Cruise ship passengers are getting ready to hop on and off for summer as the popular bus service returns to Mount Maunganui and Tauranga before the 2024/25  cruise season.

The 90-minute hop-on-hop-off loop service has been operating every cruise season for several years, Tranzit Coachlines Bay of Plenty Manager Jamie Jensen said. 

“Cruise ships play a key role in bringing international visitors to New Zealand, and our dedicated  cruise team takes a lot of pride in welcoming passengers aboard our services and ensuring they have  a great experience.” 

Jensen said the service had been updated for the 2024/25 season and includes a new brand logo that reflects the land and sea.

“To further improve this experience, we’ve worked closely with Tourism Bay of Plenty, Downtown Tauranga, Tauranga City Council, Mount Mainstreet, and all attraction stakeholders to refine and update the tour, and we’re excited about welcoming the first cruise visitors, arriving on the Celebrity Edge, this week,” Jensen said. 

According to Oscar Nathan, the general manager at Tourism Bay of Plenty, the Hop-On Hop-Off bus service is popular among cruise passengers for its flexible, low-cost way to visit key sites near the port.

“It’s important that our destination caters for a wide range of travel preferences. This service is an enjoyable and sustainable way to move large groups of passengers to where they want to go,” Nathan said.

The Tranzit team stroll through the Historic Village, before cruise ship season begins. Photo / supplied

All key partners involved in the Hop On Hop Off Tauranga bus service joined a successful familiarisation training day, experiencing the tour as a visitor would before the start of the season.

The bus route includes:

 Mount Maunganui main street village
Bayfair Shopping Centre
Classic Flyers Aviation Centre 
The Elms Heritage House 
Tauranga city centre 
The Historic Village 
A timely return trip to the ship before its departure.