America's Cup: Team New Zealand and fans set to celebrate

Tens of thousands of proud Kiwis will line Auckland's Viaduct Harbour on Thursday to welcome our America's Cup heroes home - with the winning crew set to join their adoring supporters to celebrate long into the night.

Ticker tape, banners, plenty of Team New Zealand flags and patriotic cheering will welcome Peter Burling and his men home for the parade.

And it isn't just the crew or their fans looking forward to the festivities; with bar managers in the Viaduct and and around downtown Aucklandset to do a roaring trade both pre and post-parade.

Soul Bar and Bistro commercial manager, Olivia Carter, said the popular venue was expecting to be "very busy".

"I think as soon as they won, and as soon as someone mentioned 'parade', we started seeing bookings come in immediately even though it wasn't confirmed what was happening," she said.

The restaurant is already booked out for lunch and dinner.

"All the staff are super excited, everyone just can't wait really."

Euro Restaurant & Bar general manager James Kelly said the popular waterfront venue was also expecting a bumper day.

"We are expecting to be full," he said. "We're expecting a long busy lunch service running in to the night.

"We get a phone call for Thursday every hour. If that maintains, then by Thursday we will be fully booked, so for casual walk-ins we'll just be trying to fit them in where we possibly can."

A source close to Team New Zealand said punters who wanted a chance to toast the nation's latest sporting heroes would be best to head to venues including Rudi's Rooftop Brewing Co and HeadQuarters Viaduct.

There is talk of an official private after-party for our boys potentially at the Seafarers Members Club; a venue Burling and team-mate Blair Tuke enjoy.

And Burling and his team-mates - and the shore-based crew who also worked wonders to get Team New Zealand ready for the finals - should be in good form when it comes to partying.

As well as packing down their base in Bermuda, Team New Zealand has also been celebrating in style.

The celebrations kicked off shortly after Burling and co crossed the line in Tuesday's final race, with festivities going well into the next morning.

The official party was very much a Kiwi affair - with New Zealand classics from the likes of The Exponents, Lorde and the Patea Maori Club being blasted into the small hours.

Sailors, the shore and office crew, family and fans toasted the victory with a variety of Kiwi beverages.

The America's Cup was generously shared around the crowd for selfies and usually private rich listers posed up to get their mugs with the Old Mug; including Anatole Masfen, Ben Cook, Mark Francis, Topher Richwhite and Antony Wyborn.

Despite the 'slaughter on the water' in the finals series, Oracle Team USA skipper Jimmy Spithill and some of his colleagues also accepted an invite to the Kiwi party.

The Herald on Sunday can also report Oracle's debrief was short and sharp after they lost the final 7-1 to Team New Zealand.

Its backer, billionaire Larry Ellison, apparently didn't have the time or inclination for a lengthy talk over what went so wrong for the defenders at Bermuda.

Ellison also didn't attend Team New Zealand's party and flew out of Bermuda on his private plane.