
Cruise industry celebrates first visit to Auckland
Source: CLIA New Zealand’s cruise industry has set a course for recovery, celebrating the arrival of the first international ship to sail into Auckland’s Waitematā Harbour in more than two years. P&O Cruises’ Pacific Explorer is in Auckland today as part of a South Pacific cruise from Sydney, becoming the first international vessel to carry passengers to New Zealand since the start of the pandemic. It follows the New Zealand Government’s decision to open the international maritime border after July 31. Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA) Managing Director Australasia Joel Katz said the New Zealand cruise community could now begin rebuilding an industry that was previously worth almost NZ$570 million a year to the New Zealand economy. “New Zealand has now joined the rest of the world in a careful resumption of cruise operations,” Mr Katz said. “We now have an opportunity to revive a sector that previously supported many thousands of jobs in communities right around the New Zealand coast.” Cruise lines have extensive health and safety protocols in place in response to the global pandemic and have worked closely with New Zealand health authorities to confirm requirements for local operations. “While no setting is immune from Covid-19, the

























