around the region with more people exploring the beautiful Bay of Plenty, which will be fantastic to see,” he says.
The financial impact of the two-year absence of cruise ships has been felt across New Zealand. The cruise industry injected $547 million into the country’s economy in the 2019/20 cruise season, with most of that spend benefitting the tourism, transport, and retail sectors.
Port of Tauranga Chief Executive, Leonard Sampson, says the port is delighted to welcome cruise ships again. In total, 103 cruise ships are expected to dock in Tauranga this season.
“Cruise ship passengers are an important source of revenue for the Bay of Plenty and Waikato tourism industries, which have really suffered during the pandemic.
“They are also a spectacular sight for locals as they enter and depart Te Awanui Tauranga Harbour,” he says.
The Coastal Bay of Plenty has typically enjoyed the country’s second-highest share of cruise spend, behind Auckland, with the last full summer cruise season (2018/19) contributing $89m to the local economy.
Recent research (August 2022) by Nexus Research shows that 76 per cent of Tauranga residents are happy to welcome cruise ship visitors because of the significant economic benefit and the vibrancy and cultural diversity the passengers and crew bring.