- New Zealand’s cruise tourism economic impact assessment has been released.
- While cruise continues to be an enormous economic contributor, it has declined about 9.8% from last year.
- This means the industry generated about $120 million less in economic activity over the 2024/25 season when compared to the 2023/24 season.
The New Zealand Cruise Association has released its annual figures on cruise’s economic impact, and it confirms what many saw coming. While cruise continues to be a key contributor to the economy, it’s overall impact on the economy for the 2024/25 cruise season dropped 9.8% compared to the 2023/24 season.
This drop was not unexpected, but it does show a concerning pattern, which corroborates the $1 billion drop in cruise expenditure that happened in Australia over the same period. These numbers confirm that cruising in the region is suffering, and these numbers will fall even further if quick actions aren’t taken, especially in Australia.
Over the season cruise contributed NZ$1.23 billion (approx AUD$1.07 billion) to the New Zealand economy. For the season before, New Zealand recorded the cruise industry’s impact as NZ$1.37 billion (approx AUD$1.19 billion).
Some other figures further demonstrate the yearly impact on the economy, but unfortunately also the year-on-year downturn New Zealand has experienced.
- The industry supported 8253 jobs (down 15.3%)
- The country saw a total of 882 ship visit days (down 13.9%) and 1.3 million passenger visit downs (down 19%)
- The average cruise passengers spends $313 per day on shore.
- Direct cruise line expenditure totalled $260 million (down 17.9%)
These figures are particularly concerning for New Zealand because a larger projected drop in cruise visitors is coming for the season ahead. New Zealand is expected to see an 18% drop in total passenger days from the 2024/25 season to the 2025/26 season, which will likely mean further losses in revenue generated by the cruise industry.
However, the good news for New Zealand is that, unlike Australia, it saw this drop coming and has been taking it seriously.
The cruise association has joined forces with the government to create a national cruise strategy which has already produced instant results, including Carnival Cruises cancelling a series of Sydney cruises and moving them to New Zealand.
New Zealand Cruise Association President Jacqui Lloyd previously told Cruise Passenger: “Before we had a unified strategy, cruise often came across as fragmented and ad hoc which made it harder for government to take us seriously. Cruise Aotearoa New Zealand 2040 has changed that completely.
“It aligns with national and regional destination management strategies, the New Zealand Tourism Strategy, and the Government’s Tourism Industry Transformation Plan, giving cruise a credible, integrated framework within the wider tourism system.
““Now, government listens and engages with us because they can see that the cruise industry has a clear long-term plan that delivers value for the economy, environment, and communities.“
The reality is that however well New Zealand plans and communicates with the cruise industry, for it to see growth and success in its cruise industry, it needs Australia to hold up its end as well. Most cruise ships that visit New Zealand come from Australia, and New Zealand isn’t a big enough market on its own to attract new cruise ships to the region.
It’s time for Australia to take a leaf out of New Zealand’s book and take these financial losses seriously, call for a cruise summit and put a plan in place to reverse the losses and strengthen the future of the industry.
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New Zealand charges $100 environmental fee attached to the visa for all nationalities other than NZ or Australian. It is a ridiculous amount, particularly, if you are on a cruise that cannot dock there because of the weather. That’s what happened on our most recent Anthem of the Seas sailing from Honolulu to Sydney, October 25, 2025. A lot of very irate passengers.
Hi Sandra, the problem wasn’t just the fees but the fact that they were imposed without warning and immediately, meaning cruise lines couldn’t pass them on. Nor were there any guarantees that it wouldn’t happen again. That’s the “certainty” issue that the president of Princess was referring to. If they can’t be sure how much it costs, they can’t price the fares.
Governments should lower the
port fees. I heard and I don’t know if it’s true Melbourne and Adelaide port fees are too expensive for cruise ships. That’s why they stopped going out from Melbourne and Adelaide. We booked a cruise leaving from Adelaide in 2027. If cruise shops left from Adelaide more we would definitely cruise more so would a lot of other people I know. More cruise ship to Australia the cheaper cruising would be.
We cruise a lot. With Royal my issue is the ships go to the same places.
Need to go to Auckland
They are putting prices up and cutting out the exstras we used to get. It all makes for a better cruise we are going to NZ in Feb. But not getting on board credits first time in 13 cruises.
I knew there was a change coming for Melbourne port and our stupid government can’t get it right even now. We had 2 cruises each every year now we’re struggling even to do that. That must be said something about our economy. Not happy at all.
I am also one of these people who hates having to fly to Sydney or Brisbane ( I live in Adelaide) to join a cruise. We have a perfectly good wharf in Adelaide. Would like r to see the likes of RC or similar do around Australia cruises as they are very popular and are not enough of them for people wanting to get on them
When we cruised to NZ last year on the P&O Pacific Encounter in a mini suite, we were soooo disappointed with the condition of the cabin (couch brok3n and not usable, fridge broken so no way to store medication,cabin basically worn out). The staff just didn’t care. Given $400 on board credit but this was no substitute for the dreadful cabin. Missed 4 ports and no compensation. Will really need to consider if we cruise with Carnival/ex P&O. We have in excess of 250 cruise days under out belts.
Cruise terminals need to have buggies to transport older people from terminal to ship. Brisbane terminal is the pits. Too small. Too much waiting in line. Older people have the money to travel but we are not looked after well enough.
Cruise lines remember when they were turned away due to “anti fouling” rules. Those companies had to compensate passengers, and deal with the angst.
Some of the losses are due to ships not leaving from the port of Melbourne, I refuse to fly to Sydney to start a cruise, I used to average 4 cruises a year and many of my friends did the same,it is a big loss to Melbourne’s economy as well.
Auckland should extend our wharves with utmost urgency to accomodate the newer cruise ships which are getting bigger every year.
Who cares if the wharves stick out a bit further into the harbour. We are a ” port city “. In my view the two most important things to get right are our Cruise ship arrivals areas & our International Airport facilities.
Surely the fact that cruise ships no longer visit Melbourne must have had some impact.
The cruiselines have led their own demise. Carnival cut P&O and the days of home ports stopped Ships are now seasonal. Prices that are now very expensive. A cruise was once a retiree or family vacation. Now its a endless barrage of upselling. Even now RCCL charge for a 1 hr private surf riding lesson. But its $550 ….yes thats right. Thats discounted 40% too. Speciality dining rivals fine dining restaurants. Shore excursions are soooo expensive. NZ pushed cruiseliners away with silly quarantine limits…so they bailed.
As a solo traveller it is too expensive to cruise anymore. I would guess that there are thousands of solo travellers who feel the same. Lots of dollars lost
No joy in having Carnival as they are just an extension of the old P&O.
The worst cruiseline in the world made for the lowest end passengers who wont spend money here in NZ
We have toured NZ by cruise ship several times over the last few years so I guess a lot of Aussies have done the same. With the European and American markets appealing we now look to these markets for something different. We love NZ but we have seen enough of their beautiful country and its going to be difficult to keep enticing the cruise market to come up with a different strategy for cruisers
Fly cruise to auckland new zealand may appeal to some people
Constant issues with poor support by successive Labor governments both Federal and State have left Australian cruising in a state of total confusion. It is about time seemingly green agendas are set aside for constructive policies.