Cruise ship season comes early for the Bay of Plenty
October 3, 2016: The hotly anticipated cruise ship season is setting sail sooner than expected, with Mother Nature forcing a last-minute
change of plan to the 2016/2017 schedule.
The first ship, Sun Princess, was expected to arrive Wednesday, October 12. However, due to a bad weather forecast in the South Island, the ship is
being rerouted via the North Island and is arriving three days earlier on Sunday, October 9 (approximately 9am with a
7.15pmdeparture).
Sun Princess will no longer be in the Port of Tauranga next Wednesday as originally scheduled.
Tourism Bay of Plenty CEO Kristin Dunne says while the schedule change has placed pressure on the timelines and
preparation of the i-PORT facility, the tourism organisation is doing everything it can to ensure the season gets off to
a smooth start.
“While we anticipate this shift may have an impact on our industry, we’re confident they will rise to the occasion and
tackle this challenge head-on.
“Our doors are always open to engage with our operators and the industry, and are happy to support them in any way we
can to ensure the cruise ship season is a success.”
--ENDS--