PHOTO
The Otago Museum and Toitu Otago Settlers Museum are not planning to open earlier to cater for overseas visitors during the cruise ship season, despite being asked to consider the idea.
Otago Museum Trust Board member Syd Brown was recently contacted by a member of the public who suggested the city's main cultural attractions, including museums, consider opening earlier, at 9am, during the cruise ship season.
That was because many cruise passengers were dropped off in the Octagon, Dunedin, before 9am, yet many cultural attractions, including the two museums and the Dunedin Chinese Garden, were closed until 10am.
Having such places open when the tourists arrived would increase their enjoyment as well as ''capturing the discretionary dollar'', the member of the public suggested.
At a recent trust board meeting, museum director Ian Griffin said the museum already opened early, by arrangement, to cater for some pre-booked cruise passenger visits.
Opening early throughout the cruise season would incur extra costs, and it was not planned to do so, he said.
Museum officials said coffee was available at the museum cafe from 8.30am and the museum shop opened at 9am, enabling visitors to occupy themselves before museum galleries opened at 10am.
Settlers museum acting director Jennifer Evans said important activities, including cleaning and some gallery display changes, were undertaken between 9am and 10am.
And budgetary constraints meant earlier opening was not possible at this stage, she said.