Due to significant economic growth in 2023 and the impending peak of the Australian and New Zealand cruise season, Wellington, the busiest port in New Zealand, anticipates hosting over 200,000 visitors during the summer cruise season of 2023–2024. This presents a chance for the sector and is indicative of the area’s growing appeal as a cruise destination.
Wellington is prepared for an over 200,000 guest flood as the cruise sector begins its second season following the difficulties created by the COVID-19 epidemic.
On October 31, 2023, Halloween, Royal Caribbean International’s majestic Quantum-class flagship, Ovation of the Seas, made her inaugural season call at Wellington’s Centerport. The Royal Princess is scheduled to visit on November 8th, but she will arrive later in the month.
At least for Wellington, this arrival marks the beginning of the Southern Hemisphere cruise season. The Ovation of the Seas, which has a capacity of 6,400 people, was the first ship to call at Wellington last year.
From French Polynesia, Ovation of the Seas arrived at Wellington. The ship sailed from Wellington, making its way to the Bay of Islands, and arriving in Sydney on November 3. The ship will set out from Sydney on excursions that range in length until roughly mid-April 2024.
Anthony Delaney, CEO of CentrePort, said, “When you include the ferry operations, we are the busiest port in New Zealand by ship movements.” Thankfully, the extra cruise ships in the harbor have no impact on our productivity or ability to transport commodities to and from the market, which is essential to maintaining New Zealand’s economy.
Because of poor weather in Auckland, Ovation of the Seas has rerouted to Wellington, making this port visit the first of 106 scheduled for October 2023 to April 2024. There are indications of expansion in the local cruise sector. 89 calls from cruise ships were recorded at CentrePort in 2022 (some of which were canceled because to bad weather).
With a capacity for 4,900 guests, Princess Cruises’ Royal-class Majestic Princess is the last ship on the schedule for Wellington this season. Arriving at CentrePort on April 15, 2024, this trip brings a conclusion to what promises to be a fantastic New Zealand cruising season.
The busiest port in New Zealand, CentrePort, has also reported stellar financial performance for the fiscal year that ends on June 30, 2023. The port reported an astounding $11.9 million in underlying net profit after taxes, a significant 48% increase over the $8 million it made the year before.
“The accomplishments of the port over the past 12 months bear witness to the efforts made by the port and its personnel to enhance productivity and capability,” noted Delaney.
Thanks to increased profits and a deliberate focus on energy transformation to reduce emissions, CentrePort can now claim expanded capacity, supporting the growth of New Zealand’s tourism industry and supply chain.
In addition to allowing Ovation of the Seas to dock this season, CentrePort’s increased capacity also allows it to handle ships that encounter difficulties docking in Auckland and other ports around the nation.
In addition to developing a shore power grid, CentrePort is establishing a maritime MicroGrid energy system, which is a major step towards environmental sustainability. Ships in port could be more eco-friendly and productive with the use of MicroGrid technology.
By taking these eco-friendly steps, the port will rely less on nonrenewable energy sources and encourage parked ships to switch off their engines to reduce pollution and noise. The installation of solar panel arrays will enhance CentrePort’s eco-friendly infrastructure by the middle of 2024.
Two inland hubs, Whanganui and Marlborough, enhance the impact of CentrePort on the supply chain. The flexibility these nodes provide to shippers boosts productivity and ease of use.
Apart from its recent financial successes, the World Bank CPPI index has named CentrePort as the most efficient container port in Australia and New Zealand for the past two years.
Excellent future opportunities exist for CentrePort in terms of cargo handling, income growth, and its friendly reception of cruise ships and visitors.
Source- Travel daily