Video footage shows passengers of Ovation of the Seas disembarking via life boat, as the ship is too large to dock.
Downtown Auckland businesses are having an extended Boxing Day shopping period as up to 6500 people come ashore from the largest cruise ship ever to visit New Zealand.
Businesses spoken to by the Herald all reported sales far exceeding what they would usually expect for a December 27 due to the the arrival of the 168,666-tonne Ovation of the Seas.
The 348m ship anchored in the Waitemata Harbour this morning carrying up to 4905 passengers and 1500 crew. It is too long to dock at Queens Wharf so passengers had to be ferried about 800m to the Viaduct.
Will Thomas, manager of jewellery store Swarovski on Queen St, said that along with all the tourists, the cruise ship was attracting plenty of rubberneckers who were doing a spot of shopping while they were in the area.
"It comes in big waves, it's bizarre - it'll be extremely busy and packed and then they'll go and another group will come in.
"We were crazy busy yesterday ... and this is kind of like the watered-down version of Boxing Day. But it's still way busier than normal."
T2 Queen St duty manager Jess Probert said the tills hadn't stopped ringing since yesterday morning.
"It's a little bit quieter than Boxing Day - I think a lot of people aren't coming out with the intention of shopping, they're just sort of exploring whereas yesterday people were really intent on buying.
"But we've had quite a few big sales today, and we've noticed an influx of large groups of people coming in - I guess that's because people come in groups off the ship."
Manwoo Lee, the manager of Kiwiland Souvenirs on Customs St, said his sales today were up on Boxing Day.
"When we have a cruise ship in we're always busy. Yesterday wasn't busy for us, today is more busy."
Singer David Pomeroy was pleased of the extra foot traffic brought by Ovation of the Seas. Photo / Matthew Theunissen
It's not only the retailers who are enjoying the extra foot traffic. Silver-throated busker David Pomeroy took the opportunity to throw down a hat on Queen St and belt out a few classic ballads.
"I woke up today and I thought 'the boat's coming in today, thousands of people are going to be hopping off and they're probably going be coming to town'.
"There's been a lot of people clapping as they've gone past, there have been people dancing in the street. People have been generous - you get a mixture and often it's the people you don't think will give that do, and the people that walk down with the Louis Vuitton bags that tend not to."
Last season cruise ship visits injected $484 million into the New Zealand economy.
In Auckland the sector provided a $220m boost to the city's economy, up 15 per cent on the previous season.
During this season there will be 104 ship visits into Auckland.
