Cruise ships return to Fiordland

Tuesday, 25 October 2022

It’s been more than two and a half years since an international cruise ship has been seen against the backdrop of Milford Sound.

Cruise ships have finally returned to Fiordland after more than two and a half years with the Celebrity Eclipse visiting Milford Sound on Tuesday morning.

It’s the first time a cruise liner has travelled through the sound since March 2020 when the Covid-19 pandemic disrupted the industry.

The Celebrity Eclipse stopped in Milford en route to Dunedin, where it’s due to dock on Wednesday.

It’s the first of 104 cruise ships scheduled to visit the landmark this season and one of 111 that will dock at Port Otago between now and April 9, 2023.

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The 317-metre Celebrity Eclipse was launched in 2010 and can take up to 2850 passengers and 1210 crew.

It’s home to 1443 cabins and 13 decks, and underwent an extensive refurbishment in March 2020.

Aotearoa’s summer cruise season officially began on October 15 when the Majestic Princess arrived at the Port of Tauranga from Tahiti.

This summer is expected to be a significant cruise season for New Zealand with many companies reporting their strongest sales to date.

However, Covid-19 outbreaks are already being reported aboard cruise ships.

The Ovation of the Seas was the first cruise ship in 2½ years to disembark passengers in Wellington on Tuesday and health authorities had confirmed that Covid-19 cases were on board, although it was unclear how many.

Malaghan Institute executive director Dr Graham Le Gros said public health constraints, such as stronger isolation requirements, could be needed if the ship was carrying the BA.2.75.2 strain which had shown it could evade immunity.