Cruise ships
Arriving by cruise ship
Port Marlborough runs two cruise berths at Picton. Which one your ship uses decides whether you walk into town or take a shuttle.
Photo: Old shearer / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
Published
The two berths
| Berth | Ships | Into town |
|---|---|---|
| Waimahara Wharf, Shakespeare Bay | Deep-water berth for ships up to 350 m long | Port Marlborough: “minutes by shuttle”. Not a walk. |
| Waitohi Wharf (West), town side | Mid-sized and boutique ships up to 245 m | Close to the town centre |
Port Marlborough does not publish who runs the Waimahara shuttle or what it costs, so we don’t either. Ask your ship.
The 2026–27 season
Port Marlborough’s schedule lists 37 ship visits between 24 October 2026 and 2 April 2027: 28 at Waimahara Wharf, 7 at Waitohi Wharf West and 2 at Ship Cove (Meretoto), at the northern end of the Queen Charlotte Track.
Visit numbers from Port Marlborough's published schedule. Checked 29 September 2026. These change — confirm on Port Marlborough's cruise schedule.
Ashore
From the town centre, the foreshore, the two museums and the start of the walking tracks are all on foot. Our cruise-ship day plan fits them to the time you have.
Operators whose own sites mention cruise passengers:
- Marlborough Wine Tours — advises booking its ship-specific excursions if you need a guaranteed return to the ship; it says weather cancellations are not refunded.
- Sounds Connection — lists a one-hour Picton scenic tour.
- Hop On Hop Off Wine Tours — head office on Auckland Street, Picton.
- E-Ko Tours — dolphin and wildlife trips from Wellington Street.
- Waikawa Dive Centre — pre-booked snorkel and dive outings for cruise-ship visitors.
Whatever you choose, work back from the all-aboard time.