News

Cruise season starts this weekend with the first ship for 2024/25, the Diamond Princess, due to arrive at CentrePort Wellington on Sunday morning.  

CentrePort Chief Executive Anthony Delaney says the return of cruise passengers will provide a welcome boost to Wellington with Sunday’s ship having the capacity to bring 3026 people to the capital.  

“The second ship of the season 6 due to berth at CentrePort will be a first-time caller, the Crown Princess, with a maximum passenger number of 3582, including associated crew. As is the custom, we will hold a special plaque exchange ceremony to commemorate their first visit.” 

Ten ships are expected to make their first visit to Wellington with Mr Delaney saying the port is looking forward to having them here, showing them what a great place Wellington and the region is.  

WellingtonNZ tourism and visitor economy manager Jo Heaton says it’s great to have the cruise passengers back in the Capital bringing vibrancy and economic impact to city businesses and the wider region. 

“Getting Wellington ready for the cruise season requires a huge collaborative effort to ensure everything is ready on time for the thousands of people who will disembark over the season. The co-operation between organisations such as CentrePort, Wellington City Council, and Metlink has been outstanding.”  

She says the WellingtonNZ-organised volunteer City Ambassadors will be ready for the season, stationed at key locations downtown to welcome cruise passengers, provide local knowledge and directions.  

“They do a fantastic job for the city over the summer, providing a bit of local colour and the friendly face Wellington is famous for.”  

The shuttle stop for cruise passengers coming from the port is the same as last year - outside the old Government buildings near the Wellington Railway Station.   

While the 2024/25 season is smaller than previous years with 76 ships expected, it will still be a busy time for CentrePort as a full-service port.  

Across the season there will be nine double days where there are two ships in port simultaneously on one day. Most of these are due to occur in December and January.  

“That poses its own busyness as it can mean we have a full port of ferries, cruise and other ships all lined up along the wharf. It’s part of why CentrePort can claim to be the busiest port by ship movements in the country,” Mr Delaney says.  

The largest ships of the season will be Royal Caribbean sister ships Ovation of the Seas and Quantum of the Seas. Both have a maximum capacity of 4905 passengers meaning they create quite a hive of activity on the port and in the city. They also cut a very evident picture while at berth, especially when they’re partnered with a smaller vessel like the Viking Orion, a much smaller ship with a maximum passenger number of 930.  

“On a good day it’s worth watching the big ships being escorted into the port from a decent vantage point. It’s a carefully managed process that our marine team support, from a pre-dawn pilot transfer outside Wellington heads through to the mooring ropes being put in place. It’s also an opportunity for people to see is our tugs Tapuhi and Tiaki, assisting these big ships into port.” 

Mr Delaney says while CentrePort has a schedule of ships for the season, from October through to the end of May, not every ship makes it to port.  

“Sometimes things happen beyond our control that require changes to the ship’s itinerary. Bad weather, passenger issues or other unforeseen issues can mean ships don’t come here as planned and we accept that. This is a potential for any port so we urge people to be aware that things can, and do, change,” he says. 

Mr Delaney praised the work of the CentrePort team, and the wider group that supports cruise visits in the Wellington region, who have been preparing for the season. He also thanked the shipping lines themselves for continuing to make Wellington a key destination for their itineraries. 

2024/25 CentrePort cruise season statistics 

• Number of cruise ship visits: 76 

• Estimated Number of potential passenger visitor numbers to Wellington: 150,000 

• First ship: Diamond Princess (290m length, 3026 maximum passenger limit) 

• Last ship: Oceania line’s Insignia on 25 May (180m length, 702 maximum passenger limit) 

• Largest ship: Ovation of the Seas, Quantum of the Seas (348m length, 4905 maximum passenger limit) 

• Smallest ship: Heritage Adventurer (125m, 146 maximum passenger limit) 

ENDS