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Cruise leader set to make record calls to New Zealand this summer
The region’s largest cruise operator, Carnival Australia, has kicked off a record New Zealand summer cruise season today, with Princess Cruises’ Sun Princess making the first of almost 400 calls by the company’s ships to ports around the country.
Sun Princess will spend today in the Bay of Islands before sailing on to visit Auckland tomorrow (Oct 8) and Tauranga on Sunday (Oct 9).
Fifteen other ships across Carnival Australia’s seven cruise lines are set to follow in her wake this season.
The Carnival Australia flotilla will account for close to two-thirds of all cruise ship visits to New Zealand between October 1, 2016 and April 20, 2017, with Princess Cruises leading the way in terms of size and numbers.
The industry leader in cruises to New Zealand, Princess will have six ships making more than 200 calls to New Zealand ports over the season, including the impressive 3082-guest Emerald Princess which will make her maiden call to the country on November 18 when she sails into Fiordland. On the same day, one of P&O Cruises’ latest ships, the 1500-guest Pacific Aria, will be making her inaugural call to New Zealand, berthing in Auckland.
Meanwhile, the youngest and most luxurious ship in the world, Seabourn Encore, will make her maiden visit to New Zealand in February, arriving in Milford Sound on February 9 for the first of 10 inaugural calls to ports around the country.
The season will also include some maiden port calls for individual ships across the cruise company’s fleets, including Carnival Cruise Line’s Carnival Legend, which will make its first calls to Wellington, Akaroa, Dunedin and Milford Sound.
Carnival Australia Executive Chairman Ann Sherry said the company was proud to account for the lion’s share of cruise activity in New Zealand over summer, with a record number of calls across its seven cruise lines: P&O Cruises, Princess Cruises, Carnival Cruise Line, Holland America Line, Cunard, P&O Cruises World Cruising and Seabourn.
“Our cruise ship visits to New Zealand have surged from 331 calls last summer to more than 370 this summer, reflecting the continuing popularity of New Zealand’s wonderful ports among our guests,” Ms Sherry said.
“We estimate these visits will contribute more than copy50 million to the local economy in terms of passenger and crew spending, supplies and port fees, which is great news for the towns and cities we visit on both Islands.”
In all, Carnival Australia ships will visit 15 different ports with Auckland attracting the most visits (54 calls), followed by Wellington and Akaroa with 46 each.
Smaller ports such as Stewart Island are also on the Carnival Australia cruise map this season.
The 16 ships sailing in New Zealand waters include six Princess Cruises’ ships, two from P&O Cruises; two Holland America Line ships, two Cunard Queens; two ships from P&O Cruises World Cruising and one each from Seabourn and Carnival Cruise Line.
Sourse: australia.etbtravelnews.com
