Today's visit coincided with the weekly Gourmet Night Markets. Organiser Monica Geister said it was one of the first times she had seen cruises leaving so late in the day.
"People [on the cruise ship] get up there and cooee and yell.
"There is usually a group of us who come down to see them off. It's good fun."
Remi Wilkins, who had also come to watch the ship leave, said it was "the biggest ship" he had seen.
Tourism Bay of Plenty head of marketing Kathrin Low said earlier this week it was absolutely thrilling to welcome the ship to Tauranga again.
"It was a joy to see so many of our community both welcoming and farewelling the Ovation on her maiden voyage to New Zealand and the Port of Tauranga," she said.
Ovation of the Seas is longer than three rugby fields, weighs 168,660 gross registered tonnes and carries 4762 passengers, 1600 crew, and is the fourth-largest cruise ship in the world.