Cruising is back to even keel, despite cyclones and biosecurity vigilance

Cruising is back to even keel, despite cyclones and biosecurity vigilance
Auckland was the major beneficiary of cruise ships. (Image: BusinessDesk)
Brent Melville
The New Zealand cruise sector rode a wave of pent-up travel demand last season, with 42 vessels making 795 port visits bringing 251,000 passengers and 112,000 crew from last October.That was down on bookings of 933 port calls, with 100 cancellations due to weather-related issues and 37 not allowed in NZ waters due to biofouling issues – enforced by Biosecurity NZ. Muddying the waters with the latter issue was an inability to source skilled divers or hull cleaners last season, with cruise lines then facing costs of up to US$15,000 (NZ...

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