Passengers ferried ashore

Neil Price from the Hawke's Bay Sports Fishing Club in Napier, with the newly laid turf on the quayside where cruise liner passengers will be brought ashore. Photo / Paul Taylor

A "full house" sign at the Napier Port has meant passengers aboard the 82,000-tonne liner Oosterdam will be getting a cruise within a cruise as they are ferried ashore today.

The size of the Oosterdam, coupled with the arrival of a second large liner today, the Sea Princess, as well as three large scheduled commercial ships, meant the Holland America Line had to call for tenders - literally.

They scouted the inner harbour using a tender from the ship when it was in Napier last Friday and decided the Hawke's Bay Sports Fishing Club quayside was the best spot for the water taxis, as well as providing plenty of space for buses to take passengers into the city.

"We were happy to oblige," the club's publicity officer Neil Price said.

"The cruise ships coming here, and the ones they are building now, are getting bigger and bigger and they won't be able to get as many into the port when it's busy. So I think we will start to see more of this."

Running the ship's four tender boats, which can each take about 80 people, from ship to shore is not uncommon. Tenders are used to ferry passengers ashore at Akaroa in the South Island and are regularly used during Pacific Island cruises.

Mr Price said he had been out in the bay last Saturday and, from the location of buoys off the main shipping access to the port, it appeared the 282-metre liner would be anchoring closer to the Bay View coastline than Westshore.

"It will take about 12 minutes for each tender to get to shore."

In preparation, the club sourced two strips of artificial material as a "welcome mat" to provide good footing along the walkways. Temporary handrails had also been put up, along with a "Welcome to Napier" sign.

Mr Price said the new arrival spot had the potential to create additional business for Ahuriri, as it did not get much of a "look in" with cruise ship passengers who went straight into the city from the usual port moorings.

"They may like to have a bit of a wander around there before they jump on the bus to town."

The use of the tenders would be weather dependant, however.

"If the wind is any more than 15 knots, it could whip up the sea too much."

Morning and late afternoon conditions were forecast to be fine and warm, with winds up to 11 knots, although some gusts could be higher at the peak of the day.

The liner was expected to arrive around 8am with the first tenders setting sail for Ahuriri about 30 minutes later.