New Zealanders sailing for distant shores

June 18, 2025 – New Zealand cruise fans are increasingly opting for fly-cruise holidays in other parts of the world, according to figures released today by Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA).

In its annual Source Market Report for New Zealand, CLIA has outlined data showing a decline in local cruising among New Zealanders in 2024, but a significant increase in cruising in long-haul destinations.

CLIA’s figures show a total of 80,200 New Zealanders took an ocean cruise during 2024. This is a 7.1% decrease from 2023, when 86,300 sailed, and well below the 106,300 people who sailed in 2019 – confirming that the local market has yet to fully rebound.

However, the number of New Zealanders who cruised in long-haul destinations increased by 39.2% since 2023 to 27,700 in 2024. This represents 34.5% of all New Zealand cruisers, up from 23.1% in 2023.

CLIA Managing Director in Australasia Joel Katz said the swing towards long-haul destinations reflected reduced levels of cruise ship deployment in New Zealand.

“While global cruise figures are at record levels, New Zealand has been impacted by reduced local deployment due to regulatory challenges and rising costs faced by cruise lines locally,” Mr Katz said. “The New Zealand cruise market has also been affected by other local economic factors – just like other areas of tourism – but the data suggests Kiwi cruise fans will opt to sail elsewhere if their choices at home are reduced.”

CLIA’s 2024 Source Market Report shows the average age of a New Zealand cruise passenger in 2024 was 50.8 years, slightly up on the 49.3 of the previous year but down on the 52.5 of 2019. This is in line with the broader global trend as cruise lines attract younger generations. More than one quarter (29.0%) of New Zealand cruise passengers were aged under 40 in 2024.

Key findings from CLIA’s 2024 Source Market Report for New Zealand include:

• A total of 80,200 New Zealanders took an ocean cruise during 2024, a 7.1% decrease from 2023 when 86,300 sailed. The result is also below the 106,300 people who sailed in 2019.
• Around two-thirds of Kiwi cruisers (65.5% or 52,500 people) sailed within Australia, New Zealand and the South Pacific – traditionally the most popular region for this market. However, this was down from 2023 when more than three-quarters (77.0% or 66,500 people) sailed locally.
• The number of New Zealanders who cruised in long-haul destinations increased by 39.2% to 27,700 in 2024. This represents 34.5% of all New Zealand cruisers, up from 23.1% in 2023.
• The average duration of an ocean cruise taken by New Zealanders was 9.7 days in 2024, up slightly from 9.2 days in 2023. This reflects the increase in cruising in long-haul destinations where passengers traditionally sail longer.
• The average age of a New Zealand cruise passenger in 2024 was 50.8 years, slightly up on the 49.3 of the previous year but down on the 52.4 of 2019. This is in line with the broader global trend as cruise lines attract younger generations.
• The most popular destination for New Zealand cruisers was the Pacific, where 28.6% of Kiwis sailed, followed by New Zealand (18.8%), Australia (18.1%), the Mediterranean (11.9%), Asia (5.0%), Alaska (4.1%), and the Caribbean (3.6%).
• Worldwide, a record 34.6 million people took an ocean cruise during 2024, a 9.3% increase on the previous record of 31.7 million in 2023.

While demand for cruising continues to grow worldwide, Mr Katz said more work was needed to attract ships to New Zealand.

"New Zealand is an incredibly popular cruise destination but it is also a challenging environment for cruise lines to operate in,” Mr Katz said. “We need government, destinations and industry stakeholders to work together to address the regulatory difficulties and high fees that cruise lines experience in the region, which ultimately deter ships from operating in New Zealand.”

Previous figures released last year by CLIA and the New Zealand Cruise Association (ACA) showed a huge economic impact from cruise tourism during the 2023-24 financial year, providing NZ$1.37 billion for the national economy. The CLIA-NZCA Economic Impact Assessment found more than 9,700 New Zealand jobs were supported by cruise tourism in locations around the country.

Download the New Zealand source market infographic.