Cruise boss can't escape port debate

Ovation of the Seas is too big to berth at any of Auckland's wharves.

A cruise line boss says his company has been caught in the middle of the highly charged debate about the expansion of Auckland's port.

Royal Caribbean is bringing Ovation of the Seas into Auckland next year but the 348m vessel will have to anchor off the Hilton Hotel and passengers and crew will be ferried to the Viaduct, said Gavin Smith, the cruise line's regional vice-president for Asia Pacific.

The intensity of the debate about the port - which has resulted in Ports of Auckland being forced to put a hold on expanding the container wharf - was not a surprise, he said.

" To be fair it doesn't matter what waterfront in the world needs to be redeveloped the moment you touch it in the city everyone's an expert. I can understand it's a massive discussion and I think the greater of the discussions is whether a beautiful town like Auckland wants a container berth in the middle of the city."

Smith said Auckland was a great port stop for cruise ships.

"There are very few ports in the world that are maintaining downtown piers, the city works, the city's passionate about tourism but unfortunately it has been dragged into the political debate about port expansion. Every effort we've made to separate ourselves from that debate has been unsuccessful."

He said tenders were used when cruise ships anchored in Akaroa and the Bay of Islands and taking a small boat into the Viaduct should be a pleasant experience.

"If we're blessed with a good day Auckland City has been fantastic and got completely behind it."