Cruise tourism keeps capital buzzing as season sails in early

The start of the Wellington cruise season is set to sail in early, as the first ship heads for Te Whanganui a Tara two days earlier than anticipated. The 3,012-passenger capacity cruise vessel, Carnival Splendor, is due to berth at CentrePort on Friday morning, officially commencing the 2025-26 season.

Welcoming 71 cruise calls from October 2025 to April 2026 on ships carrying between 146 and 4,900 passengers, the city’s upcoming cruise season is anticipated to deliver tens of millions in economic benefit to the capital and a welcome boost to tourism, hospitality and retail businesses.

Despite a forecasted decrease in overall cruise ship calls across New Zealand, Wellington’s numbers have remained relatively stable, dropping only slightly from 73 calls last year. This highlights the capital’s strong appeal as a cruise destination and the city’s focus on stabilising cruise for the future as a valued economic contributor.

Mark Oldershaw, Chief Executive at WellingtonNZ, says: “We’re proud to welcome more than 120,000 anticipated cruise passengers to Wellington over the coming season. People from all corners of the world will be coming to our shores to experience the best of Wellington – whether that be discovering our café culture, shopping to their heart’s content in our stores, or simply exploring our compact and walkable city.

“The volunteer Wellington City Ambassadors and isite team at Tākina are eager to connect with cruisegoers, helping them to disperse throughout the city and have a positive visitor experience. We also invite Wellingtonians and local businesses to engage proactively and to view the cruise season as an opportunity to showcase Wellington’s unique experiences, hospitality, culture, and retail offerings.”

According to the latest schedule, Wellington is set to welcome a wide variety of vessels – from smaller expedition-style ships such as New Zealand based Heritage Adventurer on 7 November which takes a maximum of just 146 passengers, to some of the world’s largest cruise vessels, including Royal Caribbean’s Anthem of the Seas arriving on 31 January with a maximum passenger capacity of roughly 4,900 and the Crown Princess arriving on 9 February which can accommodate a little over 3,500 passengers.

The cumulative effect of the season means sustained business for cafés and restaurants, steady foot traffic for retail outlets and increased demand for guided experiences and ground transport. Industry data consistently shows that cruise passengers often spend on short‑term local experiences, souvenirs, plus food and beverage, generating jobs and supporting small and medium businesses across the city and wider Wellington region.

Cable Car Chief Executive, Tansy Tompkins, says: “Cruise tourism is a vital part of our success. On days when ships are in port, we’ll see a 100% increase in visitors to the Cable Car. We’re really looking forward to welcoming cruise passengers again and seeing the positive impact they have on Wellington’s economy.”

To help future-proof the city’s cruise tourism industry and drive continued economic benefit, WellingtonNZ and CentrePort are collaborating to deliver a new cruise strategy, designed specifically for Wellington’s sector but aligned to New Zealand Cruise Association’s national strategy.

CentrePort Chief Executive, Anthony Delaney, says: “Cruise arrivals deliver an important influx of economic activity for our city, and we are focused on making sure Wellington captures the maximum benefit. We are working with WellingtonNZ to deliver a new cruise strategy that enhances the visitor experience, extends passengers’ time in the city and builds stronger links into our local economy.”

Key elements of the strategy will include working with partners to enhance visitor services, coordinating with tourism operators and transport providers to increase accessibility and dispersal, and enhanced communications and marketing to ensure Wellington remains a competitive and attractive port of call for cruise lines. It will also align with Tourism and Hospitality Minister Louise Upston’s vision for the country’s cruise future.

By the numbers:

• 71 cruise calls between October 2025 and April 2026
• Up to 124,287 passengers and crew to arrive across the season
• 7 first call plaque exchanges with ship captains and city representatives
• 47 Wellington City Ambassadors helping passengers have a great city experience

To view the cruise schedule, visit the CentrePort website and to find out more about what to see and do in Wellington, check out the WellingtonNZ website.

Date published: 22 October 2025