(11.30 p.m. NZST) – New Zealand cruising has had a rough few years – visitor numbers are down 40 percent and cruise lines have cancelled calls amid high port fees and unpredictable rules.
However things could be changing as Princess Cruises has confirmed it will double its New Zealand port calls in 2028/29, a move expected to pump more than NZ$100 million into the local economy.
The news rounded off New Zealand Cruise Association's August conference, where senior figures from Ponant, Carnival, Princess and Royal Caribbean showed up to talk deployment – a signal that matters, since cruise lines plan their itineraries three years out.
"[The cruise industry is] being taken far more seriously across government, more deliberately across the tourism system, and more strategically by our own industry," said NZCA chair Tandy Tompkins.
The last couple of years have been particularly tough for the industry with ship deployments falling, passenger numbers down, poor infrastructure and until relatively recently little government support.
In comparison South Korea, Singapore and Japan are seeing their cruise industries thrive - with Japan cruise ship calls up 26% in 2025.
Also speaking were key representatives from the Australian cruise industry – which is also experiencing some of the same problems as New Zealand. The hope is that Australasian destinations work together to strengthen global competitiveness.
NZCA has an ambitious remit. It wants to influence deployment decisions for 2028/29 and beyond, secure long-term biosecurity certainty, improve cost competitiveness and regulatory predictability and restore some of the industry's reputational damage.
The demand is still there – it's just that New Zealanders have to fly to get to ships, according to exclusive research from Cruise Critic, revealed at Cruise360 in Sydney.
New Zealanders are searching for destinations closer to home such as the South Pacific, and for cruises from between three to five days.
