Standing Ovation for Hawke's Bay

In early January Royal Caribbean's Ovation of the Seas cruised into Hawke's Bay. PHOTO/FILE

The final port of call on its inaugural New Zealand tour, Hawke's Bay offered a "unique experience" for passengers of the world's fourth largest cruise ship.

On January 5 Royal Caribbean's Ovation of the Seas - the largest ship to sail in Australasian waters - cruised into Hawke Bay.

Hundreds of onlookers flocked to the hills above Napier and cars crawled slowly around the port, as people watched the fourth-largest cruise ship in the world glide through choppy seas into port.

Berthing the 18-storey, 168,666-tonne ship at Napier's port presented some challenges for crew, and the ship's captain, Henrik Loy.

But they, and staff from Napier Port had spent over a year training for the moment, and the port had invested $400,000 in upgrading and strengthening the primary cruise berth.

Royal Caribbean Australia and New Zealand managing director Adam Armstrong said Napier was "one of the more challenging ports for large ships to navigate" as ships had to reverse into it from a long distance away.

"But the facilities and capabilities of the team on hand are superb," he said. "These are the sort of unique port entries that we've planned extensively for and simulated in the 18 months lead-up time to arrival, and so we were very confident we could deliver the port of Napier without a hitch for our guests."

Because of the ship's large size, every harbour and port visited presented its own set of requirements. However, Mr Armstrong said he was "pleased to report the berthing in Napier did not present any problems".

Mr Armstrong said the ship received a very warm welcome from locals, including the mayors of Napier and Hastings, Bill Dalton and Lawrence Yule, who gave a welcome speech and toured the ship.

He said Royal Caribbean had been "delighted" to include Napier in the inaugural season, as Hawke's Bay had so much to offer its 5000 passengers.

While some stayed on the ship when it docked in Napier - enjoying the many bars and restaurants on board, or relaxing by the pool - others ventured on to land to explore the region "on foot, on two wheels and on four wheels".

"The winery tours were especially popular, even the captain went to a winery for lunch," Mr Armstrong said. "The CBD in Napier was buzzing with passengers at local restaurants and bars, and a number of guests were loaded with shopping bags from a bit of retail therapy."

While guests enjoyed what was on offer, Mr Armstrong said the region's Art Deco history made the visit - the last stop on the cruise's tour of New Zealand - a unique experience.

Tiger Moth biplanes soared through the air as passengers disembarked the ship, where they had been greeted by a fleet of vintage cars and a jazz band. Arriving in the CBD, guests were welcomed by dancers dressed in 1930s flapper costumers outside the Masonic Hotel.

Many passengers also enjoyed the "shore activity" and walking tours organised by the Napier Art Deco Society.

"The town was really busy, with a great vibe, and the feedback has been overwhelmingly positive," Mr Armstrong said.