NZ Government Celebrates Crown Princess

The Crown Princess has touched down in Auckland, marking the start of the NZ cruise season.
New Zealand’s tourism minister spoke positively of the work that has been done by industry and government to stabilise the local cruise industry and create strategies for the future.
Australia should take note of this level of collaboration as it faces its own cruise season with less capacity.

The Crown Princess has docked at Auckland, marking the start of wave season for New Zealand, and meaning the start of Australia’s wave season is only a few days away. She’ll arrive in Sydney on September 26, bringing to a close an epic world cruise that has been through Africa, the Mediterranean, Great Britain, Scandinavia, the USA, South America and more.

When she arrives here, she’ll begin sailing a series of itineraries out of Sydney, starting with a circumnavigation of Australia.

Coincidentally, Crown Princess might just be the most in-demand large cruise ship in Australia at the moment, maybe even in the world. The ship is nearly 100% sold out for all of 2025.

New Zealand is celebrating the start of the 2025/26 cruise season, believing it’s currently at a turning point in the cruise industry and is ready to reverse the trend of losing ships and begin building cruise growth once again.

The tourism officials believe they’ve “worked hard” on a lot of the issues that were plaguing the industry, and that the country has turned the tide. This season can be a chance to show cruisers, cruise lines and other industry players that New Zealand is getting back on the right track.

Tourism and Hospitality Minister, Louise Upston said: “We know some cruise operators had questions about the New Zealand operational environment before they could commit to future scheduling. We’ve worked hard to address those questions so forward planning can go full steam ahead once again.

“Ministers met with cruise and port sector representatives in July to discuss how we could all make the most of the opportunities and remove the barriers.”

In fact, New Zealand even outlined a specific set of points on how the government has supported the industry, celebrating the closening connection between the NZ government and the cruise industry.

“Worked on new ways to manage biofouling, so cruise lines have confidence any extra cleaning needed to meet biosecurity rules can be done safely and efficiently;

“Worked hard to provide clarity on regulatory costs facing the sector;

“Set up a Fast-Track Approvals process supporting efficient consenting for much-needed infrastructure like Port of Auckland’s development of a new wharf and passenger terminal for cruise vessels;

“Recently confirmed ongoing cruise access to Milford Sound.”

Upston reports that she’s expecting direct results from all the talks with government and industry, and that this season will send a clear message that New Zealand is ready for more cruise.

“This reaffirms that New Zealand is open for business and committed to supporting the cruise sector’s growth. It sends an important message to the international cruise sector.

“I was encouraged to hear that cruise lines at the Seatrade Europe international expo earlier this month were very positive about recent developments in New Zealand.”

The minister also outlined future plans for more industry collaboration.

“The next big trade convention is Seatrade Miami in April 2026. I want to keep up the momentum and ensure all the cruise lines know New Zealand welcomes them and their passengers, so I will commit up to $25,000 in funding to boost New Zealand’s presence there.

“With the 2025 – 2026 season now open and the first passengers arriving, this bodes well for a bright future for cruise tourism in New Zealand.”

These words mark a significant turning of the tide for New Zealand, showing that cruising in the country is no longer being put at the bottom of the pile by the government, but instead is a clear priority and there’s a clear plan in place to ensure the recovery and growth of the industry.

This stands in stark contrast to Australia, where politicians have stayed silent even as cruise capacity drops over 30% in the country, over just a couple of years.

Australia remains extremely tight-lipped on any initiatives to stimulate the cruise industry, and has continued to stall in pressing issues, such as finding a third cruise port for Sydney.

The New Zealand government’s close work with the cruise industry and the outlined industry strategies that have come from these talks should stand as an example for what Australia needs to do.

With industry and government collaboration, Australia can take advantage of its massive local cruise market and grow the cruise industry, bringing more tourism dollars into Australia and spreading them across the country’s coasts.