Cruise ship passengers in Dunedin use public buses as cheaper option, causing havoc

An “enormous” influx of cruise ship passengers looking to avoid steep shuttle fees caused havoc on some Dunedin bus routes.

It comes as Port Otago advocates for the return of a train to transport cruise ship passengers to alleviate stress on shuttles and public buses.

Celebrity Eclipse, the first cruise ship to visit Dunedin in two and a half years, brought thousands of tourists to Dunedin on Wednesday along with reports of passengers unwilling to pay high shuttle fees.

It appears many passengers opted to use public transport to tour the sights.

Port Chalmers residents who spoke to passengers during their bus ride home reported hearing of a wide range of shuttle prices, ranging from $20 to as much as US$45 ($77).

Kate Bendall said she arrived early for her usual Port Chalmers No 14 bus on Wednesday afternoon and found “an enormous line of people”.

She spoke to some of them, who confirmed they were cruise passengers.

She thought “b***** this, I actually have to get home” and pushed into the line to ensure she got a seat.

Only about 10 locals made it on to the bus before it was full, she said.

The 2.30pm bus to Port Chalmers waits to depart the Dunedin bus hub yesterday. Photo / Gerard O'Brien

About half a busload of people were left standing at the bus stop, Bendall said.

She spoke to cruise ship passengers on the trip and found they had taken the bus rather than pay high prices for the designated shuttle or taxis.

She found it hard to blame the passengers as they were offered such a terrible deal.

Those who organised the cruises needed to provide an affordable alternative for passengers to get into town to avoid disrupting Port Chalmers residents’ regular public transport choices, she said.

People relied on the buses to get to and from work, school and appointments.

“For a lot of people there is no plan B,” Bendall said.

Celebrity Eclipse is piloted into Lyttelton Harbour as the first arrival at the new cruise wharf and largest ship since the 2011 rebuild. Photo / Supplied

The arrival of Celebrity Eclipse was the first and one of the smallest cruise ships of the season, and left her concerned about how badly public transport would be affected by the larger ships.

Port Otago chief executive Kevin Winders said it was “desperately advocating” for the passenger rail to return for cruise passengers.

The train took a lot of pressure off local transport systems and shuttle buses, but the decision was for KiwiRail and Dunedin Railways, he said.

Port Otago brought in and facilitated cruise ships, but it did not organise shuttle buses. That role was left to cruise ship operators, such as Celebrity Cruises.

Passengers were encouraged to take the shuttles, which ensured they got back to the ship on time.

However, they were not publicly funded and cost significantly more than a local bus.

“Ultimately, people can walk out the door and make their own choices.”

A Ritchies spokeswoman said it did not set the fees when it was contracted to provide such services and could not comment on them.

It was aware of one Port Chalmers public service that was full on Wednesday morning.

Once it was notified of the full buses, it put on additional public buses in the morning and afternoon to cater for school children.