Cruise Ships

April 5, 2026

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Cruise Ships Visiting the port

Ships anchor in the channel between Tapeka Point and Russell. From there passengers are ferried to either Russell or Waitangi wharves. Russell now has a secure passenger transfer area on the wharf. Most ships arrive off Russell between 0700 hours and 0900 but typically 0800 for a day visit. They usually depart the same day at either 1700 or 1800 hours. Many passengers take organised tours as far north as Cape Reinga, the northern tip of New Zealand.

If you are visiting on a cruise ship and either on a limited budget or not keen spending hours on a tour bus, spend the day in Russell or book or own trips. Historic Russell is a favorite for many passengers who enjoy the relaxed village atmosphere with many historic places, cafes and shops. A mini tour of the Russell area and history operates from next to the wharf. Attractions include boat trips to explore the Islands including the famous “hole in the rock”, swim with the Dolphins, bus tours, Waitangi Treaty grounds and more. There are good short walking tracks and a 10 minute passenger ferry trip to Paihia. Ferries run every 10-20 minutes with shopping. Walk or take a taxi the short distance to the Waitangi Treaty grounds.

Further visitor information can be found on this site on the following pages Attractions & Activities , Bay of Islands, Historic Russell Village, Paihia
Most ships will arrive from or be departing to the port of Auckland.

Marine Traffic

Vessels with an AIS transponder will show on the map
The map above shows AIS ship location data. Vessels with an AIS transponder will show on the map. These include all cruise ships, freight vessels travelling up and down the coast and smaller vessels such as the Bay Belle passenger ferry, pilots, tugs, super yachts, private craft etc. By mousing over the map it is possible to zoom in, zoom out and drag the map to other locations such as the port of Whangarei and Auckland. By clicking on a vessel icon, the vessel specifications and images can be displayed. This map will also display the location vessels carrying a Smartphone or Tablet running the mAIS free App provided they are in cellular coverage. This data is not retransmitted to vessels carrying dedicated AIS equipment but is available to anyone viewing map data in a web browser.

View from the deck:

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Bay Of Islands

Port

Cruise ships visiting the Bay of Islands are allocated one of the three anchorages above based on displacement and the number of ships in port the same day. Passengers are usually ferried by the ships lifeboats to the secure berthing facility at Russell wharf.

BAY OF ISLANDS CRUISE SHIP SCHEDULE

Ships Name Date Arrival Departure Duration (Hrs) Pax No
Sample #1 Row 1, Content 1 Row 1, Content 2