The New Zealand cruising season was at its peak in February and the Port of Auckland enjoyed a busy time, with a number of days seeing multiple cruiseships alongside at the city wharves as well as several cruise ships calling there for the first time.
Three visitors arrived alongside in the early hours of 9 February, with P&O UK’s Arcadia making her second call during her annual round-the-world cruise, Holland America’s Volendam making one of a number of calls this southern summer and Regent Seven Seas’ Seven Seas Voyager also making an appearance. All three departed within 45 minutes later that day.
During the month 27 cruise ships visited the ‘City of Sails’, including Queen Mary 2 and the newest addition to the Cunard fleet, Queen Elizabeth, which arrived on 17 February for her maiden call. Other first-time callers during the month included Silverseas Cruises’ Silver Spirit, Cunard’s Queen Elizabeth, Fred .Olsen’s Balmoral (although she has been in NZ before as Crown Odyssey way back in 2001) and Saga’s Saga Ruby.Silver Spirit (2009/36,009gt) called at Auckland during her inaugural 119-night round-the-world cruise. She is the latest addition to the Silverseas Cruises’ fleet, and arrived shortly after dawn on 12 February for her maiden call at the New Zealand port.
