Fiordland will be heaving over Christmas as more than 6000 cruise ship passengers are due to spend the holidays on the waters of New Zealand’s largest national park. The destination’s biggest day comes as the deep south bucks the national trend of declining cruise numbers. Christmas Day is due to be Fiordland’s busiest day of the 2026-27 cruise season, with 6435 passengers aboard the cruise ships Azamara Pursuit, Celebrity Edge and Silver Moon due to spend the day in Milford, Doubtful or Dusky sounds. The Otago Daily Times reported in July Port Chalmers is set to be New Zealand’s busiest port for cruise ships in the coming season, with 85 ships due to arrive. But now Great South tourism and events general manager Mark Frood said although national cruise numbers continued to trend downward, Southland too was bucking the trend. Southland was “quite unique … because it had three cruise destinations: Bluff, Rakiura-Stewart Island and Fiordland”. “Fiordland’s … seen as a jewel in the cruise-crown of New Zealand. “It’s an important part of the visit to the country.” The New Zealand Cruise Association schedule shows the 74 ships due to visit the region this season, bringing more than 200,000 passengers and crew. During the 2025-26 season, the industry paid $1,698,597 in marine fees which offset Environment Southland rates and funded harbourmaster functions, coastal science programmes, shoreline clean-up activities and iwi coastal heritage work. Perennial Fiordland visitor Anthem of the Seas would be the largest vessel scheduled to visit the region four times this season, carrying a combined 22,720 passengers and crew, the schedule said. Mr Frood said declining cruise visits over the past two seasons had prompted the industry to take action to reverse the trend and build numbers for future seasons. The Murihiku Southland Tourism Quarterly Report for the period ending March 31, 2026 showed cruise ship visits fell 40%, from 109 visits to 65. Nationally, 643 ports of call were booked for the coming season, compared with 1123 in 2023-24. New Zealand Cruise Association chief executive Jacqui Lloyd said the industry could not afford to assume cruises would simply return on their own. Strategies were being implemented to ensure “New Zealand earns its place as a destination of choice again”. Stewart Island promotions officer Aaron Joy said the current projections were for 18 ships, up from 14 last season. Cruise visitors generated vital income through the visitor levy’s contributions. “It all helps the bottom line on the island.” The island was heavily affected by inflated diesel fuel prices earlier this year. “We noticed the numbers of visitors declining a bit, especially in the backpacker market. “It’d be good to see those sorts of people coming back.” Bluff promotions officer Lindsay Beer said the town remained positive about its 11 scheduled cruise ship visits despite softer market conditions. “We really are famous for our seafood … we’re awfully proud of what we’ve got and we just need to share it with as many people as we can.” Mr Frood said Bluff’s narrow port entrance offered a cruise experience unlike anywhere else in New Zealand. “It’s a pretty spectacular port to come into.”
