NZ missing out on cruise ships due to lack of berths in Auckland, Lyttelton, Cruise NZ says

Slow progress in developing ports in Auckland and Lyttelton is hampering the growth of the $490 million cruise ship industry in New Zealand, Cruise New Zealand says.

Cruise NZ executive officer Kevin O'Sullivan said the industry association was disappointed to learn a new ship planned for the New Zealand and Australian cruise market by P&O Cruises Australia, capable of carrying 4200 passengers, won't go ahead.

"The good news is that P&O will still bring the 3000-passenger Carnival Splendor to Australia and New Zealand in 2019, but it has cited a lack of infrastructure progress in the region as one of the reasons for deferring the build of a bigger ship," O'Sullivan said.

Slow progress in building berths for larger cruise ships in Auckland, and even slower decision-making about a cruise ship berth in Lyttelton, is stifling the industry's growth here, he said.

"We have huge opportunities to continue to build cruise tourism and we are missing out because of delays in providing infrastructure. The decision by P&O is a wake-up call that we must get our act together to improve cruise infrastructure if we are to continue to enjoy the benefits that cruise tourism brings," Mr O'Sullivan said. "Auckland must provide a berth for larger cruise ships urgently, and Lyttelton should proceed with bringing cruise ships back, to ensure Canterbury does not miss out on this large tourism market."

O'Sullivan said the largest cruise ship to visit New Zealand, the Ovation of the Seas, will come to Auckland in January but is too long to berth, and passengers will have to be ferried from the anchored ship. A consent application for a mooring dolphin in Auckland, a structure which would allow larger cruise ships to berth, has been delayed, and it's unclear when the structure could be built. The ship will skip Canterbury as there are no berths available in Lyttelton, he said.

(BusinessDesk)