Free Shuttles for Lyttelton

[arxcards]

Nice if you are looking to do your own thing in Christchurch. This coming season, they are trialling free bus shuttles from the port to Christchurch to overcome local complaints about the town of Lyttelton and the public bus network being clogged with cruise passengers. On other links, it has also been mentioned that you can no longer walk off the wharf, and there will be no shuttle into Lyttelton.

https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/national/500713/cruise-control-lyttelton-to-bus-passengers-straight-to-christchurch

https://www.thepress.co.nz/a/nz-news/350095953/cruise-ship-passengers-be-shuttled-straight-central-chch

Edited October 22, 2023 by arxcards

[Chiliburn]

Last year, I thought Christchurch resembled a big building site.

Not the Christchurch from before the earthquake and I wouldn’t bother going back there.

Lyttelton ,just to get off the ship ,was lovely.

[Ozwoody]

1 hour ago, arxcards said:

Nice if you are looking to do your own thing in Christchurch. This coming season, they are trialling free bus shuttles from the port to Christchurch to overcome local complaints about the town of Lyttelton and the public bus network being clogged with cruise passengers. On other links, it has also been mentioned that you can no longer walk off the wharf, and there will be no shuttle into Lyttelton.

https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/national/500713/cruise-control-lyttelton-to-bus-passengers-straight-to-christchurch

https://www.thepress.co.nz/a/nz-news/350095953/cruise-ship-passengers-be-shuttled-straight-central-chch

 

umm, did I miss something? If you can't walk off the wharf, and there is no shuttle into Lyttelton, how do you get from ship to Lyttelton? 

Going to be a dull port.😁

 

 

[arxcards]

6 minutes ago, Ozwoody said:

 

umm, did I miss something? If you can't walk off the wharf, and there is no shuttle into Lyttelton, how do you get from ship to Lyttelton? 

Going to be a dull port.😁

 

 

Cruisers love Lyttleton, but Lyttleton doesn't love cruisers.

 

Arriving by cruise ship  

At the start of the 2023 cruise season there are no busses from the ship that will stop in Lyttelton.

 The only way you will be able to reach Lyttelton is to take the shuttle rom the ship into the centre of Christchurch walk to the bus exchange and take a number 8 bus back to Lyttelotn, and in order to get back onto the ship you will have to take the 8 bus back into town to pick up the shuttle back to the ship.

Please note that there is no walk/on walk off access from the cruise terminal. You must leave the berth by bus/shuttle which will take you into Christchurch.

 

https://www.lytteltoninfocentre.nz/transport-and-lyttelton

 

https://www.christchurchnz.com/news/solutions-to-lyttelton-community-cruise-concerns-underway

 

Edited October 23, 2023 by arxcards
2nd link

[Relaxing Robbies]

It is great that they are going to provide free shuttles into Christchurch because last year the public bus service into Christchurch was completely swamped and locals were seriously affected. However I think that it is a strange decision to stop all access to Lyttleton unless you catch the shuttle into Christchurch and then the public bus for 20 or 30 minutes back out to the town, then vice versa on return. Surely there should just be a drop off point in the town for those who want to stay  local and just have a look around the town.  The locals must really, really hate the ships.

 

I guess Port Chalmers will be watching with interest, because they have the same problem with their local bus service being overwhelmed on cruise ship days.

[Chiliburn]

1 hour ago, arxcards said:

Cruisers love Lyttleton, but Lyttleton doesn't love cruisers.

 

Arriving by cruise ship  

At the start of the 2023 cruise season there are no busses from the ship that will stop in Lyttelton.

 The only way you will be able to reach Lyttelton is to take the shuttle rom the ship into the centre of Christchurch walk to the bus exchange and take a number 8 bus back to Lyttelotn, and in order to get back onto the ship you will have to take the 8 bus back into town to pick up the shuttle back to the ship.

Please note that there is no walk/on walk off access from the cruise terminal. You must leave the berth by bus/shuttle which will take you into Christchurch.

 

https://www.lytteltoninfocentre.nz/transport-and-lyttelton

 

https://www.christchurchnz.com/news/solutions-to-lyttelton-community-cruise-concerns-underway

 

So private shore excursions will leave from Christchurch I suppose.

Last season I remember a private company that we went with complaining they weren’t allowed to pick up at the ship.
They said it was the cruise companies that told customs or whoever it was ,it’s a security risk.

Edited October 23, 2023 by Chiliburn

[arxcards]

Just now, Chiliburn said:

So private shore excursions will leave from Christchurch.

