Cruise ships at home in Auckland for Rugby World Cup 2011

Tourism Auckland looks forward to welcoming almost 5,500 Rugby fans to the ‘City of Sails’ on cruise ships during Rugby World Cup 2011.

Tourism Auckland Chief Executive, Graeme Osborne, says there’s no better way to show-off our renowned maritime lifestyle than to base three cruise ships on Auckland’s stunning waterfront during the business-end of the Tournament.

“The cruise ships will complement the broad range of accommodation that will cater for the huge influx of visitors to Auckland for RWC 2011. They will provide an important boost to our accommodation capacity during the two busiest weekends of the Tournament,” says Osborne.

“Of course having cruise ships berthed in the heart of the CBD will also add hugely to the buzz and vibrancy in Auckland during the event.”

The three official cruise ships confirmed to berth in Auckland during the semi-finals and Final are the Rhapsody of the Seas at Princes Wharf, the MS Volendam at Wynyard Wharf and the Pacific Dawn at Queen’s Wharf.

RWC 2011 cruise ship packages are already on sale as part of the Tournament’s official travel and hospitality programme and they’re proving popular with families and couples.

“We’ll be working alongside the Official Travel Agents to encourage these visitors to enjoy the Rugby as well as the diverse activities and experiences that Auckland has to offer,” says Osborne.

Tourism Auckland is working with the local industry to ensure they are prepared to deliver the world’s warmest welcome to the thousands of international visitors in Auckland for the Tournament.

The addition of cruise ship accommodation for RWC 2011 is a win for the already profitable cruise ship industry.

New Zealand’s total cruise sector GDP is $178 million and 58 percent of this is generated in Auckland.

The recent cruise season saw 105,000 visitors to Auckland and the numbers are set to soar in the years ahead. Already ship bookings for the 2011/2012 season suggest there’ll be some 180,000 international cruise visitors to the ‘City of Sails’.

Tourism is big business in Auckland, generating in excess of $3 billion of GDP per annum and supporting more than 50,000 full time jobs.