New Zealand Cruise Season Booming

P&O's Pacific Jewel is just one of several ships that

have helped boost the cruise industry in New Zealand.

Photo courtesy of P&O Cruises.

There's no doubt about it: Australia and New Zealand are rapidly becoming one of the most popular cruise destinations in the world, and no one could be happier about it than the Kiwis.  

The New Zealand Herald reports that passengers calling in New Zealand ports were expected to grow substantially over the next two years, almost reaching the 200,000-passenger mark by the end of the 2011/2012 season.  

In addition to the passengers and crew streaming ashore, when ships dock in New Zealand, they are replenished with local goods and services, including wine from New Zealand's excellent vineyards. This investment is expected to boost the local economy by $346 million at the end of this year, thanks in part to calls by nearly every major cruise line. 

Of all New Zealand ports, Auckland is the busiest with a projected 43 visits by 15 ships this year - a 25 percent jump over last year.  Indeed, the amount of interest from cruise lines has risen so measurably that Auckland's mayor is calling for the construction of a new, $200 million dollar cruise ship facility in order to better accommodate the increased demand.

But it's not just visitors from overseas who are cruising to New Zealand; a large portion of cruisers aboard sailings out of Auckland are New Zealanders eager to see their own country from the sea.

Never been?  There's never been a better time than now to go.