Larger cruise ships on their way to Dunedin will come with pressure for new tourism operations and exacerbate problems with already congested bus parking.
The increase in numbers of passengers comes as ports in New Zealand compete for cruise ship custom, and passengers become more picky about destinations.
Feedback from cruise lines shows they are looking for more ways for passengers to use the Otago Harbour and more Dunedin-specific experiences.
The Dunedin Cruise Action group, which includes Port Otago and the Dunedin City Council, yesterday held a debriefing about the cruise ship season which was attended by about 40 people from the tourism industry.
Port Otago commercial manager Peter Brown, also a member of the Cruise Ship New Zealand board, travelled to the United States last month and met representatives of up to 30 cruise lines.
Mr Brown said the companies wanted more ways to access the Otago Harbour, perhaps using kayaks and zodiac craft, more local food and beverage offerings, as well as anything that reflected Dunedin's culture.
New tourism products needed to be specific to Dunedin, ‘‘unique, exclusive products for their guests''.
Product development had been a big talking point in all the meetings, and quality of products was paramount.
Mr Brown said Tauranga was doing well with Lord of the Rings tours and Napier with Art Deco.
‘‘Port Chalmers and Dunedin have been at the top of the tree for a long time, but there are new ports coming in,'' Mr Brown said.
‘‘We need to stay competitive, stay ahead of the game and deliver.''
There was also interest from cruise lines in opening up Central Otago to cruise ship passengers, but the distance presented difficulties.
Mr Brown said some passengers already travelled to Queenstown and reboarded their ship when it arrived at Milford Sound. But if bad weather prevented ships entering the sound, it was costly to get them back on board.
Mr Brown also told the meeting the trend towards bigger ships like the 348m Ovation of the Seas, a huge cruise ship set to visit Port Chalmers for the first time in December, would continue.
There was now a 362m ship being built.‘‘Ovation of the Seas is just the first mega-ship we'll see.
''Surveys showed Dunedin had an 82 out of 100 positive ranking with passengers, which had slipped from closer to 90 in the past, but all New Zealand ports had the same trend.
‘‘I think people are getting more picky.''
Dunedin's i-SITE visitor centre manager Louise van de Vlierd said the season had been mostly ‘‘hassle-free''.
But there was some concern at the meeting from bus company owners and tour operators.
BookaTour's Bex Hill said the situation with a lack of toilets at Baldwin St was ‘‘out of control''.
The meeting heard there were lines of people in a nearby cafe waiting to use the toilet there.
There were also concerns about congestion of buses at the port and in the Octagon.
And Mr Brown said with larger numbers expected next season ‘‘there will be more pressure''.
‘‘There will need to be changes made in the way we manage traffic through our facilities and on to the wharf.
‘‘Whether that's co-ordinating the arrival times of the buses more, holding them in a holding area outside Port Chalmers, there's options that we've identified we might have to bring in to play.
‘‘Similarly, the city will have to do what they do at the city end as well.''
The meeting heard the council was considering the issue.
Cruise ship issues
•More harbour activities wanted.
•More to reflect Dunedin culture.
•Unique, exclusive products sought.
•Bus congestion problems.
•Lack of Baldwin St toilets.
•Intensifying competition between ports.
•Passengers choosier.
