Port of Tauranga

Superliner Sun Princess to call at Tauranga

Posted on 30th May 2006

The tourism industry in the coastal Bay of Plenty has received a further boost with the announcement that another large cruise ship is to regularly call at Tauranga next year.

Port of Tauranga and Tourism Bay of Plenty have welcomed the news that the P&O Cruises superliner Sun Princess will make four visits to the region for the summer 2007-2008 season.

The 77,000-tonne ship will make a series of round-trip cruises from Sydney between November 2007 and April 2008, including two circumnavigations of Australia and four of New Zealand.

Port of Tauranga Commercial Manager Graeme Marshall said P&O Cruises have been sailing between Australia and New Zealand for some time but have not previously called at Tauranga.

"We have been conscious that the P&O Australia service has previously bypassed Tauranga and are pleased to have worked with them to achieve these calls. We are sure that after they have experienced this port and the many attractions in the region they will be encouraged to visit Tauranga more often."

Tourism Bay of Plenty General Manager Tim Burgess also welcomed the announcement.

“Australia is New Zealand’s most significant market for international visitor numbers so it’s excellent news that Bay of Plenty will see a big increase in Australian visitor numbers as a result of this new service. We now need to show these visitors such a great time that they book return visits to the region.

Australia is experiencing growing demand for premium cruise holidays, and it’s great that Bay of Plenty is set to benefit from this.”

The Sun Princess can accommodate 1,950 passengers, and is intended to be a luxurious yet affordable cruise ship option for Australians and New Zealanders.

The news of the Sun Princess deployment comes just one week after Port of Tauranga and Tourism Bay of Plenty announced that the Celebrity Cruises luxury liner Mercury would begin sailing to Tauranga in 2007.

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For further information:

Graeme Marshall Commercial Manager Port of Tauranga Ltd Telephone: 07 572 8825 Email: graeme@port-tauranga.co.nz

Tim Burgess General Manager Tourism Bay of Plenty Telephone: 07 577 6234 Email: tim@bayofplentynz.com