Making a splash in Auckland’s Waitematā Harbour on Friday 12 August, Pacific Explorer is the first international ship to sail into New Zealand waters in more than two years, setting a recovery course for Kiwi cruising.
Pacific Explorer is in Auckland as part of a South Pacific cruise from Sydney, becoming the first international vessel to carry passengers to NZ since the start of the pandemic, following the New Zealand Government’s decision to open the international maritime border after July 31.
Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA) Managing Director Australasia Joel Katz said the New Zealand cruise community could now begin rebuilding an industry that was previously worth almost $570 million a year to the New Zealand economy.
“The sight of Pacific Explorer in Waitematā Harbour will be cause for celebration for the many New Zealanders who rely on cruise tourism for their livelihoods and for the wider tourism industry as New Zealand approaches the summer cruise season ahead,” Mr Katz said.
Pacific Explorer is the first ship to visit as part of a step-by-step resumption of operations in New Zealand that will continue with visits by other vessels in the spring and summer.
New P&O ship Pacific Encounter visited Sydney in early August en route to Brisbane to continue the tradition of homeporting P&O ships at the epicentre of the Queensland cruise market.
The flagship Pacific Explorer is homeported in Sydney and was the first of Australia’s P&O fleet to return home after more than two years.
To find out more, visit pocruises.com.au