Napier’s retailers are preparing for the return of cruise ship season next month, after Covid border restrictions put an end to them in 2020.

Planning has been going on behind the scenes as Napier Port, Napier City Council, Te Whatu Ora, Civil Defence, tourism operators and retailers collaborate in preparation for a smooth season, Hawke’s Bay Tourism chief executive Hamish Saxton said.

“The New Zealand Cruise Association estimated the 2019/20 cruise season was worth roughly $30 million to the region. And with a significant number of ships holding bookings at Napier Port for the 22/23 season, indicating a clear desire to include Hawke’s Bay in itineraries, we are very excited to see the safe, healthy return to cruising.”

Businesses are keen to offer the best visitor experience they can and ‘make hay while the sun shines’. There are 90 cruise ships currently booked into visit Napier in the 2022/23 season.

More than 150,000 visitors were expected to visit Hawke’s Bay, and Napier City Business general manager Pip Thompson said Napier would return to the vibrancy of pre-Covid times.

Businesses ought to be good ambassadors for the city, she said.

“Only six New Zealand cities get the opportunity to host cruise ships. We are lucky to have them visiting our city, so embrace the influx of visitors – embrace the city vibrancy and the potential sales opportunities, and make the most of a successful summer in the region.”

Rogue Hop owner Jeremy Bayliss said, “It was great to see the unity of key stakeholders with the retailers. Working together benefits everyone with more dollars to go around.”

On Monday the Government announced it was dropping the traffic light system that it put in place to manage the risk of Covid.

An MOH spokesman said that as of 13 September, the Maritime Border Order had been lifted.

As a result passengers on cruise and other recreational vessels no longer need to be vaccinated. Public health advice has deemed the risk of opening the maritime border to be manageable, because we have a highly vaccinated population, and because the cruise season will not start until after winter, when seasonal winter illness and the surge we are currently seeing in the community are expected to have passed.”

He noted that cruise operators set their own conditions of carriage, however, and these may include pre-departure testing and vaccination requirements. Cruise ships also have the ability to test for and treat illness, as they have medical facilities on board. In the case of a Covid-19 infection, passengers will be required to self-isolate, either on board the ship or ashore, he said.

Cruise ship season commences on Monday 24 October.

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