Cruise ship set to bring 450 passengers to New Plymouth
A cruise ship is set to visit Taranaki later this month – the first since Covid restrictions were eased earlier this year.
Seabourn Odyssey, which is 198 metres long and carries 450 passengers, will visit Port Taranaki on Thursday, November 24.
The ship, which is on a 65-day oneway cruise from Vancouver to Sydney, will arrive at 8am, with buses to take passengers into New Plymouth for the day.
In a statement, regional development agency Venture Taranaki said: ‘‘The I-site team and volunteers will be out in force greeting passengers, ensuring they are well-equipped with information on all there is to see and do in our region, and directing them to attractions, retail shops, and cafes.’’
The ship will depart at 6pm.
Port Taranaki head of commercial Ross Dingle said they were delighted to have the ship on its way.
‘‘This is very exciting and something we’ve been looking forward to since the international borders were reopened.
‘‘It’s been a tough period for the cruise industry and the wider tourism sector, so this is a positive step forward and we believe it signals a great summer ahead for the region’s tourism, hospitality and retail businesses,’’ Dingle said.
Seabourn Odyssey will be the first cruise ship to visit Taranaki since the Azamara Journey in February 2020, and is set to return on March 4 next year.
Other ships to visit this season are the Europa 2 on January 26, and Island Princess in mid-february.
Island Princess, at 294m long, can carry more than 2200 passengers and would be the largest cruise ship to have ever visited Port Taranaki.