Princesses cruise into port

The Sun Princess lies docked on the left, while sister ship Sea Princess gets the breakwater view. Photo / Warren Buckland

Anyone passing Napier Port yesterday could have been excused for believing they ought to head for an eye specialist to get their vision checked out.

It was case of seeing double as the sister cruise ships Sea Princess and Sun Princess arrived.

As Art Deco Trust shop manager Lynda Begley described it - "it's princess time".

On Sunday, the Dawn Princess had been in port and both days at the shop had been "pretty frantic" as hundreds of passengers poured into the Napier CBD - large numbers of them seeking something deco to take home.

"It has been very busy, very busy," she said.

Deco cards, posters and lamps had been popular with the mainly Australian visitors.

One couple said Napier had so far been "the pick of them all" as a place to spend a visiting day during their cruise.

Staff at the i-Site centre also had a busy time, with extra numbers brought in to cope.

Both liners arrived with 1950 passengers aboard.

The Sun Princess arrived at 5.45am and left for Tauranga at 4pm, while the Sea Princess arrived at 10.45am and left for Tauranga at 7pm.

A check through the central city at 1.30pm revealed practically every outside bar, cafe and restaurant chair was taken as the passengers swarmed through town.

"It's a very nice place this," said a Sydneysider who gave his name as Paul.

"And it is a different sort of heat over here - that sun is really hot."

There will be seven more cruise ship visits this month, with all three Princess ships among the number.

While they each come in at 77,499 gross tonnes and measure an impressive 261m, the Voyager of the Seas, due to dock on January 31, will top them. It weighs in at 137,276 gross tonnes, is 311m long and carries 3114 passengers.