Dunedin is still "open for business" in hosting cruise ships but, because of Covid-19, has implemented new measures for passengers and crew arriving in port.
Port Otago cruise manager Carolyn Bennett said ships entering the city had to submit documents which needed to be approved.
"Every ship entering a New Zealand port must submit a maritime declaration of health — a legal document.
"Currently, in addition to this declaration, ships arriving at Port Otago must also complete a pre-arrival public health declaration form."
The form requested information on the vessel’s previous 14 days of transit, as well as the movement of passenger and crews for the past 14 days.
"The completed form is reviewed by Port Otago and Public Health South prior to the vessel being allowed into port."
The benefit to Dunedin outweighed the risk at this stage, she said.
"We value the cruise business and the economic benefit it brings to Dunedin, so — at this stage — we are open for business, subject to continued assurances from the Ministry of Health and Maritime New Zealand regarding the safety of our staff and wider public.
"Ultimately, it’s Ministry of Health and Maritime NZ that determines the rules for entry of vessels into ports in New Zealand."
Thirteen cruise bookings remained for the season over the next month, she said.
Due to international travel restrictions we expect a few of these to be cancelled as some cruise lines suspend operations for a period."
Ms Bennett had not noticed a difference in the number of passengers arriving in Dunedin.
Three cruise ships are due in port this weekend: Golden Princess today and Celebrity Solstice and Azamara Journey tomorrow.
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Why do we need these ship's to come on our shore? With thousand's of passenger's travelling it's just a matter of week's before someone in Dunedin will get infected.. show some restraint and stop thinking about loss business opportunity.
I totally agree with you. Keep these cruise ships off our shores. Some financial pain now to prevent mass loss of life, hospitals in overrun duress, and NZ business's blanket forced shutdown.
A simple swab test and none of this would be nessessary. Yet we insist on collapsing our economy, everything we have have all worked hard for, because our health officials have failed to introduce a simple swab test as recommended by the World Health Organisation. We could have led the way on this......but no, panic and fear is the pathway it seems. Our isolation is our strength, but we have gone another way.