The arrival of Princess Cruises’ mega-liner Diamond Princess on October 8 kicked off Auckland’s bumper cruise ship season. The 116,000-tonne Diamond Princess arrived in Auckland harbour on 8 October, bringing 2670 guests who spent a day exploring Auckland.
About a quarter of a million cruise ship passengers are expected to visit Auckland this season, a third more than last season.
Cruise ship activity is forecast to earn Auckland’s economy $250 million this season, and contribute up to $540 million to the national economy.
Auckland receives significant economic return from the provisioning and refuelling of cruise ships, as well as money spent by crew and passengers during exchanges and stops in Auckland.
Mayor Len Brown says cruise ship visits into Auckland have more than doubled in the past 10 years.
“It’s great to see the cruise sector thriving, and that this is set to continue in the coming seasons with even more ships and passengers,” he says.
Significantly, GDP returns from cruise ships in Auckland are increasing. Last season, cruise ships were worth $190 million to the Auckland economy, up almost a fifth on the previous season.
Cruise ships are the third-biggest market for the tourism industry. 30 cruise ships will visit Auckland in the next eight months.
