Harold Ilg was the first passenger to disembark. Photo / Laura Smith
A Bay tourism operator says it was "really moving" to see busloads of cruise ship passengers arrive this weekend after a two-year hiatus.
And a Mount Manganui local expects the cruise season will "definitely" bring a buzz back to town.
Majestic Princess kicked off the Bay of Plenty's summer cruise season on Saturday when she became the first international cruise ship to dock at Mount Maunganui since borders closed in 2020 for the Covid-19 pandemic.
The first of her 3500 passengers - there were also 1300 crew members on board - started disembarking near Salisbury Wharf* around 7am, and those who spoke to NZME were excited to be travelling again.
Several busloads of passengers headed inland to Rotorua's Whakarewarewa, The Living Māori Village.
Whakarewarewa general manager Tanya Robinson described the return of international cruise ship tourists for the first time in two years as "really, really moving", particularly for experienced guides.
Robinson was excited to see the return of cruise ship tourists.
"It's a really big day for us ... it's been over two and a half years.
"It's been awesome, and awesome to see the response from people to this taiao - our environment - that is so special and unique."
Mount Maunganui resident Pat Tondi could see the top four decks of the ship from her spare bedroom and took her dog, Prada, for a walk to see it. She said the return of cruise ships would "definitely" bring a buzz back to the town.
There was no simultaneous mass outpouring of passengers when the ship docked, given it was so early, but there was a steady stream venturing out the port gates and into Mount Maunganui. Guests could be seen walking down the main street, looking in windows and searching for coffee.
Soul Boul barista Courtney Williamson was curious to see how cruise ship tourists would impact business.
Located nearby, she said a lot of people had been walking past and the team was looking forward to the rest of the season, even if they weren't sure how that would look.
"We have no experience, so we don't know what's going to happen. But we're hopeful."
Tāpoi Māori ō Tauranga Moana operators were among those providing information at the port's pop-up i-SITE.
Chairman Don Allardice said it was a significant day, given the length of time cruise passengers had been absent.
"A lot of work had gone into preparing for this. A big effort from Tourism Bay of Plenty ... a lot of work within our own group working on our products and our operational procedures so we can make it as seamless as possible for the guests."
The special thing about Tāpoi was that it was whānau, he said. Support was shared between experienced operators helping the new.
"There's been a lot of co-operation between us and it's been really awesome."
Harold Ilg, from Florida, United States, was the first person off the ship, but he had no idea of the significance of his footsteps.
Speaking with NZME at the dockside, Ilg was honoured to learn he was the first passenger after the hiatus.
"That's terrific. I didn't realise that, that's pretty good."
He and his friends did not have a solid plan for their day visit, but he said they would most likely catch a bus and head to the city or to the beach.
Among those who headed inland was Chris Photiou, from Cyprus.
He was one of the passengers to head to Whakarewarewa, and said it had been a good experience.
Photiou also said it was nice to be travelling again "to see things are somehow getting back to normal."
He decided to visit Rotorua after a friend he made on the cruise said they were going. He was among a handful of visitors who took to the stage alongside the performing group Te Pakira to be taught a haka.
Dave Lister, of Toronto, said while it was colder than Tahiti - where the ship arrived from - it was good to be in the Bay of Plenty.
"It's a pleasure being part of the milestone."
It was the 21st day of the cruise, and Lister and his partner chose to visit Rotorua with some friends who had never been. Lister had been once before around 30 years ago, he said.
Californian couple Gloria and Bob Young, while waiting for an excursion, took the time to grab a coffee at a café close to the port.
They were enjoying the cruise and were spending their time in Tauranga on a "tasting tour" that took them to various local eateries.
The pair would end their cruise in Auckland, the next stop, as their big plan was a 25-day post-cruise road trip set to end in Christchurch.
Bob said they had wanted to drive around "and just see things".
They did not know specifically where they would go, other than Rotorua, where they would spend three nights to allow for sightseeing.
"We wanted to play it by ear."
It was their first time in the country and Gloria said they were excited. Bob said they had planned the trip before the pandemic, but it had to be cancelled.
Last week, Tourism Bay of Plenty general manager Oscar Nathan said in the last full cruise season in 2018/2019, cruises contributed $89m to the Coastal Bay of Plenty region and $565m to the New Zealand economy.
"So this weekend's arrival is a really exciting and momentous step as the tourism industry moves forward from all the Covid-19 restrictions that we've had."
Traveller demand had built up, he said, and globally many cruise companies were reporting their highest-ever sales.
"The economic benefit is obvious, but we're also really looking forward to the multi-national vibe these passengers and crew contribute to our region."
Visiting ships will bring more than 170,000 passengers and almost 73,000 crew into the region over the next six months.
Majestic Princess was the first of 103 cruise ships scheduled to visit the region's shores this season.
In August, New Zealand Cruise Association chief executive Kevin O'Sullivan said 900 port calls were expected nationally this cruise season, which runs from October to April.
That's near pre-pandemic numbers, which generated close to $570 million for the year ended June 2019, according to Statistics NZ.
Incoming passengers would be mostly Australian at this stage, with US and Europeans also in the mix.
*CORRECTION
This story has been updated to correct a reference to the ship docking at Salisbury Wharf. Ships dock at the Port of Tauranga, near but not at the wharf.