The Pacific Explorer, the first cruise ship in two and a half years into the Waitemata Harbour, received a warm welcome to Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland. Video / NZ Herald
The return of cruise ships to New Zealand waters since borders closed due to Covid-19 has been heralded as "a monumental day" by Auckland mayor Phil Goff, and local business owners.
Around 7.30am this morning, P&O's Pacific Explorer entered Auckland harbour after sailing over from Sydney, ahead of a busy summer cruise season due to begin in October.
Goff sees the return as a time for "optimism and celebration". Prior to Covid, the cruise industry brought in more than $200 million per year to Auckland's economy and provided more than 3000 jobs.
"I'm looking forward to the sheer joy of having downtown full of people from around the world enjoying the beauty of our city".
Local business owner Chetan Chhitam of Chevalier Wholesale Produce, said it was a huge day for family-owned and operated businesses like his. He has supplied produce to cruise ships since the early 1980s, and the pause during the pandemic has made the last few years tough.
"Auckland's been suffering, the economy's been suffering," he said.
"Auckland city, you'll see that it's a bit of a ghost town down there, so welcoming cruise ships and having those passengers and tourists come back into the city is going to be absolutely huge."
Scott Koetsier, Head of New Zealand Natural Ice Cream, also said the cruise ships played a pivotal role in keeping businesses afloat in downtown Auckland.
"Without cruising and P&O's ships, we lost revenue and sales volume. We are so thrilled and excited to once again be sharing our ice creams with P&O passengers," Koetsier said.
Celebrations were in full swing as Pacific Explorer entered Auckland harbour. Dozens of cruise and tourism industry people and media gathered aboard support vessel Peretu to celebrate the occasion, joined by Auckland mayor Phil Goff and president of P&O Cruises Marguerite Fitzgerald.
Speaking to the crowd, Goff said the past few years had been "a hell of a ride" that he never would have anticipated.
"Never did I imagine we would have our borders closed and our city would be locked down," he said.
"We all know why it happened but we also understand the consequences of it happening, and the consequences for Tāmaki Makaurau."
The city had been locked down twice as long as anywhere else in the country, Goff said, and Auckland city centre had borne the brunt of it.
"Auckland city centre was hammered far more than any other part of our city, any other region and any other part of the country," he said.
The Pacific Explorer pulls into Auckland, making it the first cruise ship to visit since 2020. Photo / Sarah Pollok
Confidence in cruising is on the rise
Alongside feelings of excitement, president of P&O Cruises Australia Marguerite Fitzgerald said the day had her feeling proud of the resilience and loyalty it took to get here.
"Something like this takes a lot of effort, and I'm not just talking about today's event, I'm talking about efforts and work the team has put in over the last few months."
Although restarting an industry doesn't just take effort and resources but confidence, she said.
"I think what we'll see today is that rebuilding of the confidence."
It's a confidence P&O has already seen from passengers.
"When we first announced we were coming back in we saw all these people who just rushed back," Fitzgerald said, adding they almost immediately returned to pre-Covid booking levels in this part of the world.
Something that hasn't happened "anywhere else in the world."
Pacific Explorer was escorted into the harbour by the first electric tugboat in the world. Photo / Brett Phibbs
Pacific Explorer is the first ship to visit New Zealand since borders fully opened to cruise ships on July 31.
The ship has a maximum capacity of almost 2000 passengers and around 1000 guests were on board today.
After spending eight hours docked at Queen's Wharf, the boat will set sail for Fiji.
Goff said there would be a "bit of a gap" before other cruise ships arrive, with Majestic Princess due to visit Auckland in October. However, he said today marked a return to, if not normality, a "new normality".
Pacific Explorer was escorted into the harbour by the first electric tugboat in the world. Named 'Sparky', the boat has the same capacity as a diesel tug but runs at a third of the operating cost with far fewer emissions.
"What isn't there to celebrate about that," Goff said with a grin.