Last season I remember a private company that we went with complaining they weren’t allowed to pick up at the ship.
They said it was the cruise companies that told customs or whoever it was ,it’s a security risk.

Looks that way for the private stuff - they will run from the info centre where the shuttles drop you off.

 

What did you do to Lyttelton Chili?

[Chiliburn]

23 minutes ago, arxcards said:

Looks that way for the private stuff - they will run from the info centre where the shuttles drop you off.

 

What did you do to Lyttelton Chili?

Cruise excursions will be looking better and a lot easier ,I wonder if they had anything to do with it.

 

 

 

Just wondered around, had a couple of beers at the brewery,lovely viewing deck
Had a coffee a couple of times there ,a lovely little town .Just to get of the ship as we were feeling lazy.

 

With Christchurch the way it is it’s a fair distance to get anywhere like the mountains.

So ,just veg out ,I’m pretty good at that.

Edited October 23, 2023 by Chiliburn

[Ozwoody]

2 hours ago, arxcards said:

Cruisers love Lyttleton, but Lyttleton doesn't love cruisers.

 

Arriving by cruise ship  

At the start of the 2023 cruise season there are no busses from the ship that will stop in Lyttelton.

 The only way you will be able to reach Lyttelton is to take the shuttle rom the ship into the centre of Christchurch walk to the bus exchange and take a number 8 bus back to Lyttelotn, and in order to get back onto the ship you will have to take the 8 bus back into town to pick up the shuttle back to the ship.

Please note that there is no walk/on walk off access from the cruise terminal. You must leave the berth by bus/shuttle which will take you into Christchurch.

 

https://www.lytteltoninfocentre.nz/transport-and-lyttelton

 

https://www.christchurchnz.com/news/solutions-to-lyttelton-community-cruise-concerns-underway

 

🤣 Some masochists with time on their hands, who jointly works with the local council and the port authority are probably sitting back with a few beers giggling, when ever a ship arrives in port.😂

 

In my day I have pulled some tricks that have left people blinking, but who ever implemented this, is way above my league.🥴

[buchhalm]

I hope one cruiseline will have the balls to drop "Christchurch " from the schedule. If they aren't wanted, they go somewhere else. 

[OzKiwiJJ]

3 hours ago, arxcards said:

Cruisers love Lyttleton, but Lyttleton doesn't love cruisers.

 

Arriving by cruise ship  

At the start of the 2023 cruise season there are no busses from the ship that will stop in Lyttelton.

 The only way you will be able to reach Lyttelton is to take the shuttle rom the ship into the centre of Christchurch walk to the bus exchange and take a number 8 bus back to Lyttelotn, and in order to get back onto the ship you will have to take the 8 bus back into town to pick up the shuttle back to the ship.

Please note that there is no walk/on walk off access from the cruise terminal. You must leave the berth by bus/shuttle which will take you into Christchurch.

 

https://www.lytteltoninfocentre.nz/transport-and-lyttelton

 

https://www.christchurchnz.com/news/solutions-to-lyttelton-community-cruise-concerns-underway

 

That's just crazy and may result in people who do want to spend the day in and around Lyttelton clogging up the public buses still.

 

Most people who used the public buses did so because they didn't want to pay the shuttle bus fee but if the shuttle to Christchurch is free that issue goes away. And if Lyttelton doesn't want cruisers shopping, or having coffee or lunch in their town then stuff them, I'll stay on the ship.

 

Akaroa may be happy to have a few cruise ships back there. 

[SinbadThePorter]

We are next in Lyttelton on Jan 3rd. At least now we won't have the dubious pleasure of trying to catch the local bus to Christchurch ever again. Dog eat dog doesn't even begin to describe it. What was easy and simple in Port Chalmers was anything but in Lyttelton. All we wanted to do was to stop at the gondola and do a little shopping at a New World.

 

I'd have thought that a simpler option might have been to put on some extra public buses on the local route on cruise days, rather than rustle up some free shuttles and effectively ban cruisers from the town of Lyttelton.

 

By the way, I've never seen anyone mention it, but NZ supermarkets just leave the Oz ones in the shade. The fresh food section at New World is a marvel to behold and they sell some of the best meat pies I've ever tasted. 🥳

[OzKiwiJJ]

Unlike Port Chalmers, the Lyttelton wharf is a working wharf ie the whole area services freight vessels as well as cruise ships, which is why you can't walk off it. 

[SinbadThePorter]

31 minutes ago, OzKiwiJJ said:

Unlike Port Chalmers, the Lyttelton wharf is a working wharf ie the whole area services freight vessels as well as cruise ships, which is why you can't walk off it. 

