However, the travel company pulling the boutique French cruise ship Le Laperouse into New Zealand ports is infuriated by government delays that left its initial plans on the rocks.
The first planned voyage of Le Laperouse was scheduled to leave Dunedin on January 30 and travel to Auckland with 180 passengers on board.
After seven months of trying to put that deal together, red tape appeared to have sunk that plan, Holland Clarke & Beatson director and chairman Warwick Beatson, of Christchurch, said.
The boat would visit Stewart Island and Dusky Sound, and while the travel company was aggrieved by government inaction, it remained excited to be able to offer a luxury holiday to New Zealanders unable to have one in 2020 because of the global pandemic, Mr Beatson said.
It was a sign of good news to come for tourism, he said.
"It’s really good for Dunedin’s economy, for New Zealand’s economy, for the wellbeing of New Zealanders who wanted to go on holiday — it’s a great start."
Cabins on the vessel cost from $15,000 to $75,000. The January cruise had been sold out, but Holland Clarke & Beatson director Sarah Clarke said the Ministry of Health approval the company had been waiting for limited the number of people on the boat to 100.
The 180 passengers booked for January 30 would be informed and asked to reconfirm a limited March 6 booking.
The cruise ship, which had been in dry dock in Singapore, was now off the coast of the Indonesian capital Jakarta.
Port Otago commercial manager Craig Usher said Le Laperouse would enter New Zealand waters in mid-February and arrive in Dunedin on March 6.
The high-end vessel would now leave from Auckland and make its way to Lyttelton before calling into Dunedin, Mr Usher said.
It would visit the Chatham, Bounty, and Antipodes Islands as well, while it took domestic tourists around New Zealand.
It represented a soft start for the cruise industry in Dunedin.
This week, the Otago Daily Times reported the loss of cruise ships at Port Otago due to the ban in place due to Covid-19 since March 14 resulted in an $8million loss in revenue for the port this year.
A Ministry of Health spokeswoman said Le Laperouse was granted permission by the ministry to enter New Zealand under the category of undertaking a refit or refurbishment of, or a repair to, the vessel which is more than minor, under the Covid-19 Public Health Response (Maritime Border) Order (No2) 2020.
Once in New Zealand, the vessel could operate as a cruise ship within New Zealand waters, but the director-general of health had placed a limit of 100 passengers on the operation of the vessel in order to mitigate any public health risk, the spokeswoman said.
The ministry was working closely with the cruise ship’s owner to ensure the vessel’s entry to and operation in New Zealand was both safe and compliant with all relevant requirements, she said.
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Quote: "$8million loss in revenue for the port this year. infuriated by government delays, aggrieved by government inaction".......""It’s really good for Dunedin’s economy, for New Zealand’s economy, for the wellbeing of New Zealanders"....
So how do we reconcile between the pollution generated from the senseless burning of millions of litres of heavy fuel oil, for the supposed 'well being of New Zealanders"? while also "declaring a climate emergency" ???
On the one hand we're asked to conserve, recycle, and change our way of thinking in regard to the environment. Then on the other hand, cruise ships and air passengers will again arrive in numbers that will again swamp our wee country.
Seems to me maybe we're not learning anything, especially as people line up to pay up to $75k for a cabin.
Climate change must surely be a myth?
The depletion of fossil fuel must also surely be myth? as we also continue advertising and buying big fuel hungary utes in record numbers. I thought we were focussed on preserving the planet for future generations? Do I sell my petrol car and buy electric? Or should I trade in on a big ute and book a cruise?