Photo: Unsplash / Peter Hammer
The cruise industry is pleading with the government not to extend the ban on cruise ships and allow the industry to start up again with kiwi-only voyages. In April, the government suspended all cruise ship visits until the end of June. Kevin O'Sullivan, Chief Executive of the New Zealand Cruise Association, says the industry has lost tens of millions in that time, and if cruise visits do not begin til next summer, the losses could be in the order of $280 million. He says there's an appetite for some smaller cruise ships to start up again, for New Zealand passengers only, adding in Australian passengers if and when the Trans Tasman bubble gets going.
