KEY POINTS:
The cruise ship industry is backing the waterfront stadium proposal as a chance to cater for the larger passenger ships of the future.
Cruise New Zealand chairman Craig Harris said the worldwide trend was for larger cruise ships and Princes Wharf was already struggling to cope.
Auckland and Sydney were the major "turnaround" or hub ports of the South Pacific where people embarked or disembarked on ocean voyages, he said.
The largest ships carried 2800 passengers, which meant about 5600 passenger movements on or off the vessels in a day.
In Auckland up to 80 buses and dozens of taxis daily would do a continuous circuit between hotels and Princes Wharf.
Mr Harris said it was becoming increasingly difficult to meet international passengers' expectations.
"The Princes Wharf area is getting very, very tight and there are conflicts with restaurants and tenants."
Wet-weather shelter for visitors with their suitcases was inadequate and the existing area was not well set up to cope with large queues.
It was designed about a decade ago when cruise ships were carrying about 900 passengers, Mr Harris said. "We are going to need another terminal."
Already this year larger ships had made 46 port calls.
Two large cruise ships would be visiting Auckland next February 15 bringing more than 8500 tourists joining or leaving the ship on that day.
The cruise industry supported the waterfront stadium because it could be purpose-built to cater for the larger ships.
"It's about seizing the opportunity."
Mr Harris said the cruise industry growth was strong.
Cruise visitors through Auckland would increase from 100,000 to more than 130,000 in the next two years.
Cruise New Zealand had already had discussions with the waterfront stadium architects Warren & Mahoney to see how a "top-notch cruise terminal" could be incorporated into the waterfront stadium, and there were some "very good synergies".
Auckland needed to look at this option for a new cruise terminal or get on with one along Queens Wharf.
