Cruise ship visitors spent about $132 million in New Zealand in the past season, and passenger numbers are expected to jump 20 per cent in the coming season, breaking the 200,000 mark for the first time.

A Tourism Industry Association report shows 208,600 passengers are expected in the cruise season which is just about to start, up from a record-breaking 2011-12 season when 174,000 visited.

As well as the $132m spent by passengers, another $100m was spent by cruise companies on a range of products, from food and drinks, to fuel and port fees.

Wellington’s CentrePort said last week that 83 cruise ships called during the past season, and this season 91 had been confirmed.

The potential of the cruise sector will be discussed at the TIA Summit in Wellington today, where cruise ship company Carnival Australia chief executive Ann Shery will be a keynote speaker.

“Cruising is a rolled gold opportunity for New Zealand,” she said.

“The 174,000 cruise passengers who arrived here last season are the equivalent of around 330 full A380 passenger aircraft landing in New Zealand – almost one for every day of the year. And every one of those people is looking for great holiday experiences that New Zealand can offer.”

However, the cruise market is a small fraction of the 2.6 million short-term visitors that come to New Zealand each year.

Last year, total international tourism spending in New Zealand was almost $10 billion. On average, each visitor spends $2783 on their New Zealand visit, or about $2300 excluding airfares.

In contrast, the average adult cruise passenger spends almost $900 onshore during a trip to New Zealand, with about $244 a person in the shops and another $129 for onshore food and drinks.

The single biggest category is spending on activities and excursions on shore, at an average $361 each.

The figures exclude fees and commissions paid to foreign-based middlemen. In total about 63 per cent of all onshore spending goes direct to local providers, while about a third goes to cruise lines and 5 per cent to travel agents.

Two-thirds of cruise ship passengers were “transit” visitors who started and ended their cruise outside New Zealand and they spent an average of $782 each.

Exchange visitors who started or ended their visit in this country spent much more – an average of more than $1100 each, the report shows.

- © Fairfax NZ News

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Turning a cruise liner around in Auckland could pump about $1.26 million into the local economy, says Royal Caribbean Cruises Australasia managing director Gavin Smith.

Royal Caribbean’s 1800-passenger superliner the Celebrity Century will have cruises that start or finish in Auckland from October 2011.

The employment that came with a full ship turnaround included coaches, taxis, baggage handlers, customs and border control agencies that attended the pier and engagement with the airport and local hotels, Smith said.

“We have local fresh produce provedoring requirements, we have fuel needs and we also have stevedoring needs because we’ll do a full store in Auckland, in terms of container movements and the more industrial side of the business,” he said.

“The general figure that the cruise lines use is around a million dollars into the local economy on a turnaround day,” he said.

“And then you’ve got the additional upside of most of the Americans and Europeans and Australians that are getting on and off the ship will be buying one, two or three nights [accommodation] pre- or post cruise.”

Passengers were more inclined to buy accommodation to experience the city because it was the start or finish point of the cruise, Smith said.

The Celebrity Century would be the third vessel the company had in the region, although the other two would not embark and disembark in Auckland.

The company said it would bring 6000 visitors to New Zealand in the 2010/11 season, rising to 36,000 in 2011/12 . Americans and Europeans made up about 70 per cent of guests.

Auckland was the cruise capital of New Zealand, Smith said.

“Importantly, the port is an industrial working port so there is a continuing interest in Auckland harbour being a working harbour. What’s exciting for passengers is it’s one of the few ports in the world where you still get a downtown experience because the passenger wharf is adjacent to the downtown area.”

Cruise New Zealand chairman Craig Harris this month said 113,000 passengers would come to New Zealand this year, with bookings for 134,000 and 180,000 in 2010/11 and 2011/12 respectively.

Royal Caribbean’s Gavin Smith said that in the next three to five years congestion would drive the investment to create another purpose-built pier in Auckland. However, any facilities would need to be multi-purpose for the off-season.

CRUISING ON IN

Season:

2009/2010 – 113,000 passengers
2010/2011 – 134,000 passengers
2011/2012 – 180,000 passengers

By Owen Hembry | Email Owen

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P&O Cruises’ Pacific Pearl will be re-christened in the Waitemata Harbour next year.

P&O Cruises plans to base its newest superliner in New Zealand. The 1800-passenger Pacific Pearl will be re-christened in the Waitemata Harbour on December 19, 2010. Auckland will be the ship’s home port and from here it will travel to Australia and the Pacific Islands. Craig Harris, chairman of Cruise NZ, said basing the Pacific Pearl in Auckland “is a real coup for New Zealand”. He said the industry already had bookings for the 2010 summer season and expected around 135,000 passengers. Mr Harris said cruise passengers were the fourth-largest group of inbound travellers.

Ann Sherry, CEO of Carnival Australia and New Zealand, said it chose New Zealand as the base because the country was driving much of the company’s growth. “Cruising has proven remarkably recession-resistant. As the world economy starts to recover, I believe we are in for sustained growth,” she said. “If New Zealand is to capitalise on that growth, it needs the right infrastructure and planning in place.”

FACTS

Built: 1989, renovated for P&O in 2010.
Weight: 69,500 gross tonnes.
Length: 247 metres.
Width: 32 metres.
Decks: 11.
Speed: Maximum 21.5 knots.
Passenger cabins: 839.
Facilities: Three restaurants, six bars and lounges, spa, fitness centre and gym, two swimming pools, multi-level show lounge, cinema, casino, duty-free shopping boutiques. Click for images

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