Cruise ship records shattered

JOINT MEDIA RELEASE: Ports of Auckland and New Zealand Customs Service
Friday 9 February 2006

Cruise ship records shattered with nine ships in one week

Ports of Auckland and the New Zealand Customs Service are gearing up to service the demands of a record-breaking week for cruise ships at Auckland.

Ports of Auckland will service a record nine cruise ships arriving between February 11 and 17.

The spectacular week begins and ends with visits from two Queens - the QE2 arrives at 6am on Sunday (Subs: February 11) and her big sister the Queen Mary 2 arrives the following Saturday, February 17.

Despite the Queen Mary 2 being the biggest ship to ever call New Zealand, the most challenging day for port logistics will be Friday, February 16, when two giant ships, the Statendam and the Sapphire Princess, arrive in the early morning within an hour of each other.

“It will be the biggest passenger exchange the port has ever handled – nearly 8000 people in one day,” said Wayne Mills, General Manager Port Services for Ports of Auckland. “That’s equivalent to more than 19 jumbo jets.”

“The logistics will stretch our staffing resources but we have all our systems in place and we are ready to meet the challenge.”

Customs Acting Manager for Marine and Trade, Simon Williamson, said the service had organised extra resource to help deal with the number of passengers needed to be processed.

"The challenge for Customs is that some passengers and crew will be leaving the ships and returning home via other transport. So we need to make sure this happens as seamlessly as possible while not jeopardising border security. It's definitely a busy time for us but we are ready for it," said Mr Williamson.

Because of the number of ships calling, not all will be able to berth at the main Overseas Passenger Terminal at Princes Wharf. The Statendam for example will be processed at the recently upgraded secondary facility at Queens Wharf and later in the week the 345 metre-long Queen Mary 2 will berth at Jellicoe Wharf, which can accommodate its length more safely.

Ports of Auckland’s Marine Services team, which manages operations at the Overseas Passenger Terminal, will set up parallel facilities on two wharves three times throughout the record-breaking week. This includes set-up of security, ticket counters, and all the equipment required for Customs, MAF and Immigration processing of passengers and baggage.

ends

© Scoop Media