New Zealand Kicks off Record Cruise Season

New Zealand is expecting its biggest cruise season with 267,800 passengers in 2015-16. According to Cruise New Zealand the summer season has already begun with the arrival of Sea Princess in Auckland.

“The next two seasons will break all New Zealand cruise records and this upward trend is expected to continue over the longer term,” said Raewyn Tan, Cruise New Zealand general manager.

Both new and regular visitors will sail into New Zealand ports this season including Royal Caribbean’s Explorer of the Seas, Princess Cruises’ Golden Princess and P&O’s Pacific Pearl.

“The strength of Australia as a source market of cruise passengers as well as New Zealand’s potential to attract the ships during China’s winter are influencing factors. Not only will there be more ships, but the ships coming will also be larger on average”.

The newly built Ovation of the Seas as well as the Noordam (Holland America Line) will come to Auckland with more cruises that end or start in New Zealand’s largest city.

The official season will start in October with the arrival of the Diamond Princess and seven months of record-breaking activity.

Article Source: Cruise Critic, Louise Goldsbury, September 01, 2015.

Image Source: Wikipedia