In a fine example of "where did the year go?" the new cruise ship season for Hawke's Bay is set to kick off in less than a month with the arrival of the Sun Princess from Wellington on October 11.
It will be the first of a scheduled 56 cruise ship arrivals at Napier Port - 11 more than the 2015/16 season.
Among the arrivals during the coming season will be two of the largest ships ever to tie up at the port, with one of them, the 113,500 tonne Emerald Princess carrying 3090 passengers and set to make five visits.
The 290m liner will call on November 22, February 6 and 22, March 25 and April 17 - bringing a potential 15,450 passengers to the region.
But it will be overshadowed size- and passenger-wise by what will be the new record holder for Napier Port in terms of size.