MEDIA RELEASE
FRIDAY 19 OCTOBER 2018
The arrival of the Majestic Princess this weekend, weather permitting, kicks off another big cruise season for Hawke’s Bay.
Napier Port CEO Todd Dawson says that the port has a record 72 cruise ships scheduled to call this season, up from 57 last season.
“We’ll be welcoming up to 125,000 cruise passengers to Napier between October and April, which is an increase of around 25% on the passenger count last season. Our cruise industry is growing in leaps and bounds, and we’re hitting new records every year.”
The 2018-2019 cruise season promises to be a major boost for the Hawke’s Bay economy, with passengers expected to spend a total of around $28 million.
Recent figures from Statistics New Zealand show cruise passengers spent on average $227 per day in Hawke’s Bay last season, a 41.5% increase on the previous season.
“We’ve seen a huge jump in passenger spend, which is fantastic for our local businesses. And with passengers spending up to an average of $620 in other centres, we know there’s plenty of room to grow it further.”
Demand from cruise lines is growing, with an increasing number of cruise passengers wanting to explore all that Hawke’s Bay has to offer.
“There’s huge demand for the Hawke’s Bay experience. Cruise lines are booking more Napier calls every year, and they’re already asking us to prepare for Oasis class cruise ships, which are even larger than the Ovation of the Seas.”
“We’ve already embarked on a programme of upgrades for our existing infrastructure, to support our cruise sector to grow in the short term. But looking further ahead, catering to Oasis class ships – which are around 360 metres long – will require much more significant infrastructure developments.”
“We’re excited about the potential in our cruise sector, and the benefits it could bring for the people, businesses and economy of Hawke’s Bay.”