Cruise ships may soon be sailing into Northern Territory (NT) waters again after the NT Chief Health Officer updated a health direction to increase the number of passengers and crew allowed on board ships docking in the Territory from 150 to 350. The decision comes as part of a staged re-opening of the cruise industry, which, prior to COVID-19, generated $60 million (US$42.9 million) worth of annual expenditure in the Territory. In a media release on Wednesday, Tourism and Hospitality Minister Natasha Fyles said the cruise ship industry is vital to Top End tourism, and this increase to the capacity of crew and passengers aboard domestic boutique cruise ships will be a significant boost for operators and retailers. “We are safely re-opening the cruise ship industry in a staged approach and look forward to seeing this industry return and grow into the future,” she said. Chair of Asia Pacific cruise …