A Diamond Princess cruse ship at Port Tauranga, New Zealand.

For the first time since March 2020, New Zealand welcomes a cruise ship to its shores, marking the return of what was a NZ$550 million industry before the pandemic.

The Pacific Explorer arrives in Auckland on Friday, nearly two weeks after New Zealand fully reopened its borders to the world.  

“We can expect once again to see an increased vibrancy in downtown as passengers come ashore ready to savour the delights of our biggest city,” said New Zealand Cruise Association (NZCA) Chief Executive, Kevin O’Sullivan.

In April 2022, the New Zealand Cruise Association estimated that the country had lost over a billion dollars in the more than two years that the industry was shut out.

O’Sullivan says the return of cruise ships will be welcomed by many communities, particularly in regions where the industry makes up a large part of tourism like Northland, Gisborne, New Plymouth, Picton, Timaru and Rakiura Stewart Island.

“The main cruise season begins in mid-October, but today’s arrival signals that cruise is back in Aotearoa New Zealand. It is the first of many visits that will demonstrate the value that cruise injects into our regional economies as port calls return to numbers last seen in 2019-20,” he said.

International cruise line executives and local players are expected to descend on Auckland next week as NZCA’s annual Conference returns.