Paul Gauguin Cruises is one of many companies plying the Pacific.
Paul Gauguin Cruises is one of many companies plying the Pacific.
Love has been smooth sailing for Tony and Helen Bing for 40 years. The West Auckland couple met on a cruise ship from Auckland to Southampton in 1975. Within months, they were married.
Over the next four decades the Bings spent a lifetime - and a small fortune - cruising, firmly among the thousands of New Zealanders who opt to travel by sea to take in some of the world's greatest locations.
Since 1952, Tony, 74, a retired builder has been on 22 cruises and Helen has joined him on 11.
Tony and Helen Bing.
"My favourite trip was the one on which I met my future wife," Tony said. "I love cruising because I am never in too much of a hurry.
"To us it is the ultimate holiday because you can do as much or as little as you like."
Tony has crossed the Atlantic seven times, the Pacific five times and the Indian Ocean once.
A boat he was on in 1956 sailed into an Egyptian port that was being bombed so it turned around and sailed straight back out, he said.
Next year the Bings are splashing out $36,000 for a 71-night trip on the Grand Circle Pacific cruise. It departs Sydney in June and takes them to Australia, China, Japan, North America and Tahiti before returning to Auckland.
As New Zealand's 2015-16 cruise season sets sail, early figures show it will be the biggest yet.
New figures indicate New Zealand is the third fastest-growing cruise passenger market in the world.
The number of Kiwis enjoying a cruise holiday last year surged 10.6 per cent, according to the Cruise Lines International Association. And the number of passengers here has more than doubled since 2010.
Six new ships are due to come into New Zealand waters this season, including Royal Caribbean's new $1.47 billion mega-ship, Ovation of the Seas.
Among the Kiwis heading to sea for the first time are Auckland couple Jolene Cryer and James Potter, who will tie the knot aboard a luxury cruise ship.
Jolene Cryer and James Potter.
The couple will wed in front of 60 family and friends on the Pacific Pearl liner during a five-day trip to Napier in February.
Cryer said having a wedding at sea proved irresistible. "We looked at traditional destination packages like Rarotonga but the idea of getting married on a ship sounded more romantic," Cryer, 38, from Takanini, said.
"James will also have his 40th birthday on the boat the day afterwards, so it is going to be a big double party for everyone."
Cruiseabout NZ brand leader Danny Bodger said the growing demand for cruise holidays was due to increasing competition, consumer confidence, affordability and the variety available.
"Cruise lines are looking at New Zealand as a destination and that's really exciting for Kiwis," he said.
"We have a population that loves cruising, we have great weather and fantastic ports and that is really encouraging cruise lines to send more ships our way."
Popular tour destinations for New Zealanders include the Galapagos Islands, Antarctica, the Baltic region and river cruises through Europe.
