Aussies are all aboard as cruise ship market booms
13 Dec 2007
Comfort is key for an increasing number of Australians choosing a less typical method of 'crossing the ditch' to New Zealand.
The Australian cruise ship market is booming - so much so that one Australian cruise company is dedicating two luxury liners to the New Zealand market.
The 77,000-tonne luxury liner "Sun Princess" is one of the larger visitors to cruise Milford Sound, and those visits are set to increase, with plans to dedicate an extra 12 cruises over the next two seasons to the sights of New Zealand in response to heavy demand.
The "Sun Princess" will dock throughout New Zealand, including ports such as Auckland, Milford Sounds, Tauranga and Dunedin.
Luxury is very much the focus and the ship is staffed by a crew of 900, on hand 24 hours a day to cater to the passengers' every whim. Unlimited food, outdoor pools on the open deck, casinos and theatres showcasing local entertainment are all part of the offering.
New Zealand's appeal as a cruise ship destination is growing internationally with Auckland set to welcome a record 73 cruise ship visits during the 2007-08 cruise season - a massive 58 per cent increase on last season's 46 visits.
Tauranga is also expecting record breaking numbers for this season.
"In the summer cruise season, three years ago, Tauranga had 16 port calls by international cruise vessels. The increase to 49 this coming season shows tremendous growth and exceeds that of any other port in New Zealand" says Cruise New Zealand Chairperson Craig Harris.
"This is a reflection on the excellent port and tour facilities the Bay of Plenty has to offer" he adds.
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