Ports in a 'flash' storm

Cruise ships, such as the Queen Mary 2, are surging in popularity. Photo / Chris Skelton

Kiwis are following the trail of television's gooey Love Boat and snapping up bargain cruises in the wake of a recession-driven slump in the American and European markets.

But industry figures warn that New Zealand ports need to invest in world-class facilities to keep pace with growing trade.

Executives from Carnival Australia - which runs P&O, the Princess ships and Cunard Line in New Zealand - say Kiwi ports must lift their game to handle the industry goal of one million passengers by next year.

August was a record month for P&O Australia, with 30,000 New Zealanders and Australians booking cruises.

P&O has extended Pacific Sun's three-month New Zealand cruising season to four months next year. Bookings for the ship last month were 213 per cent up on August last year and family bookings rose 20 per cent. Carnival plans to bring a record 52,000 passengers to New Zealand in the coming season.

P&O chief executive Ann Sherry said to fully capitalise on growth, New Zealand needed the right infrastructure and planning in place.

Port owners, the Government and others in the industry all needed to play a part.

Carnival senior vice-president Jenny Lourey said the lack of sufficient infrastructure at New Zealand ports was a barrier to the future of the local cruise industry.

The country's ports were not keeping pace with local demand for cruising and the number of ship visits.

Next February, three cruise liners will be in Auckland at the same time. The Europa will berth at Princes Wharf, where the Hilton Hotel's conference venue will double as a passenger terminal, forcing the Dawn Princess and Clipper Odyssey to berth at ageing Queens Wharf with its makeshift facilities.

Plans are under way for an $85 million development of Queens Wharf, including a new passenger terminal, in time for the 2011 Rugby World Cup.

A spokeswoman for Prime Minister and Tourism Minister John Key said the Government had contributed $20 million to help secure Queens Wharf as a cruise ship terminal.

Flash facilities or not, Kiwis are already planning next year's holidays, taking advantage of two-for-one deals and discounts of up to 70 per cent.

Jacqueline Unsworth, who has worked in the industry for 18 years, said cruising has "never been so cheap".

"There are deals that I've never seen in the whole time I've been in the industry."

A 28-night round-Australia cruise on the Sun Princess and Dawn Princess starts at $3000, down from $8500.

And many companies are offering two-for-one deals, such as a 17-night cruise from Italy to Florida for $2900, with the second person paying only $280 taxes.

Apart from offering good deals, the cruise industry has worked feverishly to change the impression that a blue rinse is the only qualification needed for the high seas.

Go Holidays' cruise consultant Samantha Fowler has been taking her two young daughters on cruises since they were babies. The introduction of kids' clubs and activities for older children meant more families were booking.

jane.phare@hos.co.nz