Supporters ship-shape and ready for tests

The Pacific Sun is gearing up to take on board 1500 Lions supporters. Picture / Dean Purcell

The largest cruise ship in Australia has been brought in to provide accommodation for the influx of Lions' supporters.

The 223m P&O cruise liner Pacific Sun will act as a floating hotel for British and Irish fans attending the Lions v All Blacks test matches in Christchurch and Wellington.

An estimated 1200 visitors - some paying up to $15,000 each - will board the ship when it docks at Lyttelton tomorrow morning.

Another 300 will join in Wellington before the ship travels up to Auckland for the final test on July 9.

The ship arrived in Auckland yesterday morning from Noumea for a nine hour fit-out before setting off for the South Island.

Its nine bars have been stocked with crates of Guinness, Speights and cider.

Healthy amounts of Marlborough and Hawkes Bay wines will feature in the dining rooms, and more lamb will be on the meal menu.

A Welsh choir and a Wellington-based musical group, Uncle Monkey, will supplement entertainment provided by the ship's two Filipino bands, who have been given a crash course on performing rugby staples such as Bread of Heaven, Molly Malone and Flower of Scotland.

The cruise ship tour will also take in a wine festival in Marlborough and wineries in the Hawkes Bay.

British-based Gullivers Sports Travel, which is organising the trip, said it had more fans coming to New Zealand than it had for the Rugby World Cup in Australia.

"For a lot of fans, it is a bonus to unpack only once instead of every time between games," said director John Hall.

Ship of fans

* 1500 tour supporters will travel and stay on the Pacific Sun as it makes its way from Christchurch to Wellington and Auckland.

* Packages on the Pacific Sun covering the three Lions tests range from $9700 to $15,000, including transfers, meals and entertainment.

* The highest-paying Gullivers clients are two people who have paid more than $35,000 each to fly first class and spend part of their stay in a suite on the Pacific Sun.

* A dozen couples are using the tour as their honeymoon, and one couple are getting married in Queenstown.