Not everyone in Lyttleton's onboard with visiting cruise ships with concerns the influx of passengers puts a strain on public transport and the tourists aren't spending locally.
More than 70 cruise ships have visited Port of Lyttelton in the past 12 months.
A community meeting was held last night ahead of the season that starts in November and opinions are divided.
Reuben Davidson is a member of the Banks Peninsula Community Board.
He's also standing for the Labour Party in the Christchurch East electorate. He was at the meeting last night and spoke to Lisa Owen.
The New Zealand Cruise Association said in a statement that if you look at card spend, data shows it's not correct to suggest passengers don't spend much money when they come to shore, although they may spend it in different places to locals.
Regarding buses, it said there is a higher cost for cruise shuttles because these aren't subsidised like public buses.
It said the industry is working with local authorities to alleviate pressure on infrastructure and to better manage passenger flow on and off Lyttelton Port.
It's also committed to achieving carbon net zero by 2050.
