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.
Gisborne will buck the national trend in the 2026/27 cruise season. Booking data from the New Zealand Cruise Association, reported by the Gisborne Herald on 14 July 2026, shows confirmed cruise calls at the Tairawhiti port up roughly 50% on the season just finished - the only increase among North Island ports. Local tourism figures quoted in the report expect the visits to bring around 10,000 passengers ashore, a useful injection for inner-harbour businesses, though the tally remains well short of Gisborne's recent peak seasons. The wider picture is less cheerful: North Island cruise calls are down about 12% overall, with Napier and Wellington both recording double-digit declines. Source: NZ Herald (Gisborne Herald), 14 July 2026 - see the source link for the full report.