The country’s first ever custom-built cruise ship facility is on track to open in Lyttelton in November next year.

This is great news for our city to be able to take the large cruise ships is going to help our businesses and bring much needed tourists dollars into the region.

Large cruise vessels have been unable to berth at Lyttelton Port since the February 2011 earthquake.
With the new cruise berth in place, the Lyttelton Port Company (LPC) will be able to welcome the full range of cruise vessels, including ships that cater for over 5000 passengers and 2000 staff. The cruise berth is currently under construction with piling going to plan, meaning the facility will be open by November 2020, in time for the 2020/2021 summer cruise ship season.

LPC chief executive Peter Davie says more than 70 bookings from cruise ship agencies for this season have been received, which he says highlights a real need for this type of facility.

The new berth means Lyttelton will be able to berth a larger cruise vessel on the new Cruise Berth and still have smaller cruise ships in the inner harbour.

“We will be able to say yes to all cruise ships.”

Passengers will then be transported by bus from the cruise ships into Lyttelton and Christchurch, where they can explore everything Canterbury has to offer.
Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA) Australasia Managing Director Joel Katz congratulated the Lyttelton Port Company on the infrastructure project.

“The investment in port facilities at Lyttelton is a further sign of the Canterbury region’s recovery and resurgence following the devastating 2011 earthquake in which the port experienced significant damage,” Mr Katz said.
“In addition to highlighting the region’s resilience, the facilities provide cruise operators with greater flexibility and choice in itinerary planning for the growing number of cruise visitors to New Zealand.”

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