39 articles · policy, port, ship and advisory updates
Expedition line Swan Hellenic has opened its first Southern Hemisphere office, in Sydney's Rose Bay, timed to the Cruise360 conference and aimed at its growing Australasian market. The line has scheduled a 32-night voyage aboard Minerva departing Ushuaia in February 2027 that calls at Dunedin and Auckland alongside South Pacific and Asian ports. Chief commercial officer Mario Bounas said the market's growth had prompted the move, while ruling out immediate cruises in Australian domestic waters.
The Cruise Lines International Association's Cruise360 Australasia conference has opened in Sydney with a record turnout of close to 1,000 delegates, even as the region keeps shedding cruise deployments. CLIA Australasia executive director Joel Katz said New Zealand's government was hearing the industry's concerns, while noting that both Australia and New Zealand have lost ships to other parts of the world. Organisers still pointed to global growth, with worldwide passenger numbers tracking toward around 42 million by the end of the decade.
The 2026/27 cruise season began on 29 August as Crown Princess docked in Auckland's Waitematā Harbour, with the Government forecasting close to 200,000 cruise passengers through to the end of June. Tourism and Hospitality Minister Louise Upston pointed to renewed operator confidence and closer government-industry coordination, while Auckland's destination agency expects the sector to add more than NZ$200 million to the regional economy this season.
Marking the season opening, Princess Cruises said it will roughly double its New Zealand port calls from the 2028/29 season, calling at nine ports: Auckland, Tauranga, Wellington, Lyttelton, Dunedin, Picton, Napier and Timaru, plus Fiordland scenic cruising. The line says the additional calls would generate more than NZ$100 million in economic value and make it the country's largest cruise operator.
Addressing the New Zealand Cruise Association's annual conference in Auckland on 13 August, CLIA Australasia and Asia executive director Joel Katz said New Zealand is competing for ship deployment not only with Australia but with Alaska, Japan, the Caribbean, the Mediterranean and other regions. He argued passenger demand alone does not decide itineraries, as lines also weigh operating costs, port availability, regulation, infrastructure, fuel and reliability, and said the country must offer three things to win visits back: confidence, certainty and competitiveness. Katz cautioned that continually layering new or uncertain charges ultimately affects itinerary length and how many ports a ship can call at.
Tātaki Auckland Unlimited, working with Port of Auckland and industry partners, has released the Auckland Cruise Plan 2026-2036, a decade-long strategy to keep Auckland the country's leading cruise hub and preferred turnaround port. Rather than chasing raw passenger numbers, it targets higher-value activity such as more turnaround calls, longer stays and increased winter deployment, alongside the Port's Bledisloe North berth and terminal programme, smoother airport-to-port transfers and Māori-led visitor experiences. Officials say Auckland drew about NZ$201 million in cruise spend in 2023/24, roughly 39% of the national total.
The New Zealand Cruise Association has re-elected Tansy Tompkins, chief executive of Wellington Cable Car, as chair at its annual general meeting held ahead of the 13 August conference in Auckland, with Tourism Bay of Plenty general manager Oscar Nathan named deputy chair. In her chair's report Tompkins said the "hard truth" is that New Zealand is still fighting to win back cruise deployment, with the 2027-28 outlook difficult and only slight improvement likely in 2028-29. She argued the sector is nonetheless in a stronger position than a year ago, pointing to deeper government engagement through the Cross-Government Cruise Forum and the inclusion of cruise in the country's first national Tourism Policy Statement.
Luxury travel agency cooperative Signature Travel Network has named former Norwegian Cruise Line executive Damian Borg to a newly created role of general manager for Australia and New Zealand. The network, which has grown to more than 90 member agency locations across the two markets since the pandemic, says the appointment gives it a full-time regional leadership presence and that Borg will drive growth and build out a market-specific luxury cruise programme. Borg previously led sales strategy across Australia, New Zealand and Asia at NCL, with earlier senior roles at Globus, Club Med, Virgin Australia and APT.
New Zealand-based expedition line Heritage Expeditions has created a new Sales Director Americas position and appointed Canadian travel-industry veteran Meg Murgatroyd, who will be based in Toronto. The family-owned operator says the hire is aimed at strengthening travel-advisor and trade partnerships and lifting bookings across Canada and the United States, which it describes as one of its most important growth markets. The appointment comes as Heritage prepares to introduce its new ship, Heritage Discoverer, from the 2027-28 season.
