Going from zero cruise calls to four this season is good news for Primeport Timaru said Phil Melhopt, chief executive.

Melhopt said he would eventually like to see a stable number of cruise calls to his port, targeting a modest eight vessels annually.

“We anticipate more vessels in the 2019-2020 season,” he said.

Passengers visiting can look forward to a short walk to the central business district, and popular shore excursions include Aoraki / Mount Cook and the Mackenzie Basin.

Among infrastructure plans are new bollards for the main berth to better handle cruise calls.