Third cruise season, worth $550m, on verge of being cancelled

Port Otago: 'no logical health reason to exclude the cruise industry from NZ waters' (Image: Depositphotos)

Fri, 29 Apr 2022

The loss of a third straight cruise season is imminent in the wake of the continued and irrational closure of NZ ports to international passenger ships, says Todd Dawson, chief executive of Napier Port.As with airlines, Dawson said it takes months of lead-in time for booking, logistics and planning. “Getting ships ‘NZ ready’ and putting shoreside service sectors in place doesn’t happen overnight.”Data from the New Zealand Cruise Association (NZCA) show that prior to the pandemic, the industry contributed about $550...

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