A luxury cruise ship and its 600 passengers and crew has docked in Darwin for the day, but the main retail strip in Darwin's CBD is mostly closed.

The Azamara Quest is on its maiden voyage and Acting Tourism Minister Willem Westra van Holthe said the visit was proof Darwin was being increasingly recognised by international cruise liners as a "must-visit destination".

Canadian tourist Bev Lajoie (left) and her husband said they had struggled to find open retailers or eateries in Darwin's CBD. ( ABC News: Elliana Lawford )

Mr Westra van Holthe said cruise liner visits provided a vital boost for tourism in the NT, injecting $54 million into the local economy last financial year.

He cited September figures from the Australian Cruise Association and said the average daily spend per passenger in Darwin was up to $288.

But several Azamara Quest passengers told the ABC they did not know how they would fill the day before they departed at 10:00pm.

"I was a little surprised when we got off and everything seemed to be shut, it's pretty dead and that's a shame because this city has a lot to offer," Sydneysider Geoff Field said.

"There's a lot of people onboard the cruise ship that would spend money but there's not many places open so the money's in the wallet and Darwin's not getting it, which is a pity.

"With a big cruise ship coming in you would think that there would have been a few places open for the economy, there would have been a lot of people going to restaurants and buying clothes and things but nothing's open and it's a letdown."

Fellow passenger Richard Dorn said that back in his hometown in northern California, a lot more shops would have been open to welcome cruise ship tourists.

"We live in a small town and when cruise ships come in everybody's open, it's a big event because there's so much money to be made," he said.

"I think the stores should have been open, we're just going to go back to the ship."

Other passengers were disappointed they had nowhere to spend their Australian dollars.

"I didn't realise it was going to be quite as quiet as this, an awful lot of shops are closed," Heather Bealer, from England, said.

"I saved my Aussie dollars, I got the exchange rate sorted out and researched what things were going to cost, but I haven't really been able to spend my money because an awful lot of shops are closed.

"I came half way around the world to see Darwin and they closed it. I'll remember my time here because I had nothing to do."

Staff wages 'too expensive' on public holidays

The owner of one shop located in the city's mall told the ABC that staffing costs can influence the choice of some mall operators to stay shut.

"I think because the labour is very expensive ... they prefer to close the shop, I think," Kevin Zhang said.

"But I do think it's a good idea for shops to open on cruise ship days, because it is good for the Northern Territory economy."

Another shop owner said shops were not given enough notice of when cruise ships were scheduled to arrive in Darwin.

"Unfortunately this ship has come on a holiday, but even on a holiday the Government or council should let shops know a cruise ship is coming, so we can open and it doesn't look like a dead city," souvenir shop operator Adolfo Tchia said.

"The pays are expensive on public holidays, but if we were given notice we would open and if you have a business you should cover the pays because it's your business," Mr Tchia said.

Mr Westra van Holthe said the cruise industry was extremely important to the NT tourism industry, and provided an influx of tourists into the region during the off-peak and shoulder seasons.



"We are delighted Darwin will be the first taste of Australia for many of the passengers and we know they will have a memorable experience here in the Northern Territory," he said.