 

I was referring to the the local bus trips from each town.

 

There are two wharves at Port Chalmers. The closer one can be walked off, but the further one requires you to be escorted off. I was once held up on board there for over 3 hours waiting for a minibus to travel the hundred meters or so to the main shed.

 

 

[OzKiwiJJ]

1 hour ago, SinbadThePorter said:

 

I was referring to the the local bus trips from each town.

 

There are two wharves at Port Chalmers. The closer one can be walked off, but the further one requires you to be escorted off. I was once held up on board there for over 3 hours waiting for a minibus to travel the hundred meters or so to the main shed.

 

 

Two cruise ship wharves? I thought there was only the new one.

[SinbadThePorter]

23 minutes ago, OzKiwiJJ said:

Two cruise ship wharves? I thought there was only the new one.

 

Port Chalmers? There are actually three, but I don't think the third one gets used by cruise ships.

 

The Beach Street Wharf is the one next to the shed. Then there is the Container Berth opposite, which was where I got stuck, and a multi-purpose berth further along the same side.

[yes!yes!yes!]

4 hours ago, buchhalm said:

I hope one cruiseline will have the balls to drop "Christchurch " from the schedule. If they aren't wanted, they go somewhere else. 

My last 2 cruises around New Zealand on the Grand Princess didn't stop there and my cruise this Christmas doesn't either.

[boeckli]

4 hours ago, OzKiwiJJ said:

Akaroa may be happy to have a few cruise ships back there. 

 

My Feb 2024 Noordam cruise stops in Akaroa 🙂

[sagittarius]

4 hours ago, OzKiwiJJ said:

That's just crazy and may result in people who do want to spend the day in and around Lyttelton clogging up the public buses still.

 

Most people who used the public buses did so because they didn't want to pay the shuttle bus fee but if the shuttle to Christchurch is free that issue goes away. And if Lyttelton doesn't want cruisers shopping, or having coffee or lunch in their town then stuff them, I'll stay on the ship.

 

Akaroa may be happy to have a few cruise ships back there. 

Bit sad we can't get dropped off at Lyttelton as had great walk there last Dec and was looking forward to doing a different one this time before stocking up on more NZ honey and chocolate. So not sure if we'll head to Christchurch. Understand about local bus issues but they don't visitors at all?

[MicCanberra]

Good to know for December.

[Jean C]

In Bernie, Tasmania, a few years ago, the town put on a shuttle bus that did a loop with three or four different stops for cruise ship passengers, including a shopping centre. We did a long waterfront boardwalk then picked the shuttle up to return to the ship. Happy, informative driver who was a good ambassador for the town. Can't understand why Lyttelton can't have a shuttle to Chch via the Lyttelton township, as a destination choice for passengers 🤔

[OzKiwiJJ]

4 hours ago, Jean C said:

In Bernie, Tasmania, a few years ago, the town put on a shuttle bus that did a loop with three or four different stops for cruise ship passengers, including a shopping centre. We did a long waterfront boardwalk then picked the shuttle up to return to the ship. Happy, informative driver who was a good ambassador for the town. Can't understand why Lyttelton can't have a shuttle to Chch via the Lyttelton township, as a destination choice for passengers 🤔

It's crazy, isn't it. Not everyone wants to go into Christchurch. I'd actually like to take the ferry across to Diamond Harbour if we stop in Lyttelton again. 

[PasadenaDave]

Does anyone know how this is operating?  We will be visiting on Christmas Eve Day and hope to go into Christchurch.  We are on Viking with capacity of 930 passengers.  I can’t tell if Viking will have a shuttle into the city or if we can/should take local bus.  We are the only ship in port that day 

[arxcards]

1 minute ago, PasadenaDave said:

Does anyone know how this is operating?  We will be visiting on Christmas Eve Day and hope to go into Christchurch.  We are on Viking with capacity of 930 passengers.  I can’t tell if Viking will have a shuttle into the city or if we can/should take local bus.  We are the only ship in port that day 

This is now out of date. I will find a link to the more recent and relevant topic.

[arxcards]

4 minutes ago, PasadenaDave said:

Does anyone know how this is operating?  We will be visiting on Christmas Eve Day and hope to go into Christchurch.  We are on Viking with capacity of 930 passengers.  I can’t tell if Viking will have a shuttle into the city or if we can/should take local bus.  We are the only ship in port that day 

Try this one. They had a change of mind/policy/heart.

Check from post 41 onwards.