The morning unfolds as Whangārei's first 2023/2024 cruise ship M.S. Regatta, arrives in Whangārei Harbour in February Photo/ Michael Cunningham.
The morning unfolds as Whangārei's first 2023/2024 cruise ship M.S. Regatta, arrives in Whangārei Harbour in February Photo/ Michael Cunningham.
Whangārei’s cruise ship industry is forecast to boom, with up to 45,000 passengers arriving each year by 2044.
About 30 cruise ships are expected to be visiting Whangārei annually by then, compared with the three seen during the destination’s inaugural 2023/2024 season.
The sector’s potential was highlighted in a Whangārei District Council (WDC)-commissioned economic impact report, after that inaugural season.
Its figures show the coming 2024/2025 cruise season could pump close to $1 million into the district , roughly double the inaugural season that started on February 4.
Four cruise ships are expected into Northport at Marsden Point, about 35km from Whangārei, between January and March. New Zealand’s summer cruise ship season typically runs from about October to April.
The Azamara Pursuit will be followed by the Azamara Onward on Waitangi Day, with the same number of passengers. The Seven Seas Voyager will arrive four days later with a maximum of 705 passengers. Nautica, the season’s final cruise ship, is scheduled for March 24 with a maximum of 685 passengers.
Northland's distinctive Mt Manaia stands in the background as French-built M.S. Regatta, the first cruise ship into Whangārei Harbour for the 2023/2024 season, docks at Marsden Point's Northport Photo/ Michael Cunningham.
The coming season’s individual vessel passenger numbers are up to more than 30% higher than for the first cruise ship arrival. The MS Regatta, which arrived in February, carried 580 passengers.
The May 2024 Whangārei District Council Infometrics report estimated each visitor from Whangārei’s first cruise season spent $276. This included purchases by passengers and crew as individuals, along with ships’ goods and services such as berthage.
This spend was 17% higher than the $235 corresponding Bay of Islands figure.
Whangārei’s first cruise ship season brought $420,600 to the district. These earnings came from passenger spending and cruise ship restocking.
It said passenger spending could be increased by attracting more passengers to take excursions.
Whangārei Mayor Vince Cocurullo hailed new economic opportunities as he welcomed the first cruise ship into the district earlier this year, Photo/ Michael Cunningham.
Whangārei Mayor Vince Cocurullo said the cruise ships brought significant opportunity
More than 90 % of the inaugural season’s 1526 passengers came ashore – among the 1633 visitors in total; 1435 passengers and 198 crew.
That spend was expected to more than double to $976,400 for the 2024/2025 season.
Whangārei District councillors earlier this year endorsed the council’s involvement in supporting the fledgling industry, for now.
They heard the cost of the council doing so for the first season had not meant rate increases.
Its involvement had been in staff time, part of the council’s existing operations and the same would prevail for the coming season.
The Hundertwasser Art Centre with Wairau Māori Art Gallery is among major Whangārei Town Basin's attractions for the fledgling cruise ship sector. Photo / Michael Cunningham
Whangārei Isite visitor centre staff are based at the Town Basin on cruise ship visiting days.
The council has put together a web page for cruise ship visitors, which includes highlighted Māori culture.
The Infometrics report used Nelson as a base for calculating Whangārei’s visitor spend, as both were transit ports or major resupply points, with a reasonable depth of marine support services.
Whangārei’s cruise ship industry is embryonic. It is dwarfed by one of New Zealand’s biggest cruise ship destinations in the Bay of Islands. Seventy cruise ships and 130,000 passengers are expected to bring a $20 million boost to the Far North economy this season.
The biggest visiting ship into the Bay of Islands will once again be the Ovation of the Seas, with 4819 passengers for each of four visits. The Bay of Islands cruise ship season started in August and runs until May.
■ LDR is local body journalism co-funded by RNZ and NZ On Air.