New Zealand-based Heritage Expeditions has put the maiden 2027-28 season of its new expedition ship Heritage Discoverer on sale, adding the vessel - formerly Exploris One - to its fleet from May 2027 alongside Heritage Adventurer and the yacht Heritage Explorer. The family-owned operator's directors called the expansion a "pivotal moment" in its 40-plus-year history, with itineraries spanning the Arctic, Antarctica, the sub-Antarctic islands and the coasts of Europe and the British Isles. Early-booking savings of 20% apply across the season for bookings made by 31 August.
The New Zealand Cruise Association has named a second round of speakers for its 13 August conference at Auckland's Shed 10, including Auckland Mayor Wayne Brown, Royal Caribbean Group's Josh Dolgoy and Tourism New Zealand chief executive Rene de Monchy. Run under the theme 'From No New Zealand to New Zealand', the event is focused on winning back cruise-line deployment after several softer seasons. Association chief executive Jacqui Lloyd described the line-up as one of the strongest yet.
Experienced cruise, tourism and transport industry figure to guide New Zealand's ambitious new cruise intelligence and destination platform.
Dunedin's Port Chalmers is set for its busiest cruise season on record, with 85 ship visits booked for 2026/27 against 69 last year, and around half of those vessels able to carry at least 2,000 passengers. At the same time the Otago Regional Council is cutting close to 100 extra bus trips into the city, saying cruise operators are changing their own shuttle arrangements and remaining extra services will be focused on the busiest days. West Harbour Community Board members say they will watch whether the reduced services cause problems for residents.
Scenic Group has released its 2028-29 collection for the ultra-luxury Discovery Yacht Scenic Eclipse II, which returns to Australia, New Zealand, Asia and the South Pacific after its 2024 and 2025 regional seasons. The line is also expanding small-group land journeys that take in New Zealand, and is offering a complimentary helicopter flightseeing experience on selected early-booked 2028-29 voyages in Australia, New Zealand and the South Pacific.
Silversea has partnered with golf travel operator PerryGolf on a set of golf-focused itineraries for 2027 and 2028, one of which calls in New Zealand. The 14-day Silver Moon voyage from Sydney to Auckland, scheduled for 29 January to 12 February 2028, pairs the sailing with rounds at Otago Golf Club, Royal Wellington, Cape Kidnappers and Kauri Cliffs. Silversea has said further 2028 golf voyages are expected to be announced.
Napier Port has just 50 cruise ships booked for the 2026/27 season, a 44% fall from the record 89 that called in 2023/24, extending a season-by-season slide (89, 78, 55, 50). Its forward bookings show no meaningful rebound before 2028/29, when 58 calls are pencilled in — still about a third below the peak. Port and industry figures attribute the retreat to rising costs, mid-season regulatory changes and biofouling compliance rather than any fall in passenger demand.
Cruise holiday specialist Imagine Cruising has appointed Lisa Teiotu as managing director for Australasia, a region that includes its New Zealand office. Teiotu, previously managing director ANZ for MSC Cruises and a former APAC business development head at Royal Caribbean Group, succeeds Alex Sirman, who is relocating to the company's Florida office.
Explora Journeys has appointed Amy Williams as commercial director for Australia and New Zealand. Williams moves from Cunard, where she spent more than a decade and most recently held the sales and marketing director role. She will lead the luxury brand's regional commercial team from Sydney.
Gisborne is the only North Island port with more cruise calls booked for the 2026/27 season. New Zealand Cruise Association data reported by the Gisborne Herald shows confirmed calls up about 50% on the season just gone, with local tourism figures expecting around 10,000 passengers ashore. Every other North Island port is down, with Napier and Wellington the biggest fallers.
A Conservation Amendment Bill has passed its first reading, paving the way for international-visitor access charges at four crown-jewel sites — Milford Sound, Aoraki/Mount Cook, Cathedral Cove and the Tongariro Alpine Crossing. Charges are expected between $20 and $50 per person, NZ residents exempt; revenue is earmarked for conservation and visitor facilities.
