Some in the sectors are scrambling to round up enough staff to run their operations before the 317m-long Celebrity Eclipse arrives at Port Chalmers on Wednesday with up to 2850 passengers.
Hospitality Association of New Zealand Dunedin branch president Mark Scully said the visit would provide a great financial boost for the city.
"The trade in Dunedin has actually picked up quite a lot, and with the tourists and the cruise passengers on top, they will be the cream on top for the summer.
"Everyone is looking forward to the cruise ship season of course, but finding staff is proving difficult — particularly chefs and duty managers.
"Chefs and duty managers — that’s where a lot of hospitality businesses are short.
"The challenge will be to have the right amount of staff in place to service them.
"We’re just looking forward to doing our best and doing what we can to accommodate the passengers."
Larnach Castle director Norcombe Barker said pre-Covid-19, the business had about 105 staff, but it was now down to about 80.
"We’ve got more tour guides back and we kept a lot of them on and gave them other jobs until this rolled around again.
"It’s the more specialised staff that we’re going to have issues with — the chefs.
"A lot of it’s about logistics. Ifyou know any chefs, we’d likethem."
Despite the shortage, he said the business was "a well-oiled machine" and the cruise ship visit was not expected to put pressure on at this stage.
"It’s just a matter of getting back into the habit."
For this visit, he was expecting only four bus loads of tourists, but that may change later in the year.
"The busiest time for us will bejust after Christmas when there are a whole lot of double cruise ship days — that’s when we’ll really be pushed."
He was "pretty excited" about welcoming cruise ship passengers back to the historic building.
"It’s been two and a-half years since the last cruise ship, which is a very long time between drinks.
"It’s pretty cool to get it started again."
Otago Peninsula Trust eco-tourism manager Hoani Langsbury said the trust had been training up new guiding staff for the Royal Albatross Centre, in preparation for the cruise ship’s arrival.
He said it had not proven too difficult to find staff because the trust was committed to paying living wage rates.
He was hoping for a "positive" season.
"It’s still a bit of a gamble for us because we’re not 100% certain yet how well the season is going to go.
"Indications from the recent holidays is that things are tracking pretty well, and we’re looking forward to those first cruise shipscoming in."
Dunedin Venues Management Ltd CEO Terry Davies was also delighted to see the cruise ships return.
He said passengers would be collected from port and dropped back with the Otago Heritage Bus Society, and a rail trip from the Dunedin Railway Station to Hindon was also planned.
Ritchies Coachlines has been contracted to ferry passengers from the ship into the city and other tourist destinations.
The country is in the middle of a bus driver shortage, but it is unknown if it will be an issue for Ritchies on Wednesday.
Ritchies could not be contacted for comment yesterday.
While cruise ship visits often attract Otago Regional Council bus drivers to drive tour buses, ORC transport interim manager Doug Rodgers said this visit was not expected to effect the network.
