Catherine Stewart Tauranga City Councillor

The 2015/2016 cruise ship season kicks off on October 7 with the arrival of Diamond Princess and finishes on May 18 2016 with the arrival of Insignia.

Most ships are in port for approximately 12 hours. Diamond Princess is set to arrive approximately 9.15am and depart around 9.30pm. This time gives people an overview of our region and many return after their cruise to explore their favourite destination in New Zealand.

One of of highlights will be the arrival of Explorer of the Seas on April 18, 2016. The 138,000-ton ship accommodates 3114 guests, plus some 1185 crew and boasts an ice skating rink, nine-hole miniature golf course and rock climbing wall among its many onboard activities.

Contrary to many comments, the passengers do not all head off to Rotorua. Many of the passengers are repeat visitors, mainly from Australia, who like to explore around Tauranga. Some passengers have friends or relatives in the Bay of Plenty.

Tauranga is rated highly by passengers and crew alike. Where else in New Zealand do you arrive via a stunning entrance way with Mauao in the foreground and only need to walk five minutes to our shops and beautiful beaches?

I was fortunate to work for 10 years as a Cruise Ship Ambassador and got to hear the feedback first hand from the passengers. They love our scenery, weather, friendly people and location of the Port of Tauranga.

New Zealand wide, some 267,800 passengers will land in New Zealand. These figures are up 33 per cent when compared to the 2014-15 cruise season.