With bookings sliding, government agencies and the cruise sector are building a plan to rebuild New Zealand's appeal, targeting the port fees, biosecurity levies and compliance costs that have made it one of the region's most expensive stops. Customs forecasts passenger volumes stabilising and returning to modest growth from 2026/27.
MPI requires cruise vessels to arrive with clean hull and niche areas — inspected and if needed cleaned within 30 days of arrival — or operate under an approved Craft Risk Management Plan. MPI is urging lines to submit documentation early and is trialling underwater scanning technology to speed inspections.
The Government has confirmed cruise ships can keep sailing into Piopiotahi/Milford Sound, rejecting an earlier proposal to ban large vessels from the inner harbour. Access stays capped at no more than two ships per day, alongside $15.2m for infrastructure and conservation.
New-season preview data points to roughly 3% fewer cruise ship visits in 2026/27, extending a slide that has cut port calls by about 480 since the 2023/24 peak. Royal Caribbean's NZ deployment is down nearly 70% on recent years and Disney has confirmed it will not return, with operators citing higher port fees, biosecurity levies and compliance costs.
A CLIA-commissioned study puts cruise tourism's contribution to the New Zealand economy at NZ$1.37 billion in the last financial year, spread across ports, shore tours, retail and hospitality — with regional port towns capturing a significant share of passenger and crew spending.
Cruise passenger border-processing levies changed on 1 February 2026, following a December 2024 increase that lifted per-passenger charges by roughly 88%. Industry bodies warn the cumulative fees — on top of the $100 International Visitor Levy — are eroding New Zealand's competitiveness as a cruise destination.
Cruise lines say new border-clearance fees introduced with little notice added millions in unbudgeted costs mid-season and, because voyages are sold a year ahead, could not be recovered from passengers. Operators cite the charges among reasons for shifting capacity to Australia and the South Pacific.
Government and cruise-sector leaders used the second national Cruise Forum in Wellington to agree shared priorities — infrastructure investment, regulatory coordination, biofouling management and port modernisation — aimed at reversing the recent decline in port calls.
Disney Cruise Line has confirmed it will not return to New Zealand or Australia for the 2026/27 season, with Disney Wonder's final regional sailing in February 2026. The line is redeploying to Asia-Pacific hubs including Singapore and Japan.
Port Otago holds 85 tentative cruise bookings for 2026/27, up about 8% on the comparable prior season, with Celebrity Edge opening the season on 21 October. The 2025/26 season brought roughly 110,000 passengers to Dunedin despite some weather-related cancellations.
Cunard's newest ship, Queen Anne, made its first-ever visits to New Zealand in March 2026 as part of a world voyage, alongside fleetmate Queen Mary 2. Queen Elizabeth, by contrast, is running a Caribbean season from Miami this year.
Crown Princess is scheduled to open Auckland's 2026/27 cruise season on 29 August, berthing at Queens Wharf — the first of the season's downtown-terminal calls, with arrivals building through spring.
The New Zealand Cruise Association warns the country risks a lasting loss of deployed capacity unless costs and regulatory certainty improve, with port calls down around 480 from the 2023/24 peak as lines favour Australia and the South Pacific.
The New Zealand Cruise Association's conference rallied members around rebuilding the destination's appeal after seasons of decline, framing the challenge as moving "from no New Zealand to New Zealand" in cruise-line deployment planning.
The 2025/26 season saw close to 40 cruise ships call at New Zealand ports carrying roughly 177,000 visitors, reinforcing cruise's role in regional economies even as forward bookings for later seasons soften.
Industry analysts flagged that New Zealand's planned border-levy changes could reduce cruise ship visits by raising the per-passenger cost of calling, compounding other fee increases at a time when lines are reviewing regional deployments.
Napier Port has published its 2026/27 cruise calendar, with the first calls scheduled from late spring. Ships berth alongside at the commercial port, feeding passengers into Hawke's Bay wineries, Art Deco tours and Cape Kidnappers excursions.
MPI has reminded cruise operators that vessels arriving with excessive hull biofouling risk being ordered to clean or leave, urging lines to submit craft risk management plans early to avoid delays or cancelled calls during the New Zealand season.
Smaller port communities — from the Bay of Islands to Akaroa and Bluff — rely heavily on cruise-day spending in cafes, tour operators and shops, making the size and stability of each season a direct factor in regional employment and local business revenue.