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.
Port Chalmers is preparing for its heaviest cruise programme yet in the 2026/27 season. According to reporting relayed by NZCity from the Otago Daily Times, 85 cruise ships are scheduled to call at the Dunedin port, up from 69 the previous year, with roughly half of them carrying 2,000 or more passengers.
Despite the increase in arrivals, the Otago Regional Council is trimming nearly 100 additional bus trips that would normally run into central Dunedin on cruise days. The council says cruise operators are adjusting their own passenger shuttle arrangements, and the extra council services that remain will be concentrated on the busiest visit days.
West Harbour Community Board chair Jarrod Hodson said the board would be monitoring the change to see whether fewer services create issues for local residents.