A month has passed since the cruise-ship season, one not always blessed with good weather, came to an end. Despite two vessels' visits being cancelled due to weather conditions and a third because of machinery problems, it was a record season.
Port Chalmers had 54 visits by 22 vessels including one by Professor Khromov which is marketed under the name Spirit of Enderby. This vessel was also one of three that made eight calls at Dunedin.
In just over five months the cruise ships will be back for a season that commences on October 11, and runs to April 19, 2012. It may be a little early to forecast how many ship visits will be made here, for there are bound to be changes.
However, at present the Port Otago schedule only lists two visits to Dunedin by Hapag-Lloyds c. Columbus and Spirit of Enderby, but a record 77 to Port Chalmers by 18 vessels.
Nine of these vessels will be new to the local scene. Sea Princess, a sister ship to Dawn Princess and Sun Princess, and down for 10 visits, heralds the start of the season on October 19. Royal Caribbean's Radiance of the Seas is down for seven calls while Celebrity Century from the associated Celebrity Cruises will make six. Oceania Cruises will be represented here again with three visits from Regatta, a vessel that commenced life in 1998 as R. Two with Renaissance Cruises before that company went bankrupt.
Down for only one visit are Holland America's Zaandam, Saga Holidays' smaller 362-berth Spirit of Adventure, and Seabourn's Seabourn Odyssey.
Two vessels of special interest are the oldest and newest on the schedule. The latter is the 90,901gt Queen Elizabeth, which entered service this year. This vessel, due on February 23, will be the largest Cunarder to call here, and, like the two visits by its predecessor, Queen Elizabeth 2, should certainly generate considerable public interest.
And the oldest on the list is the 1973-built Albatros, spelt with only one "s" and due on February 12. It will be interesting to see this vessel again, for earlier in its career it came our way as Royal Viking Sea in 1990-91, then again in 1995 as Royal Odyssey.
The port and services will also be busy when two cruise ships are in together on 12 occasions.
And while it was a first with Dawn Princess in on Christmas Day last year, Sea Princess and Volendam are both expected on Christmas Day this year.
Coming back also are Seven Seas Voyager, Silver Shadow and three operated by P&O Cruises Australia, Pacifics Dawn, Jewel and Pearl. Then there will be the regulars Dawn Princess, Diamond Princess, Sun Princess and Volendam. Between them they have now made 91 visits since they were introduced from 2006-08.
And while Diamond Princess and Volendam are now in North American waters cruising to Alaska, sister ships Sun Princess and Dawn Princess are operating cruises out of Australia.
On May 25, Dawn Princess will start a 104-day round-the-world cruise from Sydney and visit 44 ports. The ship will travel north via Asia, on through the Mediterranean, and up to Norway and the United Kingdom. On the homeward leg, calls will be made at North American east and west coast ports before the ship returns to Sydney via Pacific Ocean destinations.
